Financial Inclusion through Lending Based on Platform Work

Across Southeast Asia, millions of platform workers drive, deliver, and earn and yet remain largely invisible to the formal financial system. 

A survey of 13,709 Grab driver-partners across six markets, conducted by Ipsos, finds that 68% of borrowers in this study accessed formal credit for the first time through Grab's ecosystem. 

For these platform workers, the question of where to turn when they need a loan is not abstract: 1 in 5 who approached a traditional bank were rejected, and 1 in 2 borrowers have taken a loan with Grab specifically to avoid unlicensed lenders.

This study examines how platform-based lending, specifically Grab's financial services model, addresses that gap. 

By underwriting against observable platform earnings rather than conventional credit scores, Grab extends customised manageable credit limits to platform workers that traditional institutions have systematically turned away.

The data shows that borrowers are not taking these loans frivolously. They borrow to protect their income, invest in their tools, and cushion against shocks.  

In terms of loan process, 3 out of 4 driver‑partners who borrowed cited automatic wallet deductions as one of the reasons while 58% cited that repayment plans are manageable, designed to fit irregular earnings. 

Lastly, evidence suggests that it works: 2 in 3 report greater economic resilience after taking a loan.