This, unfortunately, is largely due to legislative policies you likely can't get around. Due to the "omg, terrorists and money laundering and things!" scare, ba

This, unfortunately, is largely due to legislative policies you likely can't get around. Due to the "omg, terrorists and money laundering and things!" scare, banks are required to get massive amounts of documentation now to open an account. While it might be possible to circumvent those laws, by creating a business that holds money in trust, working solely in cash (if you attempt to offer debit cards you likely are going to be treated as a bank by the feds), you have to not only get the poor to trust you (and they have no reason to, especially once there starts being -any- sort of consumer complaint, regardless of its being your fault or not), but you also have an insurance nightmare; you're working in cash, without FDIC protection. And the margins would be thin; you'd be providing a service greater than those payday lenders you're trying to replace, while charging less, and from the poorest, most transient of clientele. Seems like a lot of risk, both as a business and from the government, for very little chance of reward. It's a good idea, but your best shot at success would be to try and run it as a charity so as to at least have a chance at getting lawmaker support.