According to American Baker the USPS proposal to enter the prepaid card market has set off a firestorm of criticism from Banks.
Remember if Banks are against it it's likely to be a good thing for you.
http://www.americanbanker.com/issues/179_18/post-office-offering-loans-is-worst-idea-since-the-edsel-banks-1065231-1.html
Bankers and their representatives harshly criticized a call for the U.S. Postal Service to offer financial products like prepaid cards, remittances and even small consumer loans to underbanked consumers, saying it was a dangerous and foolhardy idea.
As envisioned by the white paper, customers would be able to borrow up to half of their gross pay in a given pay cycle. For each paycheck, they'd be required to make installment payments equal to 5% of their gross pay until the loan was paid off.
The average repayment term would be five and a half months. A consumer who borrowed $375 would pay a total of $48 in interest and fees, equal to an effective annual interest rate of 28%.
Borrowers would put their paychecks onto USPS prepaid cards, often via direct deposit, which would allow the Postal Service to automatically withhold repayments before loading the balance of the paycheck onto the prepaid card.
The Postal Service might be able to secure a major leg up over private-sector lenders with respect to securing repayment from delinquent borrowers. Working with the Treasury Department, the USPS might deduct the amount owed from the borrower's tax refund, the paper states.
