Insights on Payment Practices in Bangladesh: Cash and Mobile Finance Habits

This study, conducted by Dnet under a grant provided through USAID’s Mobile Solutions and Technical Assistance (mSTAR) project, captures how customer acquisition agents for Dnet’s Aponjon Program are using mobile phones. Aponjon is an mHealth initiative focused on maternal and child healthcare. Aponjon deploys agents across the country to increase subscriptions to the mobile phone service; agents receive an incentive payment based on the number of customer acquisitions they make. Aponjon pays incentives to their agents using different means. Due to the popularity of MFS in Bangladesh as well as its potential to increase efficiency, Dnet applied for and received a fixed-obligation grant from the mSTAR project to integrate mobile financial services into its Aponjon program.

To begin, Dnet conducted a study on MFS and cash payment practices by customer acquisition agents. The purpose of the study is to understand the advantages, disadvantages, and convenience of cash versus mobile financial services. See the report for detailed findings.