This article explores the key issues facing mobile operators as they build an agent network. Structured as a series of questions with responses drawing on best practices, this article addresses what agents do, how big an agent network should be, how agents are recruited, and other relevant questions.

This video highlights some of the key qualities that MNOs should look for in succesful mobile money agents such as proper liquidity management, good location, and community trust amongst others.

This article seeks to answer a broad question: how can mobile operators design a set of incentives that encourage agents to become active and productive participants in mobile money distribution. In doing so, it answers key questions like ‘What are the transactions for which agents get paid’ and ‘How do commissions get paid out.

This video and accompanying presentation are designed to provide mobile operators with a clear understanding of the process that’s used to develop mobile money prices and commissions.   It covers a mix of theory and real world examples, and simulates the development process for an imaginary service

In this blog post, four pitfalls that MNOs should avoid when designing their mobile money agent commission models are detailed.

In this article, the authors explore how mobile operators can ensure that the agent networks they have built and incentivised are managed effectively. This involves answering the question of ‘How do operators ensure agents are liquid’ and detailing options for selling electronic value to the channel, including directly or through superagents, masteragents.



On pages 7-11 of this case study on Safaricom’s M-PESA, the authors detail how Safaricom’s channel management strategy contributed to the success of the service. It provides a clear overview of the options stores have to rebalance their liquidity, including through masteragents and superagents.

This blog post details three forms of fraud that mobile operators must protect themselves and customers from: splitting transactions, direct deposits, and unfulfilled transactions.



This video explores the role that Top Image, a below-the-line field marketing agency, has played in developing and maintaining Safaricom’s successful M-PESA agent network. Top Image performs several key functions, including training M-PESA agents, monitoring float, and supervising activations.

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This guide presents practical advice to providers on how to build a viable network of agents, which is a critical component of a branchless banking service. This guide is based on more than a year of research that yielded data on agents in Brazil, India, and Kenya. In-depth interviews were conducted with 466 agents and more than two dozen agent network managers and providers.

This case study analyses 20 M-PESA retail outlets managed by an aggregator, PEP Intermedius. The authors also present 9 stylized observations on the operational complexities of managing mobile money agents, including how often (and why) stores rebalance liquidity, differences between urban and rural agents, and more.