To help policy makers make practical programmatic design choices, this series summarizes recent literature on cash transfers and explains how the design of cash transfer programs can affect outcomes. The series is launched with an initial set of five thematic briefs on benefit size, timing (frequency and duration), transfer modality (cash versus in-kind), payment mechanism (physical versus digital), and gender. The evidence is largely based on impact evaluations published in the past decade. Although the impacts of cash transfers can vary depending on the context, this overview brief aims to present main key take aways on how design features can impact cash transfer outcomes.