This report presents the results of a preliminary qualitative assessment of technology-enabled financial service delivery channels aimed at reaching low-income, low-literate individuals in Kenya, focusing on the ATM and mobile phone (SMS and USSD) based offerings of Equity Bank and the mobile phone (SIM card/SMS) based M-PESA application of Safaricom. Eleven low- and middle-income respondents from urban and rural locations discussed their socio-economic circumstances and their choices around using various financial services, transaction channels, their mobile phones, etc. in detailed open-ended interviews. We highlight key dependencies that determine how and why these individuals engage with technology-enabled channels to conduct financial transactions.

Publisher  Microsoft Research

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