New innovations in technology, new platforms for banking, and new ways of transacting in business relations are all helping to expand financial inclusion across emerging markets. Building new technologies and platforms that are customized for the needs of consumers, merchants, and suppliers will help ensure that this growth in financial inclusion continues. This brief presentation will describe approaches to building customer engagement and loyalty among urban retailers/merchants. Merchants play a critical role in the effective rollout of digital financial services: Because they have the strongest ties to consumers, their success or failure in implementing new digital payment systems can make or break the success of digital financial services within any given market. Addressing the needs, challenges, and pain points of merchants related to digital payment systems can help jump-start digital financial ecosystems. This presentation will discuss case studies in India, Indonesia, and Tanzania that point to cross-cutting challenges and solutions that can help expand financial by empowering merchants with better products.
