Improving Humanitarian Payments Through Digital Innovation

The adoption and usage of digital payments is accelerating across the globe, including in new and varied markets. In humanitarian crises, however, digital payments may not always be the best solution for recipients if there is not the necessary infrastructure and ecosystem. To be “better than cash”, digital payments must be responsible, especially for women, and create pathways towards full economic participation.

This report by the Better Than Cash Alliance will help humanitarians assess if and how digital payments can be effective – recognizing when the best solution for recipients may not be digital. Drawing on diverse implementation examples from ten markets, it focuses on the challenges and opportunities of digitizing the delivery of humanitarian payments, responsibly: what has worked, what has not, and what the future holds.