Mobile Money: The way forward for Pakistan

There was a time when phones were meant for calling and that was it. Within a decade of cellular phones becoming popular, however, phones began to double as not just a device for calling and messaging but as cameras, computers, calendars, clocks, and so much more. For the vast majority of the world, mobile phones are their primary computing device which they use the most. 

And its uses are continuing to grow. 

In 2022, the transactions involving ‘mobile money,’ which refers to payment services operated under financial regulation and performed from or via a mobile device (these include your bank app, QR codes, and services like JazzCash and EasyPaisa in Pakistan), increased to an all time high of more than $1 trillion globally. The world also saw an 18 percent increase in user accounts - all according to a report of the Groupe Speciale Mobile Association (GSMA) titled “State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money 2022.” 

Pakistan has also been highlighted in the report, which points out the development in the Pakistani market ranging from growing user accounts to an uptake of digital financial services like loans and insurance. However, it went on to highlight the regulatory and socio-economic barriers that exist in the country’s ecosystem which can hamper the pace of adoption for mobile money amongst the masses.