Inter Is Making Banking Simpler For Brazilian And Latinx Immigrants

For millions of Americans, accessibility to banking institutions is a given, but for many underserved communities, banking is not as accessible and its lack can negatively impact financial prospects. As such, underbanked communities are often relegated to the margins where they must rely on nontraditional financial institutions like check cashers and payday lenders. 

Families that rely on nontraditional financial institutions are often at the whims of predatory practices. Check-cashing outlets can cost anywhere from 1% to 12% of the value of the check. Depending on cash or money orders to pay for essentials can cost valuable time and resources; if you have to go to the post office to purchase a money order to pay for rent, that is far more time-consuming than paying online with a debit card. People who go to a payday lender instead of a bank for a loan can end up paying over 300% interest and nearly 1% in four payday loans are reborrowed nine times or more.

Marginalized communities and immigrants are underbanked at higher rates than their white counterparts. In 2019, 12.2% of Hispanic households and 13.8% of Black households were underbanked compared to 2.5% of white ones. The disparity exists for a number of reasons ranging from distrust of financial institutions to language barriers to systemic barriers like hefty ID requirements and high minimum balances.  

For underbanked communities, there is a draw to nontraditional financial institutions and a need for those institutions to empower.

Inter Is A Nontraditional Financial Institution With A Focus On Inclusivity 

Inter&Co INTR understands the importance of expanding financial options and accessibility to underbanked communities. Inter was the first 100% digital Brazilian bank that provided a free digital checking account. In Brazil, Inter has expanded that legacy to include a complete range of services in banking, investments, credit, insurance, and cross-border services.

In January 2022, Inter acquired the U.S. fintech company USEND. USEND had a client base of over 150,000 U.S.-based customers across 40 states and offered both financial and non-financial services to its clients. This acquisition enabled Inter’s U.S. customers to make transfers in U.S. dollars quickly and 100% online. The platform also allows payment processing from several international platforms with ACH/wire transfers to any account in the US.

After this acquisition, the company integrated USEND’s offerings into the Inter Super App, bringing its benefits to both U.S. and Brazilian customers, and renamed it to Inter Global The Global Account allows customers to buy airfare, transfer US dollars to an international account, and pay expenses during an international trip, all in a single app. At the end of September, there were more than 500,000 Brazilian Global Account users on the platform. Inter’s Global Account does not have an opening or monthly fee, making banking more accessible to underbanked communities.

Inter is also working to expand services for its customers and recently announced they have become a certified provider with Amazon. Now Inter’s Brazilian clients who are sellers on Amazon will be able to receive and send payments directly to their Inter accounts.

The company is actively working to build ties and accountability within immigrant communities in New York City. In November, Inter announced that it became an official new partner of the New York City Football Club (NYCFC). The NYCFC has a strong immigrant and Brazilian fan base and Inter is eager to provide its services to Latino communities. 

Priscila Salles, CMO of Inter&Co, shared: "We are very excited to partner with the NYCFC, not only for what they represent as one of the leading MLS teams but also as a way to connect more meaningfully with the Brazilian and Latino communities in the US. Our commitment to making money remittances affordable and accessible to everyone resonates deeply with NYCFC values of inclusion and community."

For underbanked communities, having access to nontraditional financial institutions like Inter can help make life easier by opening doors and providing a safety net against often-predatory financial services like payday loans. 

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