General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forumswal-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=2014-04-17-19-05-49NEW 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.
Demo_Chris
(6,234 posts)MineralMan
(146,317 posts)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)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)for these services but it is lower than monthly banking fees.
Johonny
(20,851 posts)hunter
(38,316 posts)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.