Even after reading the article, I’m really struggling to see how this can work at all.
So the Big Issue seller needs to buy a Smartphone, but they can’t buy a really cheap one because Monzo keep dropping support for older versions (particularly of Android). So at least £60+ for a phone that’s running a version of Android that might be supported by Monzo for more than 5 minutes. They then have to buy a form of Identification that Monzo will accept so either £43 for a Provisional Driving License or £95 for a Passport, presumably both are things that a homeless person has little need for out of setting up Monzo.
So already we’ve made over a £100 investment. At Big Issues estimate of one mag per hour and assuming a ‘normal’ 8 hour day that’s 11 days if they spend their money on literally nothing else!
We then have to make sure we top the phone up very regularly because the Monzo app seems to like eating data because we’re not going to get a contract if we say we’re Homeless and our Occupation is selling The Big Issue.
But then the biggest thing for me is that the article says:
But as we increasingly start to favour cards over cash, Big Issue sellers are finding it more challenging to sell the magazine. 10 years ago, six in every 10 transactions were made in cash, but now it’s three in 10.
This doesn’t solve that original issue! You need the cash in the first place in order to be able to Pay It Forward! So you’re going to struggle to find that mate to buy it from if the original issue is fewer people buy the Big Issue because they don’t carry cash!
Am I just not getting it? Do all homeless people pack up their Big Issues, whip out their iPhone XS Max and jump in their car to the airport when they’re done?
Don’t get me wrong, I like the idea but I can’t see how it will work. Surely it’d be more useful if we can buy it outright with the QR code. I’d definitely buy my first ever Big Issue using it.