The "underbanked" is a term you hear if you hang around in banking long enough. It's the people without accounts, maybe because they can't afford them or have bad credit and weren't allowed to open accounts when they applied. There are lots of "hidden" costs to having a bank account and long story short if you're low income, you may opt not to have one. Not having a bank account comes with its own struggles. Anyway, the industry is constantly trying to figure out how to serve the underbanked. It's pitted against moneymongers who, like the pay-probation services, are just out to scrape as many bucks out of you as they can. One day this will be regulated, but 30 days into the future ain't gonna help out guys now.