Lots of lower-income people don't have a bank account into which direct might be deposited. They can still pay Wal-Mart a nominal fee to cash the check. No empl

Lots of lower-income people don't have a bank account into which direct might be deposited. They can still pay Wal-Mart a nominal fee to cash the check. No employer is willing to pay cash because IRS are such hardasses: they claim that cash payments can't be audited. Also, a cashed check is proof that an employee actually got paid, which is important for certain types of employees.