Posts by Charles Ramos7

Arthur Baker3 said:A similar issue popped up in a conversation I had recently. Someone mentioned they were running into trouble because they kept their cards tucked right inside their phone case. Ended up "wearing out" the cards over the course of the year.

I usually keep my Premium Visa in my phone case (where else would I put it?), and I've never had any 🤷

James Kern2 said:No, it isn't about "habit"... it's just simpler for me to carry one thing instead of two.

I usually just slide mine into my phone case like the other guy mentioned—keeps things down to just one item.

Joseph Martin10 said:It isn't actually prepaid. It's a standard debit card, just like any other card linked to a checking or savings account.

That's what I was thinking—or more accurately, that it isn't a credit card.

The biggest downside for me is the prepaid setup. Having to top up my balance just to be able to pay for things feels unnecessary when I could just use a standard account. 😵
When it comes to traveling abroad, my main priority is security—having a solid backup plan if things go sideways. That’s where the prepaid thing becomes a real headache again. When you're actually in a bind, the last thing you want to worry about is dealing with various transaction fees.

Joseph Martin10 said:I'm not quite sure where to start, but for the most part, the perks are:
- zero account maintenance fees
- free money transfers
- fee-free ATM withdrawals everywhere

And so on.

Sent from my Android using Reddit

- if you have a job or some kind of steady income, you probably already have an account. What's one more, even if it is free?
- some other services offer similar stuff too, though I think it's mostly just gimmicks, like what our friend mentioned here.
- I guess you pick a bank based on how many ATMs they have nearby; it's not like you need them all.

Ronald Sanchez14 said:Where can you even find those little kiosks near the coffee shops? Those are actually decent. There are also some beer coolers over at Walmart...
Not quite the same thing, though. You could argue it’s technically illegal.
It’s a similar story with the retail stores. They used to close strictly at 5 PM just so people wouldn't be out late grabbing snacks or smokes, especially since some shops stay open until 10 PM.

My old man pivoted overnight—as soon as they banned selling goods, he had a coffee machine up and running by the next morning. 😁

Ronald Sanchez14 said:Oh sure, everyone will love sitting out on a patio with their coffee. What they aren't telling you is how the little cafes with tiny terraces—or none at all—are supposed to survive. Looks like they won't even be opening bars. Total discrimination. ...

We already do that. We grab a coffee or a beer from a convenience store and just hang out on an empty cafe patio. 😁 Plenty of places have small seating areas, and people will probably just drink their drinks on the go. Honestly, the open-air cafe concept from Lithuania is a pretty solid idea.

Ronald Sanchez14 said:When are the discos and nightclubs actually going to reopen? I see restaurants can stay open until 11 PM, but does that mean clubs aren't allowed to open at all?
Sorry if this is off-topic, just couldn't find the right spot to ask.

That’s not even on the roadmap, honestly. Plus, the rules for restaurants are so strict they're basically turning them into glorified snack stands.

Sophia Moore6 said:Come on, don't act like a child throwing a tantrum; there is absolutely a connection here.

And what’s the issue with that? At least you wouldn't be wasting money on useless junk. Or maybe you would, if you actually knew how to manage your life.

You're the one dreaming, buddy. You're comparing countries where they certainly aren't paying minimum wage.

It's called organization, honey. Just a little bit of discipline and getting your life in order. But I suppose it's easier to just wander into a store and then swing by your mistress's house on the way home. 😉

Why so triggered? Did you see a little too much of your own reflection in that guy’s desperate attempt to skip the line? 🍿

It might not matter to the customer, but for the manufacturers and retailers, it's a huge deal.

Sophia Moore6 said:Oh, they’ll spend it one way or another. At the end of the day, you either have to drag yourself down to the store or just handle your business online. It’s not like the money just vanishes into thin air, right?

Well, thank God it’s not up to you, is it? Honestly, it's exactly this kind of mindset that prompted me to start this thread in the first place. When people start getting all worked up because they have to wait in line, or when they start whining that shops should always be open until 11:00 PM, I just look at you lot and lose my patience. That's when I start snapping back.

Last week, a buddy and I actually locked some guy in the restroom at one of those local shops; they didn't even find him until the night janitor showed up.

I decided to skip commenting on the last two posts because frankly, they were completely missing the point. Pure fantasy.

Only if it's for the essentials. It would definitely cut out those impulse buys.

They’d probably survive, but they definitely wouldn't be spending their money there. If they’re happy just sticking to the bare essentials, then they can keep doing their thing.

George Lewis9 said:I mean, obviously. When you're buying or selling stuff on Craigslist, why bother messing around with cash when you can just use an app? Over in Sweden, almost everyone uses Zelle. Honestly, whenever I'm offloading some old junk, I make sure to mention in the listing that I won't touch cash.

