Skip to content
We are sorry but the page you are looking for is not available in the language you have selected, please go to the corresponding homepage
  1. Home
  2. Themes

Digital Payments

Embracing new technology is critical to making humanitarian response – including cash and voucher assistance (CVA) – as effective as possible. But when we integrate new technologies and partnerships into humanitarian assistance, we must ensure that the safety, dignity and preferences of people in crisis always come first.

Digital technology is transforming the way we respond to emergencies. Innovations range from how we identifying people eligible for assistance, to data collection for assessments and monitoring, to communication with crisis-affected communities. Digital payment systems, including mobile devices, electronic vouchers, and cards – when used appropriately – can deliver timelier, more secure, more cost effective, and inclusive assistance. But as the volume of data we collect, store and share about people grows, we must ensure that our data protection systems keep pace and that we understand and mitigate for the risks inherent in new technologies.

Latest

Seeking Solutions: New roles for technology in cash and voucher programs – An inspiration brief for technology and private sector partners

Policy paper

Today, more people have been forced to flee their homes than at the height of World War II. The scale of these humanitarian crises are challenging, and sometimes outpacing, the capacity of institutions created to respond to them. Yet, the approaches we have available to reach populations in need have also...

2015

Using Innovation And New Technologies to Improve Cash Transfer Programming (CTP)

Report

Experience and studies show that providing cash transfers to disaster-affected families empowers them to meet their diverse needs, provides a stimulus to the recovery of the local economy and is a cost effective way to deliver humanitarian assistance. The IFRC is committed to providing multi-sectoral...

2015

Financial Services Primer for Humanitarians

Guidelines and Tools

Financial services facilitate a wide range of economic and households activities in any society. They enable trade and business expansion and allow individuals to save, send and borrow money. Humanitarian cash transfers, particularly when delivered electronically,can expand access to financial services...

2015

Mobile Money Bulk Payment Products: Capturing the market opportunity of global development organizations

Presentation

International relief and development organizations (DOs) receive significant aid funding from donors, which they regularly disburse in high volume, low value payments to millions of recipients for program and operational expenses. DOs and donors are increasingly using and promoting the use of new digital...

2015

Doing Cash Differently: How cash transfers can transform humanitarian aid?

Policy paper

This report commissioned by the Overseas Development Institute highlights why giving aid directly in the form of cash is often a highly effective way to reduce suffering and to make limited humanitarian aid budgets go further. The publication, ,written by the High Level Panel on Humanitarian...

2015

Partnering for Success: E-cash use in humanitarian programming

Policy paper

In recent years, new technologies have facilitated electronic cash transfers (e-transfers) to disaster- and conflict-affected populations. Utilizing e-cash in emergency response requires close partnerships with Financial Service Providers (FSPs), often in places where electronic payments are still...

2015

Cash in Emergencies Toolkit

Guidelines and Tools

Access Toolkit Here Cash transfer based programming (CTP) is an effective and flexible way to support people affected by emergencies, maintaining their dignity and choice, while fostering local economies. CTP includes all forms of cash and voucher-based assistance. The Cash in Emergencies Toolkit has been...

2015

Challenges and the State of Play of Interoperability in Cash Transfer Programming

Guidelines and Tools

This study explores the factors driving the design of interoperability for Cash Transfer Programming. It outlines the rapidly changing environment in which digital services are emerging, the types of digital collaborations that could be enabled, and the key design challenges that confront effective...

2015

Cash Transfer Actors in Nepal – NRCS Mapping Exercise

Report

Each year Nepal faces a series of natural disasters, including floods, landslides and food insecurity, causing immense hardship and challenges to communities in the affected districts. The Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) as the auxiliary to the government is first responder to the needs of the affected...

2015

Cash Transfers: Progress made but challenges remain

Blog Post

In five years cash programming has come from almost nowhere to being – for some donors at least – the preferred option, especially in the field of food and nutrition. “We no long measure food aid contributions in wheat/tons equivalent,” says Julia Stewart-David of the EU aid body, ECHO. “That...

2 June 2014