PayNearMe expands US footprint with Dollar General partnership

Dollar General Store exterior
Image: Shutterstock / Jonathan Weiss

PayNearMe will soon be accessible to even more Americans thanks to a newly announced partnership with Dollar General. The payments company will now be accessible at more than 19,000 Dollar General stores across 19 states as part of the company’s partnership with InComm Payments.

“Approximately three-quarters of the U.S. population lives within five miles of a Dollar General store,” said Michael Kaplan, Chief Revenue Officer and General Manager of PayNearMe. “Dollar General stores are primarily located in rural, neighborhood communities with a population of less than 20,000—miles away from grocery stores and large retailers. Our clients’ cash-preferred customers who reside in these areas can now fund accounts and pay their bills with cash at the same location where they purchase a variety of items, including groceries, household items, clothing, and tools—a convenient, one-stop-shop.”

PayNearMe allows customers to pay with cash at a retail location at venues like Dollar General or CVS and receive a receipt that can be used to add funds to things like online sportsbooks and online casinos.

“PayNearMe’s expanded retail presence allows our clients to offer greater convenience to their customers who either prefer or are required to pay bills or conduct non-commerce transactions using cash. Our clients’ customers can easily visit one of thousands of retail locations nationwide, present a scannable barcode on their smartphone to a cashier, pay in cash and receive a receipt verifying the transaction is complete,” Kaplan added.

The timing is particularly prudent given that Dollar General was founded in Kentucky and is an important part of that state’s economy. There are 719 different Dollar General stores in the state, which averages out to one store for every 6,200 residents. Online sports betting is set to roll out in the state on Sept. 28 and the introduction of Dollar General will provide funding opportunities, particularly in more rural parts of the state.

A recent Harris Poll also suggests that a growing number of people in the US are increasing their reliance on cash and not going cashless. The results indicated that a little more than half of those adults polled are using more cash than they were a year ago.