I don't live in Sweden and I don't really deal with that. When I'm done with "long-term assets," they go straight to the landfill rather than being sold—maybe I'll give something away if I feel like it. Besides, if you're trying to sell a car, it's way too expensive for those app limits.

Kevin Morris12 said:Hmm, but aren't you ignoring the obvious facts here? We see digital transfers through various online services growing exponentially every single day. People are moving their lives online, which naturally creates an massive demand for digital payment options. Can you point to even one single fact that contradicts that trend?

Besides, there’s a million different ways to solve any given problem, and sending money is no exception. Using ExxonMobil or Cash App is just one way to handle it. In certain situations, they’re actually faster and much more convenient than traditional methods.

Exactly. People mostly want to pay businesses, not just send cash to random individuals.

Kevin Morris12 said:I’m a bit confused—are you actually speaking on behalf of everyone when you claim people won't need these? We are talking about mobile payment apps here; discussing which type of service fits which user is a perfectly normal conversation. In fact, if you look closely, about 80% of what I mentioned above is explicitly stated in the app descriptions themselves regarding their target audience.

I'm just speaking to the facts. All those hypothetical issues could be solved without even involving ExxonMobil.

Kevin Morris12 said:Am I being advertised to now? What on earth?

It seems we’re looking at two different worlds here. I’m actually in need of services like these, whereas you clearly aren't—so where does that leave us? At the end of the day, everything boils down to the individual. It all comes down to whether there's a demand, and frankly, isn't it obvious that demand is growing every single day?

Look, if you need it, fine. But you're being way too hypothetical trying to claim everyone else needs it too. People are just speaking for themselves.

Kevin Morris12 said:It’s the exact same reason people lean on services like Venmo or PayPal—it's all about that sense of security. Why deal with the stress when you can ensure the sender isn't just two steps away from your account?

Teenagers seem to have their lives figured out, yet they rarely have their own bank accounts. Meanwhile, older folks usually face the exact opposite problem. It makes you wonder—is anyone actually built for using Venmo?

Most of these apps act like peer-to-peer transfers are some kind of revolutionary miracle service. Sure, it’s convenient for some, but it's not nearly as big a deal as you're making it out to be.

Kevin Morris12 said:If you ask me, speed isn't even the main issue here. Venmo just operates on a completely different wavelength and targets a totally different demographic.

While PayPal is your standard account-to-account transfer tool—something you simply can't do with Venmo—the mechanics are fundamentally different. With Venmo, withdrawing cash means heading in person to an ExxonMobil station, and when sending money, you have the choice between using a card or ExxonMobil funds. Right there, the two services are worlds apart. This naturally attracts a different crowd—people who might not have a traditional bank account, teenagers, those with frozen credit, or anyone who isn't particularly tech-savvy or comfortable managing bank cards and accounts. These are the people for whom PayPal offers zero utility, at least in those specific scenarios. And let’s not forget the perks I mentioned earlier: imagine forgetting your wallet at home and being able to pull cash from an ExxonMobil station right from your phone, or withdrawing via credit card for a small fee. Sure, using Venmo for things like betting shops or prepaid vouchers feels a bit pointless to me, but hey, the option is there. Ultimately, I don't think speed is the deciding factor because there are countless situations where PayPal just won't work for you, whereas Venmo can step in and solve the problem (and vice versa). Honestly, it's a great thing that these two services are so distinct; we really don't need ten different apps all trying to do the exact same thing.

If they have someone willing to give them money, why wouldn't they just hand over cash? 🤔 If kids can't handle technology, surely their parents or grandparents can. 🤣 At the end of the day, receiving money isn't the hard part; it's navigating the tech that's the hurdle.

Kevin Morris12 said:I came across an article from November 2018 that’s actually quite relevant here; it looks like a new competitor for PayPal, an app called "Stripe," is hitting the market in early 2019.

On a different note, I have to give a shout-out to the Aircash app. It’s honestly a lifesaver if you accidentally leave your wallet at home and find yourself needing cash. You just pull the funds via your card, head to the nearest ExxonMobil station with the code, and boom—you've got your cash right there for a tiny fee. Since the app supports credit cards too, and their withdrawal fee for, say, $67 is only $1.75, it actually turns out to be cheaper than hitting an ATM with certain credit cards where those fees can really bite you.

Those are two different things. Cash App is great if you need cash right this second and there's an ExxonMobil nearby.

Kevin Morris12 said:Are you absolutely certain it doesn't work for private accounts? I haven't actually tested it myself, but looking through the settings, it seems like it might 🤔

It won't. You can only use the Email service to pay bills issued by businesses. Sending money to an individual's account isn't an option through this service.

I’ll probably be the first one on the chopping block once I actually start getting serious about this work...😁