Thank you for attending the ACCI 2021 Annual Conference! We hope you enjoyed the event as much as we enjoyed seeing you.
Please take a few minutes and complete the conference evaluation for us. Our program committee uses the feedback you provide in planning next year’s conference. The survey is online at https://acci-conf21-eval.questionpro.com.
Innovations in the way consumers pay for goods and services are being developed at a rapid pace. These new technology-based offerings benefit users through reduced costs and other useful attributes, such as speed and convenience. As with any innovation though, diffusion through the population occurs over time, and certain groups tend to be better positioned to take advantage of the benefits, while others may be excluded. Based on the assumption that the net impact of adoption of these new payment technologies is positive for the user, then it follows that non-adopters are placed at a relative disadvantage. We examine the characteristics of non-adopters, and the potential consequences of this. Our initial findings indicate that, whether because of access, skill, or some combination of the two, several vulnerable groups have lower levels of adoption, which in turn creates additional real and opportunity costs for the people who can least afford them. In addition, the growth of new payment devices pushes society towards “cashlessness,” potentially increasing marginalization of these vulnerable groups. In light of this, we make policy recommendations to mitigate the harm are presented.
