Market conduct

The behaviour of market actors, if not adequately monitored, can also damage access to DFS. Some examples are:

1. Cross selling, when consumers are coerced or misled into acquiring more services (eg an expensive credit line, like overdraft, alongside a simple current account opening) than initially needed or intended to;
2. Bait and switch, when a very attractive service (eg high-interest, easy to open online savings accounts) is promoted, which upon scrutiny reveals narrow conditions, forcing the consumer to contract another service;
3. Tying and bundling, when consumers are forced to use one product to access another; and
4. Discriminatory pricing, when a service provider, usually a digital platform with market power, offers theirs or their partners’ services with an unfair discount over those from other providers.