> It seems like there's got to be a better way of paying people who don't have a bank account so that they can access the money right away and don't have to pay

> It seems like there's got to be a better way of paying people who don't have a bank account so that they can access the money right away and don't have to pay fees. I think it is called "cash". Turning a piece of paper (ie: a paycheque) into cash costs money and so does turning cash into a piece of paper (ie: a money order to pay rent or a utility bill). The banking system isn't free. It is much more profitable for the bank to prey on the poor who have no capital to offer up and who have no time to research their different banking options than it is for a bank to offer affordable services to low-income customers. Cash costs money to mint and print as well but that's hidden in seigniorage, taxes and inflation. There are payroll cards (in lieu of cheques) for employees without bank accounts but, since the card issuer's true customer is the employer, they often hit employees with high fees for everything which end up costing more than a bank account would.