DETROIT—Adjusting to what is increasingly becoming a cashless society—one homeless man is using his smartphone to panhandle.
In downtown Detroit, a homeless man who calls himself “Honest Abe” is not only accepting pocket change from those passing by, he lets them swipe their credit and debit cards through the card reader attached to his smartphone to make a donation.
His real name is Abe Hagenston and he’s been homeless in Detroit for seven years, CBS Detroit reported.
“I take VISA, MasterCard, American Express,” Hagenston was quoted as saying by the news outlet. “I’m the only homeless guy in America who can take a credit card. It’s all done safely and securely through Square.com.”
Square card readers cost about $10 and Square providers charge vendors a fee per transaction. In the case of iTunes, the charge is 2.75% per transaction.