Venmo already lets you do most of this. You can access the balance via debit card. Others can send money by scanning a QR code. If I were going to build this f

Venmo already lets you do most of this. You can access the balance via debit card. Others can send money by scanning a QR code. If I were going to build this from scratch, I would not immediately jump into being a bank. Obtaining a banking license is not easy. I would instead partner with an existing bank or credit union. This would enable you to issue debit cards early in the process. Why debit cards? The infrastructure is already there to facilitate payments. No need to get shops onboard. No need to build new hardware or software for those merchants. I’m not sure what transparency is in this context. I’m not convinced people pretend to be homeless. I do believe some ask for money and instead use it to buy drugs or alcohol. I get around this by buying the food people want rather than giving cash. Also, I don’t carry cash. If you do want to pursue this further, Stripe Issuing may also be able to help on the card front: https://stripe.com/issuing https://stripe.com/issuing.