How Debit Cards Enable the Poor to Save More
研究一项自然实验，发现给已有银行账户的现金转移受益人发放借记卡后，其储蓄在两年内增加了相当于年收入2%的金额，主要通过减少交易成本和监控成本实现。
ABSTRACT We study an at‐scale natural experiment in which debit cards were given to cash transfer recipients who already had a bank account. Using administrative account data and household surveys, we find that beneficiaries accumulated a savings stock equal to 2% of annual income after two years with the card. The increase in formal savings represents an increase in overall savings, financed by a reduction in current consumption. There are two mechanisms. First, debit cards reduce transaction costs of accessing money. Second, they reduce monitoring costs, which led beneficiaries to check their account balances frequently and build trust in the bank.