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Field
Trial Title
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Before
Does interoperability increase competition in platform markets?: Evidence from mobile banking in Pakistan
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After
Complementarities and interoperability in platform markets: Evidence from mobile banking in Pakistan
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Trial Status
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Before
in_development
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After
on_going
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Abstract
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Before
In this project, I examine whether increasing interoperability between platforms reduces the advantage of large established firms over smaller competitors. I focus on mobile money platforms (MMPs), which are an important technology for banking the unbanked in low- and middle-income countries. In rural Pakistan, I will run an experiment where I vary respondents' information regarding interoperability between MMPs and peer adoption of MMPs. I will measure how these informational treatments affect the respondent's choices between platforms as well as the respondent's choice of information to communicate with their peers.
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After
Platform markets are often dominated by a few large firms. In this project, I measure the contribution of peer effects and interoperability to these high levels of market concentration. By experimentally varying respondent's perceptions of the interoperability and peer adoption of mobile money platforms (MMPs), an important technology in low- and middle-income countries, I estimate their influence on adoption of, communication about, and preferences over dominant and competitor platforms. This experiment will allow me to parse the relative importance of social learning, complementarities between peers from on-platform interactions, and complementarities between peers from other factors such as social image concerns/mimicry/conformity. My results should inform policymakers seeking to spur adoption of or increase competition in platform industries.
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JEL Code(s)
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Before
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After
O14, O16, O17, O33, D83, G20, L14, L15, L81
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Last Published
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Before
March 06, 2024 03:26 PM
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After
March 31, 2024 04:09 PM
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Additional Keyword(s)
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Before
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After
interoperability, competition, market power, peer effects, social learning, digital finance, mobile banking; complementarities, social networks
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Keyword(s)
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Before
Finance
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After
Finance, Firms And Productivity
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Field
Intervention (Hidden)
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Before
1. Information about interoperability between mobile money platforms in Pakistan: ‘RAAST makes it easy to send money to different mobile money providers’ pamphlet
Note: Raast is State Bank of Pakistan-run payment system that enables fast, cheap, and secure transfers between mobile banking providers.
Surveyor will hand respondent RAAST pamphlet.
Then, the surveyor will read a short script highlighting key information on the RAAST pamphlet.
2. Information about peer adoption of mobile money platforms: peer adoption information from recent survey
Between January and February 2024, Gallup Pakistan interviewed mobile money users in villages in Gujranwala, Mandi Bahuaddin, and Hafizabad.
The tablet will instruct the surveyor to tell the respondent the number of users with an EasyPaisa, JazzCash or Konnect by HBL account among 100 mobile money users in villages of their district.
“In 2024, we interviewed 100 mobile banking users in [District name].
[EP users for district] had an EasyPaisa account.
[JC users for district] had a JazzCash account.
[KHBL users for district] had a Konnect by HBL account.”
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After
1. Information about interoperability between mobile money platforms in Pakistan: ‘RAAST makes it easy to send money to different mobile money providers’ pamphlet
Note: Raast is State Bank of Pakistan-run payment system that enables fast, cheap, and secure transfers between mobile banking providers.
Surveyor will hand respondent RAAST pamphlet.
Then, the surveyor will read a short script highlighting key information on the RAAST pamphlet.
2. Information about peer adoption of mobile money platforms: peer adoption information from recent survey
Between January and February 2024, Gallup Pakistan interviewed mobile money users in villages in Gujranwala, Mandi Bahuaddin, and Hafizabad.
The tablet will instruct the surveyor to tell the respondent the number of users with an EasyPaisa, JazzCash or Konnect by HBL account among 100 mobile money users in villages of their district.
“In 2024, we interviewed 100 mobile banking users in [District name].
[EP users for district] had an EasyPaisa account.
[JC users for district] had a JazzCash account.
[KHBL users for district] had a Konnect by HBL account.”
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Field
Building on Existing Work
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Before
Yes
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After
No
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