How people pay around the world and what it means for the future of payments

The US card payment system involves a series of middlemen taking a cut. Digital systems, like those used in China and Kenya, could threaten banks and other players.
Payments systems vary across the globe, from cash-based economies to those driven by credit. The way consumers pay in the US, for example, might seem obsolete to consumers in other countries.
In Kenya, anyone with a mobile phone — smartphone or not — can use M-Pesa to send money, pay for things, and access credit. The service is used by almost all adults in the country. Read more…