A 12-month randomized controlled trial in Bangladesh found that personalized support, through training, follow-up calls, and helplines, significantly increased digital financial service (DFS) adoption, confidence, and customer engagement among low-income microentrepreneurs.
Despite higher adoption, transaction volumes and frequency remained low due to persistent barriers such as fees, connectivity issues, agent availability, and trust concerns.
Behavioral factors such as confidence, perceived usefulness, and fear of fraud strongly shaped DFS use, demonstrating the need for interventions that address these specific constraints.
As microentrepreneurs became more confident with DFS, they became advocates for DFS, helping customers and reinforcing wider community uptake of digital payments.
Sustained digital financial inclusion requires integrated approaches that combine capacity building, consumer protection, supportive infrastructure, and behaviorally informed policy design.