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I have had to send cash to my sister a handful of times recently. Because her bank (Bank of America) stopped allowing cash deposits to any account other than y
by downandout 8y ago
I have had to send cash to my sister a handful of times recently. Because her bank (Bank of America) stopped allowing cash deposits to any account other than your own, the most convenient and inexpensive way to do this was through Walmart, which has its own money transfer service. You can arrange the transfer through an app, then you go to an express line at a Walmart store and complete the whole transaction in under a minute.
The problem is that Walmart underestimated just how angry its typical customer would get by seeing someone skip the line (even though there is a special line for app-based transactions). Of the three times I have done this, once I was called expletives by a couple of the people in line, and a second time a woman simply decided to come up at the same time I was called up and insist that it was her turn, not mine. Only after the cashier threatened to call security did she go wait her turn.
It turns out that the typical Walmart customer tends to already be stepped on by the rest of the world a lot during their normal lives, and being slighted in a Walmart seems to be a bridge too far for most of them. So while I enjoy the convenience of skipping the line, I won’t be doing it again. Stores that offer features like this need to consider how their clientele will react to others skipping the line, and engineer the experience in such a way that normal customers don’t feel slighted.
- djsumdog 8y agoA simple "on-line orders pickup" sign/queue is how most places handle this. Panera has a rapid pickup section/shelf, or at some places you can sit at a table and put in the table number for your order (although I'm not sure if you should use their app after the recent Panera security post on here). The bank transfer issue is another thing entirely. Zelle is suppose to fix that issue in the US, even though most other countries have this figured out: https://penguindreams.org/blog/the-american-banking-system-is-still-in-the-1990s/ https://penguindreams.org/blog/the-american-banking-system-i... But from what I've read, Zelle has a lot of the same issues as non-bank services like Venmo. So I haven't shopped at a Wal-Market since 2009. They offer some app/pre-order services, but they don't have a sign for pre-orders or on-line transactions? .. or they call out your name? How does their system work? How do you think it could be improved so it didn't look like you're jumping the queue?
- downandout 8y agoA simple "on-line orders pickup" sign/queue is how most places handle this Yes, and that’s what Walmart has (an “express line”) that is setup right in front of the cashier. But the regular line is several feet away and faces the express line. The signage is clear to those actually entering the express line, but not so clear to those in the regular line. All most of them apparently see is someone hanging out by the cashier trying to cut in front of them. I think a big part of the problem is having the main line face the express line...people are already annoyed by waiting in line, and that annoyance only grows by watching others go directly in front of them. The bank transfer issue is another thing entirely. Zelle is suppose to fix that issue in the US, even though most other countries have this figured out: I actually mentioned BofA by name because of how ridiculous I find this policy to be. My bank doesn’t yet have Zelle either, and Walmart is far cheaper than both the sending and receiving fees would be if I sent a wire.
- iambateman 8y agoI can totally see this happening. By contrast, the Walmart grocery pickup service is spectacular, even though they make you go to the side of the building.
- downandout 8y agoeven though they make you go to the side of the building. Based on my money sending experience, I’d consider that a feature, not a bug.
- diogenescynic 8y agoI’d just use Venmo.
- dpark 8y agoWill Venmo magically print cash from your phone?
- downandout 8y agoExactly. Venmo doesn’t meet the same needs that cash-based wire transfer services meet - as in “please send me money, I need it for X in the next couple of hours”.
- Consultant32452 8y agoI'm in my late 30s and I can't recall having ever even heard of anyone I know using a service like this. Obviously my experience is not the norm since there's entire businesses set up around this service. What kinds of situations do people get themselves into that they need cash in a couple hours?
- downandout 8y agoGet yourself an irresponsible sibling or two and you’ll understand :). They don’t want to ask for money, so they wait until it’s almost too late, hoping for other things to happen that don’t. Then it becomes an emergency.
