Challenges in designing an inclusive Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending system

Abstract

Literature suggests advantages of Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending systems over conventional banking credit, such as better credit scoring, and direct interaction of lenders-borrowers. Fintech P2P lending companies can process scattered individual information using advanced statistical methods and serve unreached market segments improving inclusiveness in society. Establishing inclusive P2P lending systems remains challenging, however, there is no systematic overview of such design challenges. Failure in designing an inclusive system creates a system that remains exclusive for some parts of society which hinders them from increasing economic transactions or even continuing business as usual due to limited funds. This research aims to identify the challenges in designing P2P lending systems that block inclusiveness in society. We conducted a systematic literature review followed by semi-structured interviews with financial inclusions and P2P lending systems experts. Our review found a variety of challenges in designing inclusive P2P lending systems. We classify the challenges into six categories. The main challenges are related to trust in the systems, literacy, and data issues.