When Rojare moved to the United States from his home in Nicaragua he promised to get a good education, to get a good job…and to send money home regularly. Rojare is one of a rapidly growing number of people who regularly send money to family and friends outside the U.S.
When Rojare received his first paycheck from his part-time job at a landscaping service he was thrilled…and confused. He was raised in an extremely poor region of Nicaragua where more than 60% of his community was unemployed. There was no money, let alone a bank. Rojare wasn’t sure what to do with a check. How would he cash it? How could he send money back home?
Too embarrassed to ask any of his new co-workers Rojare noticed a “Check Cash” store at a strip mall near his apartment on his way home. He stopped in and was greeted in Spanish by an employee. She explained that she could cash his check for a fee and could even send money safely back to his relatives in Nicaragua for an additional fee. Rojare was thrilled. He cashed his paycheck and wired money to an aunt in Managua who would make sure it got to his mother. After he paid a 25% check cashing fee and a 15% wiring fee he was left with much less money than he had hoped, but he was happy that he had figured out a way to cash his check and send money home without having to ask anyone.
Rojare might want to know that there are other options for cashing checks and sending money abroad. He doesn’t have to pay the high price check cashing stores often charge. He doesn’t even have to do both transactions at one store. There are numerous places and numerous options available to Rojare – to anyone – who wants to cash checks or send money abroad.