- Consultant32452 8y agoBut for what scenario do you specifically need cash? Groceries, rent, utilities, etc. are usually payable by check, right? Maybe you don't have a CC but need to put gas in your car?
- downandout 8y ago
- Waterluvian 8y agoSimilar experience at Chicago O'Hare with the passport app. I was escorted past somewhere in the ballpark of 300 people in line and was left in front of a closed customs booth. About 10 seconds later an officer closed his booth, walked over to mine, asked a question or two, scanned my app QR code and waved me through with a printout to give the exit gate person. Behind me I hear a very loud, "what the F$#&? I've been a F$&&$ hour." A sign indicating the purpose of the booth I was escorted to would have helped.
- eksemplar 8y agoIt’s all about the design. In the municipality where I work you can skip the line for a bunch of things by booking a time, but we make sure the option to book a time is also available in the numbering system. Both to provide people who didn’t do their homework with the same service, but also to promote the service to them so they will use it next time and, well, to tell them why they’re waiting when others aren’t. We’ve never had complaints about the setup during our reviews with the staff that actually work the floor. This could be culture though. If someone preordered coffee and skipped the line, every Dane brave enough to question the act of skipping would be apologizing for asking once an explanation was given, myself included.
- Waterluvian 8y agoI've never experienced it either in Canada. In university a friend once skipped a busy McDonald's line just to see what happened. I saw a lot of uncomfortable people but nobody spoke up. I really hope it wasn't just a thing he does.
- komali2 8y agoI don't understand why pay-to-skip line is legal in the USA for government agencies. I don't know if I should call it a peasant-free gate or what the fuck, but there's the TSA version and the customs version and I refuse to enable their shitty long lines by giving them even more money than I already do (through taxes). Their justification is that I'm paying for the background check or whatever, but if that's the case why don't they just offer it for free for everyone and shift budget from personnel to that? If it's truly the case that I don't need to be searched because I've been "pre-checked," doesn't it make sense to do it to everyone? Christ I can feel my blood pressure rise whenever I think about anything about DHS or TSA
- hrrsn 8y ago>I have had to send cash to my sister a handful of times recently. Because her bank (Bank of America) stopped allowing cash deposits to any account other than your own, the most convenient and inexpensive way to do this was through Walmart, which has its own money transfer service. You can arrange the transfer through an app, then you go to an express line at a Walmart store and complete the whole transaction in under a minute. The fact that you can't just send money from your online banking to another person absolutely baffles me.
- downandout 8y agoZelle is supposed to be the magic bullet for this, but it isn’t supported by all banks (including mine). I could technically send her a wire online, but I think my bank would charge me $30 to send it and then her bank would deduct $25 or so to receive it. Compare that $55 to the $8 that Walmart charges. I could get myself a bank account at BofA for the specific purpose of sending her money, but I just refuse to give them a dime of my money because they suck.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- lazyasciiart 8y agoI've never heard of Zelle. What about Venmo? Stripe Cash?
- downandout 8y agoI haven’t heard of Stripe Cash - I’ll take a look. But Venmo doesn’t put cash in the person’s hand/bank account that same day.
- dvfjsdhgfv 8y ago> Compare that $55 to the $8 that Walmart charges. Compare that to €5 to SEPA transfers in the EU between banks in two countries, or to €0 between banks in the same country.
- flukus 8y agoSorry for the America bashing, but the the hell is up with your banking system? If I want to send money to family I go to my banks website tap in their account and click transfer, it's in their account (for a different bank) seconds later (technically it can take days but it's generally near instant). It can be done by the phone app too. Between this and cheques it seems like you guys are still living in the 80's.
- ASalazarMX 8y agoCan deposit cash in their account as easily? That was the main hurdle in the parent post. I might add, in my country you can still deposit cash in any account, but the bank is required to declare cash deposits beyond $1,000 USD in the same month.
- BrandoElFollito 8y agoYou would deposit the money on yoir account, then wire it.