Modelo Perú: A Unique Approach to Financial Inclusion

Peru is well regarded internationally for having a well-developed formal financial sector. However, more than 70% of Peruvians are excluded financially. This is for a variety of reasons, including high transaction costs, financial illiteracy, and lack of accessibility in remote areas. Through Modelo Perú – a unique collaboration between the country’s financial institutions, government, telecommunications companies, large payers and payees – this is about to change. Together these institutions have constructed a shared infrastructure for mobile payments, which forms the basis for competition on customer acquisition through product, all with a unifying goal of financial inclusion. If successful, this will be the world’s first attempt to build a fully interoperable national mobile payments system designed to promote financial inclusion.