IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/rbz/wpaper/11078.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Fintech and financial frictions the rise of revenuebased financing

Author

Listed:
  • Dominic Russel
  • Claire Shi
  • Rowan Clarke

Abstract

We use transaction-level data from a major payment processor in South Africa to study revenue-based financing for small businesses provided by financial technology (fintech) companies. After eight months, payments through the selected processor are 16% lower for businesses that take financing offers than for observably similar non-takers, due to businesses hiding revenue to avoid repayments (moral hazard) and the tendency for riskier businesses to seek financing more frequently (adverse selection). Two natural experiments suggest that fintech platforms non-lending interactions with small businesses for example, payment processing and inventory management can limit both hiding and selection. By tying repayment to the continued use of non-lending products, fintechs can reduce enforcement and monitoring frictions. Our results help explain the rise of fintech-provided revenue-based financing and provide evidence for policymakers looking to increase financial inclusion and boost the growth of firms, particularly in developing economies.

Suggested Citation

  • Dominic Russel & Claire Shi & Rowan Clarke, 2025. "Fintech and financial frictions the rise of revenuebased financing," Working Papers 11078, South African Reserve Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:rbz:wpaper:11078
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.resbank.co.za/content/dam/sarb/publications/working-papers/2025/fintech-and-financial-frictions-the-rise-of-revenue-based-financing.pdf
    File Function: Revision
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bond, Eric W. & Crocker, Keith J., 1997. "Hardball and the soft touch: The economics of optimal insurance contracts with costly state verification and endogenous monitoring costs," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(2), pages 239-264, January.
    2. Winton, Andrew, 1995. "Costly State Verification and Multiple Investors: The Role of Seniority," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 8(1), pages 91-123.
    3. Berlin, Mitchell & Mester, Loretta J, 1999. "Deposits and Relationship Lending," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 12(3), pages 579-607.
    4. Andreas Fuster & Matthew Plosser & Philipp Schnabl & James Vickery, 2019. "The Role of Technology in Mortgage Lending," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 32(5), pages 1854-1899.
    5. Mike Burkart & Tore Ellingsen, 2004. "In-Kind Finance: A Theory of Trade Credit," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(3), pages 569-590, June.
    6. Berger, Allen N. & Miller, Nathan H. & Petersen, Mitchell A. & Rajan, Raghuram G. & Stein, Jeremy C., 2005. "Does function follow organizational form? Evidence from the lending practices of large and small banks," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(2), pages 237-269, May.
    7. Jon Frost & Leonardo Gambacorta & Yi Huang & Hyun Song Shin & Pablo Zbinden, 2019. "BigTech and the changing structure of financial intermediation," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 34(100), pages 761-799.
    8. Liran Einav & Amy Finkelstein & Mark R. Cullen, 2010. "Estimating Welfare in Insurance Markets Using Variation in Prices," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 125(3), pages 877-921.
    9. Franklin Allen & Xian Gu & Julapa Jagtiani, 2021. "A Survey of Fintech Research and Policy Discussion," Review of Corporate Finance, now publishers, vol. 1(3-4), pages 259-339, July.
    10. Francesco Cordaro & Marcel Fafchamps & Colin Mayer & Muhammad Meki & Simon Quinn & Kate Roll, 2022. "Microequity and Mutuality_experimental evidence on credit with performance contingent repayment," CSAE Working Paper Series 2022-08, Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford.
    11. Rajan, Raghuram G, 1992. "Insiders and Outsiders: The Choice between Informed and Arm's-Length Debt," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 47(4), pages 1367-1400, September.
    12. Dean Karlan & Jonathan Zinman, 2009. "Observing Unobservables: Identifying Information Asymmetries With a Consumer Credit Field Experiment," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 77(6), pages 1993-2008, November.
