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xchrom

(108,903 posts)
Fri Apr 18, 2014, 07:53 AM Apr 2014

wal-mart jumps into the money transfer biz, loudly

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_WAL_MART_MONEY_TRANSFERS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-04-17-19-05-49

NEW YORK (AP) -- Wal-Mart is delving deeper into financial services at its stores and shaking up the money transfer business.

The world's largest retailer introduced a new money transfer service Thursday that it says will cut fees for its low-income customers by up to 50 percent compared with similar services elsewhere. The Walmart-2-Walmart service is being rolled out in partnership with Ria Money Transfer, a subsidiary of Euronet Worldwide Inc.

Shares of money-transfer companies MoneyGram and Western Union slid Thursday.

The service, which will be available starting April 24, allows its customers to transfer up to $900 to and from more than 4,000 Wal-Mart stores in the U.S.
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MineralMan

(146,317 posts)
2. $900 isn't enough.
Fri Apr 18, 2014, 09:31 AM
Apr 2014

Private sales of cars are one of the most common cash transactions. The amounts make such transactions potentially dangerous, so it would be nice if there was a safe, simple way to exchange larger amounts.

For myself, when I purchase a used car, the exchange occurs at my bank if the seller wants cash. I get the keys and the ownership documentation and the seller gets the cash. The seller leaves. I leave. No risk involved.

NightWatcher

(39,343 posts)
3. I wonder if the fee will be reduced if you take receipt in walmart gift cards
Fri Apr 18, 2014, 09:36 AM
Apr 2014

I saw in the one nearest me that they have one of those coin counting machines that charges a few cents on the dollar to count loose change, but if you take the money in the form of walmart gift card there is no charge.

jwirr

(39,215 posts)
4. I use their services to get money orders and pay bills to certain companies. They do charge a fee
Fri Apr 18, 2014, 11:15 AM
Apr 2014

for these services but it is lower than monthly banking fees.

hunter

(38,316 posts)
6. This is something a U.S. Post Office Bank could do.
Fri Apr 18, 2014, 12:29 PM
Apr 2014

Commercial banking services for lower income people tend to be predatory, with very high rates and fees.

Wal-Mart will pursue it's regular strategy of entering the market with lower prices than its competitors, and then raise their prices when their competitors go out of business or leave town.

A Post Office Bank could put an end to all this predation, offering low cost and free direct deposit accounts, debit cards, and money transfers. This would make the "low income" money business much less attractive to the sharks.

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