Homeless people most likely hear the sentence, “Sorry, don’t have any cash on me,” thousands of times a day. But now there’s a guy in Detroit who’s going to make you get more creative with your excuses.
Abe Hagenston has been homeless in Detroit for about ten years, living under an overpass. And he recently took his panhandling to the next level: he began accepting credit cards!
Hagenston said, “I take Visa, Mastercard, American Express. I’m the only homeless guy in America who can take a credit card. It’s all done safely and securely.”
Abe has a cell phone, and he bought a small credit card swiping attachment from Square.com. It costs about $10, and they charge a small percentage fee.
Even with his ability to take credit cards, he says his panhandling hasn’t been going that well. He’s trying to get new glasses, but hasn’t gotten enough money to afford them yet.