    13. Braggion, Fabio & Manconi, Alberto & Zhu, Haikun, 2023. "Household credit and regulatory arbitrage: Evidence from online marketplace lending," Other publications TiSEM 9fbc0f2e-26f5-414f-8384-c, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    14. repec:bla:jindec:v:49:y:2001:i:3:p:223-45 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Fabio Braggion & Alberto Manconi & Haikun Zhu, 2023. "Household Credit and Regulatory Arbitrage: Evidence from Online Marketplace Lending," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(10), pages 6271-6292, October.
    16. Buchak, Greg & Matvos, Gregor & Piskorski, Tomasz & Seru, Amit, 2018. "Fintech, regulatory arbitrage, and the rise of shadow banks," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 130(3), pages 453-483.
    17. Tobias Berg & Valentin Burg & Ana Gombović & Manju Puri, 2020. "On the Rise of FinTechs: Credit Scoring Using Digital Footprints," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(7), pages 2845-2897.
    18. Manasa Gopal & Philipp Schnabl, 2022. "The Rise of Finance Companies and FinTech Lenders in Small Business Lending," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 35(11), pages 4859-4901.
    19. Nathaniel Hendren, 2013. "Private Information and Insurance Rejections," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 81(5), pages 1713-1762, September.
    20. Townsend, Robert M., 1979. "Optimal contracts and competitive markets with costly state verification," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 265-293, October.
    21. Botsch, Matthew & Vanasco, Victoria, 2019. "Learning by lending," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 1-14.
    22. Brian S. Chen & Samuel G. Hanson & Jeremy C. Stein, 2017. "The Decline of Big-Bank Lending to Small Business: Dynamic Impacts on Local Credit and Labor Markets," NBER Working Papers 23843, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    23. Giulio Cornelli & Jon Frost & Leonardo Gambacorta & Raghavendra Rau & Robert Wardrop & Tania Ziegler, 2020. "Fintech and big tech credit: a new database," BIS Working Papers 887, Bank for International Settlements.
    24. Tetyana Balyuk, 2023. "FinTech Lending and Bank Credit Access for Consumers," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(1), pages 555-575, January.
    25. Leland, Hayne E & Pyle, David H, 1977. "Informational Asymmetries, Financial Structure, and Financial Intermediation," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 32(2), pages 371-387, May.
    26. Biais, Bruno & Gollier, Christian, 1997. "Trade Credit and Credit Rationing," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 10(4), pages 903-937.
    27. Alfaro, Laura & Kanczuk, Fabio, 2005. "Sovereign debt as a contingent claim: a quantitative approach," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(2), pages 297-314, March.
    28. Jagannathan, Ravi & Matsa, David A. & Meier, Iwan & Tarhan, Vefa, 2016. "Why do firms use high discount rates?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(3), pages 445-463.
    29. William Fuchs & Brett Green & David Levine, 2022. "Optimal Arrangements for Distribution in Developing Markets: Theory and Evidence," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 14(1), pages 411-450, February.
    30. Daniel Herbst & Nathaniel Hendren, 2024. "Opportunity Unraveled: Private Information and the Missing Markets for Financing Human Capital," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 114(7), pages 2024-2072, July.
    31. Julie H. Mortimer, 2008. "Vertical Contracts in the Video Rental Industry -super-1," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 75(1), pages 165-199.
    32. James D. Dana, Jr. & Kathryn E. Spier, 2001. "Revenue Sharing and Vertical Control in the Video Rental Industry," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(3), pages 223-245, September.
    33. Victor Stango & Jonathan Zinman, 2009. "Exponential Growth Bias and Household Finance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 64(6), pages 2807-2849, December.
    34. Benjamin S. Wilner, 2000. "The Exploitation of Relationships in Financial Distress: The Case of Trade Credit," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 55(1), pages 153-178, February.
