The Better Than Cash Alliance was created in September 2012. Its founding members were the governments of Colombia, Kenya, Peru, and the Philippines, as well as
CARE,
Concern Worldwide,
Mercy Corps,
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and
World Food Programme (WFP). The
United Nations Capital Development Fund serves as the secretariat. Based at the
UN, the Alliance now has 80 members and is an implementing partner for the
G20’s Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI). The Alliance’s secretariat works closely with member governments, companies and other global organizations. According to its website its members are committed to digitizing payments in order to boost efficiency, transparency, women’s economic participation and
financial inclusion, helping build economies that are digital and inclusive. Its website also states that "Members do not want to abolish physical cash, but rather want to provide responsible digital payment options that are 'better than cash. The Alliance Secretariat works with members on their journey to digitize payments by: • Providing advisory services based on their priorities. • Sharing action-oriented research and fostering peer learning on responsible practices. • Conducting advocacy at national, regional and global level. The
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,
Citigroup, the
Ford Foundation, the
Omidyar Network, the
United Nations Capital Development Fund, the
United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and
Visa Inc. were founding funders of the Alliance. Further current funders include the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (
BMZ), the
Mastercard Foundation, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (
Sida), and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). == Members ==