What Is Underbanked and Unbanked?

People who are unbanked don't use traditional financial services such as credit cards and bank accounts; instead, they rely on alternative financial services, which are often expensive. Those who are underbanked have some type of bank account but still use cash and alternative financial services to make purchases.

What does underbanked and unbanked mean?

People who have a bank account but also tap into alternative financial services such as short-term payday loans, check-cashing services, and prepaid debit cards, are typically referred to as the underbanked. Some households are considered unbanked because they don't use banks or financial services at all.

What it means to be underbanked?

The underbanked is a characteristic describing people or organizations who do not (or volunteer to not) have sufficient access to mainstream financial services and products typically offered by retail banks and thus often deprived of banking services such as credit cards or loans.