Closing the financial inclusion gap

Accessibility Beyond the App

Digital banking is one of the most powerful tools for financial inclusion, but it has to be done right. In underserved communities, where physical branches are often few and far between, mobile banking creates access where none existed before. People can open accounts, make payments, apply for loans, and build savings from a device in their pocket.

But accessibility isn’t just about putting a bank in an app. It’s about removing friction. That means intuitive onboarding for people with low literacy levels, multilingual interfaces, biometric logins for those without formal identity (ID), and products designed to fit informal income patterns.

With the right digital banking platform, financial institutions can serve everyone from unbanked gig workers in Southeast Asia to smallholder farmers in Africa. These are not one-size-fits-all markets, they require flexibility and empathy in design. 

Furthermore, serving marginalised communities often comes with high compliance costs and low profit margins. Without modern, flexible platforms, the business case for inclusion simply doesn’t add up.

This is the problem we’re solving at Plumery by reducing the cost and complexity of launching digital banking journeys. By giving banks the tools to innovate faster and with less risk, we help make financial inclusion not just possible, but sustainable.

The Role of Regulation and Public Infrastructure

Solving the technological barriers to digital banking is just one piece of the puzzle. Governments and regulators have a pivotal role to play in accelerating adoption by removing structural barriers and enabling foundational infrastructure. This starts with clear regulatory frameworks and proportional compliance requirements. Strengthening cybersecurity standards and consumer protections is equally essential to building trust in digital financial services – without this foundation, even the most innovative solutions may fail to gain traction.

At Plumery, we see how banks thrive when operating in a well-defined, innovation-friendly regulatory environment. Whether regulation-led or market-driven, a more centralised and standardised approach is critical. Global initiatives such as Europe’s Single Euro Payments Area, India’s Unified Payments Interface and digital ID scheme Aadhaar, and Canada’s open banking efforts show how cohesive regulation can drive adoption.

Key enablers include tiered Know Your Customer, regulatory sandboxes, and investments in digital ID systems and nationwide connectivity. To promote financial inclusion, governments should incentivise banks and fintechs to deliver affordable digital services to underserved populations, supported by public literacy campaigns. Tax incentives, grants, and subsidies for institutions investing in digital transformation will further accelerate progress.

Finally, governments must lead by example through digital-first public services and foster public-private collaboration. These combined efforts create a fertile environment for scalable, inclusive and secure digital banking innovation.

Conclusion

Digital banking, when aligned with local context, delivered with the right tools and supported by an innovation-friendly regulatory environment, is one of the most scalable paths to closing the financial inclusion gap.