Information Provision via Mobile Phones to Increase Mobile Banking in Ghana

Mobile banking could help people in low- and middle-income countries who live in remote areas more easily access banking services; however, people may be hesitant to take up mobile banking, as with many new technologies, due to lack of knowledge of the technology and clear instructions for how to use it.  Researchers partnered with Opportunity International Savings and Loans Limited (OISL) to conduct a randomized evaluation to test the impact of high-frequency interactive voice response (IVR) calls on people’s use of mobile banking services and their financial behaviors in Ghana. People who received the IVR calls were more likely to use mobile banking and make on-time loan repayments, increasing their access to subsequent loans; however, they were not more likely to save.