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T-Mobile Jumping Into the Check-Cashing Industry
An anonymous reader writes "T-Mobile has made headlines recently for trying to change the cellphone industry's reliance on contracts that lock customers into a particular carrier. Perhaps surprisingly, they've been fairly successful. Now, they're jumping into another industry plagued by high, customer-unfriendly fees: check cashing. 'Specifically, T-Mobile is hoping to offer an alternative for the 70 million or so U.S. adults that either have no bank account or have some bank services but still rely somewhat on check-cashing or payday-loan services.' How will they do it? 'Through the combination of a smartphone and a prepaid Visa debit card, T-Mobile (and its banking partner, Bancor) aims to offer many of the services typically offered through a bank, including check cashing, direct deposit and bill pay. The service, dubbed Mobile Money, allows customers to purchase and reload the card at more than 3,000 T-Mobile stores and, eventually, at Safeway and other retail stores. They can use the card anywhere Visa is accepted, and can also withdraw money, without a fee, at 42,000 ATMs across the country. Mobile Money customers can enroll in direct deposit for payroll, and personal checks and other types of checks can also be deposited by taking a picture of the check using the smartphone's camera.'"
Most banks have gotten to the point that they only offer free checking if you use direct deposit. If you deal mostly in cash or work for a small company that cuts paper payroll checks, you're not left with a lot of free options.
The European banking system (T-Mobile originates in Germany) is highly competitive. Checks basically don't exist anymore. You can still use them, but nobody wants to, because the alternatives are much more comfortable and reliable. I can only imagine that the people at T-Mobile are constantly thinking "WTF? Does nobody realize how unnecessarily complicated and expensive banking is in this country? Why isn't anybody doing something about it? Maybe we should do something about it."
Checks in the mail. Seriously, folks?
I'd be less cynical in this particular case: it looks like a genuinely innovative bit of middle-man work, which could serve its target audience better than the current solutions. (If it doesn't, it will of course fail.)
PayPal was an innovation at the time it was new, and served its users better than anything else out there. T-Mobile's new idea looks similar: it aims to serve customers in a way banks are for some reason reluctant or unable to do.
There is a place in the world for these 'middle-men' roles.
Seriously, if you are so far above the line that this occurs at that no one you know falls below it, you are a hell of a lot better off than you think.
The problem with middle class is for some reason they seem to think that is what poor is, and cannot conceive of someone worse of than them.
I started off poor. I grew up moving from eviction to eviction. bank accounts were simply not an option for my mother, she had floated checks to try and stave off evictions. We went hungry often. A night with no food, or maybe a package of crackers to share, was common- at least once a week, and often more.
The road up from there is steep, and many do not make the climb. College was not an option- too poor to afford it, not poor or minority enough to get scholarships. Grants that were available would not cut it- and the aforementioned poverty and evictions meant no student loans for us. Constant moving meant a school history that does not bring the scholarships flocking. Sports? Who has time to excel at sports when finding supper is the priority? The military was my only hope, and even that was iffy - could I get a training that will translate to decent civilian jobs? (spoiler- I did.)
I am middle class now- upper middle to be honest-, but that was a very gradual climb taking over 20 years.
But I do recognize how far I have climbed and DO understand the people still struggling at the bottom are not there because they are lazy bums.