Mobile payment

Mobile payment, also referred to as mobile money, mobile money transfer and mobile wallet, is any of various payment processing services operated under financial regulations and performed from or via a mobile device. Instead of paying with cash, cheque, or credit card, a consumer can use a payment app on a mobile device to pay for a wide range of services and digital or hard goods. Although the concept of using non-coin-based currency systems has a long history, it is only in the 21st century that the technology to support such systems has become widely available.

Mobile payments were adopted in Japan in the 2000s and later all over the world in different ways. The first patent exclusively defined "Mobile Payment System" was filed in 2000.

In a developing country, mobile payment solutions can be deployed as a means of extending services of financial institutions to the community known as the "unbanked" or "underbanked", which is estimated to be as much as 50 percent of the world's adult population, according to the Financial Access 2009 Report "Half the World is Unbanked". Such payment networks are often used for micropayments. A recent 2025 systematic review finds that digital payment technologies—including mobile payments and mobile money—significantly expand financial inclusion by enabling access to financial services among underserved and unbanked populations worldwide. A 2025 empirical study from Saudi Arabia further shows that the expansion of digital financial services through mobile payment platforms can enhance financial inclusion and support broader socioeconomic sustainability goals in the country.

The use of mobile payments in developing countries has attracted public and private funding by organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the United States Agency for International Development, and Mercy Corps.