    35. Alberto Abadie & Guido W. Imbens, 2006. "Large Sample Properties of Matching Estimators for Average Treatment Effects," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 74(1), pages 235-267, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kowalewski, Oskar & Pisany, Paweł, 2022. "Banks' consumer lending reaction to fintech and bigtech credit emergence in the context of soft versus hard credit information processing," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    2. Paul Beaumont & Huan Tang & Éric Vansteenberghe, 2024. "Collateral Effects: The Role of FinTech in Small Business Lending [Effets collatéraux : le rôle des Fintechs dans le financement des petites et moyennes entreprises]," Débats Economiques et financiers 42, Banque de France.
    3. Tobias Berg & Andreas Fuster & Manju Puri, 2022. "FinTech Lending," Annual Review of Financial Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 14(1), pages 187-207, November.
    4. Hasan, Iftekhar & Kwak, Boreum & Li, Xiang, 2024. "Financial technologies and the effectiveness of monetary policy transmission," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    5. Tania Babina & Saleem A. Bahaj & Greg Buchak & Filippo De Marco & Angus K. Foulis & Will Gornall & Francesco Mazzola & Tong Yu, 2024. "Customer Data Access and Fintech Entry: Early Evidence from Open Banking," NBER Working Papers 32089, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Oskar Kowalewski & Pawel Pisany & Emil Slazak, 2021. "What determines cross-country differences in fintech and bigtech credit markets?," Working Papers 2021-ACF-02, IESEG School of Management.
    7. Paul Beaumont & Huan Tang & Eric Vansteenberghe, "undated". "Effets collatéraux : le rôle des Fintechs dans le financement des petites et moyennes entreprises," Analyse et synthèse 157, Banque de France.
    8. Jia, Xiaoran, 2024. "FinTech penetration, charter value, and bank risk-taking," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    9. Yiping Huang & Xiang Li & Han Qiu & Changhua Yu, 2023. "Big tech credit and monetary policy transmission: micro-level evidence from China," BIS Working Papers 1084, Bank for International Settlements.
    10. Boot, Arnoud & Hoffmann, Peter & Laeven, Luc & Ratnovski, Lev, 2021. "Fintech: what’s old, what’s new?," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    11. Iñaki Aldasoro & Sebastian Doerr & Haonan Zhou, 2023. "Non-bank lending during crises," BIS Working Papers 1074, Bank for International Settlements.
    12. Bertrand, Jérémie & Murro, Pierluigi, 2022. "Firm–bank “odd couples” and trade credit: Evidence from Italian small- and medium-sized enterprises," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    13. Berger, Allen N. & Boot, Arnoud W.A., 2024. "Financial intermediation services and competition analyses: Review and paths forward for improvement," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    14. Wang, Xiaoting & Hou, Siyuan & Kyaw, Khine & Xue, Xupeng & Liu, Xueqin, 2023. "Exploring the determinants of Fintech Credit: A comprehensive analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    15. He, Zhiguo & Huang, Jing & Zhou, Jidong, 2023. "Open banking: Credit market competition when borrowers own the data," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(2), pages 449-474.
    16. Cuadros-Solas, Pedro J. & Cubillas, Elena & Salvador, Carlos, 2023. "Does alternative digital lending affect bank performance? Cross-country and bank-level evidence," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    17. Lei Lu & Jianxing Wei & Weixing Wu & Yi Zhou, 2023. "Pricing strategies in BigTech lending: Evidence from China," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 52(2), pages 333-374, June.
    18. DeFusco, Anthony A. & Tang, Huan & Yannelis, Constantine, 2022. "Measuring the welfare cost of asymmetric information in consumer credit markets," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(3), pages 821-840.
    19. Committee, Nobel Prize, 2022. "Financial Intermediation and the Economy," Nobel Prize in Economics documents 2022-2, Nobel Prize Committee.
    20. Vives, Xavier & Ye, Zhiqiang, 2025. "Information technology and lender competition," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).

    More about this item

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:rbz:wpaper:11078. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Jessica VanWyk (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/rbagvza.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.