Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by Spivak 994 days ago
Is that really any different from Netflix being card only? Or worse being online-only so you need a relationship to an ISP?
1 comments

Personally I think Netflix should be compelled to offer a path to using cash as well.
I'm not really sure how you could ever realize something like this without inventing prepaid cards which go through a card network anyway and are just ephemeral bank accounts backed by real banks.

Any business that is large enough can get their gift cards in retail stores which would be fine. It would definitely create a moral hazard if Netflix had to provide a cash option like this because retail stores would suddenly have crazy amounts of leverage but w/e. But then naturally there would be market need for "accept cash payments for your online service" as a service for smaller businesses that can't just get partnerships with Target and Kroger and the entity providing that service would just be a bank issuing branded prepaid cards but using their own bespoke card network.

Like you can't fight it, you always invent Visa.

You could probably cut card networks out eventually with $as_of_yet_unlaunced_service backed by FedNow but that's not exactly cash and still requires a bank account.

Well, a lot of bills are payable in cash at places like post-offices, and for some, service stations and convenience stores. You go in with your invoice, hand them cash, and get a receipt.

No attack on you, but I feel like lots of people are suffering from not only a lack of imagination, but a serious lapse in memory for the days when they didn't always have a card and not every subscription was an online direct debit arrangement.

Many of the larger internet services, including Netflix, can already be funded with cash via gift cards sold in supermarkets.
Makes sense. Although it should probably be more like other bills you can pay at say a post-office. But yeah, it's better than no solution.