In most countries, non-bank intermediaries are required to post the prices for their services. As a result, their offerings are straight-forward and customers can make intelligent buying decisions. Yet traditional financial institution are not required to post the pricing of their services, so customers frequently realize the cost of services “after the fact” resulting in uninformed buying decisions.

Nowhere are such practices more obvious than in countries where imposition of overdraft and non-sufficient funds fees and charges have become big business for banks.

If pricing transparency is to be a goal for financial intermediaries dealing with those at the base of the pyramid, perhaps those urging this goal should seek to encourage similar client protection behaviours from traditional financial institutions serving the rest of society.