Practice

Transparent Terms

The Scheme must ensure that all costs and terms are disclosed to the payer before payment is made. Transparency also extends to FX rates in cross-border transfers. All terms must be accepted by the payer prior to execution.

Safe Payments

Scheme ensures that users can conduct their transactions safely

How to Implement

Guidance

Disclose details to build trust.

The Scheme rules clearly define how DFSPs display fees as well as any other requirements or conditions to end users, including any requirements for how fees should be calculated. The orienting goals here are simplicity and completeness.

Communicate fees to end users.

The Scheme defines how DFSPs communicate fees to end users in terms of notifications in advance of charges, as well as clear and complete fee disclosures.

Use shared cost disclosures for cross-border transfers.

DFSPs disclose the total cost of the transaction (FX cost and fees) using the same formula to inform senders of both fees and foreign exchange costs. The disclosure should be presented to the payer prior to confirming the transfer. Scheme rules should also prohibit beneficiary deductions, which reduce the value when it reaches the payee.

Reference and display benchmark FX rate in the disclosure.

DFSPs should calculate total FX cost by referencing the benchmark rate (also referred to as a reference rate, this rate is used to reflect the economic value of currencies and is for informational purposes only) for each currency pair. DFSPs should also display the benchmark rate used in the calculation as part of its disclosure of total FX cost to the end user. The benchmark rate referenced should be the most recent daily rate published for the currency pair by an authoritative source, e.g., the central bank, other government entity, Reuters Reference Rate. In cases where the benchmark rate for the specific currency pair is not published, it should be derived utilizing benchmark rates for each currency using a third, liquid currency.

Why It Matters

This builds trust and empowers users to make informed financial decisions, ensuring that the Inclusive IPS remains both affordable (by preventing hidden costs) and useful (by providing clarity and confidence in every transaction).

Seeing More Clearly

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Women’s Inclusion

Less literate than male counterparts in some contexts, and more price sensitive, women require clarity and transparency in the way the Scheme and DFSPs display product and service terms – in particular fee disclosures – to motivate their use.

Cross-Border

Cross-border, cross-currency payments are especially susceptible to hidden fees and manipulations which mask markups for end-users, making it impossible for them to understand the true cost of the payment. Confusing presentation of foreign exchange rates and other cross-border transfer fees offers a prime mechanism for DFSPs to hide costs from end users.

A woman purchases a necklace using mobile money in Rwanda.

Tools

Design Guides

Dig into how to implement each of the practices.

Related Resources

From the Community

Helpful resources from other organizations on implementing this practice.

    Blog | FinDev Gateway

    Top Five Digital Financial Service Features That Impact Women’s Access and Use

    Blog based on research in Kenya and Côte d’Ivoire highlighting the importance of transparent fees

    Blog | CGAP

    Break the Bias: Evidence Shows Digital Finance Risks Hit Women Hardest

    Blog post describing the importance of transparency on women’s perceptions of digital financial services products.

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A woman uses mobile money to purchase fruit at a market in Rwanda.