Life without a bank account is financially punishing. It limits how people shop, pay bills, or receive support, slowly pushing them to the margins, not because of poor decisions, but because the system wasn’t built for their circumstances.
Despite this, millions across North America remain unbanked or underbanked. In the U.S., more than 5.6 million households had no bank account in 2023, and many more relied on cheque-cashing or payday services to meet everyday needs.
The reasons vary from remote living, irregular income, limited documentation, or sudden displacement, but the effect is the same as daily life becomes harder and more expensive.
But now the infrastructure behind how money moves is changing. Real-time payment technology has existed for years, but it mostly served people who already had bank accounts.
With modern prepaid and DDA-linked platforms, that same immediacy can extend to people who don’t.
Real-time access means money becomes usable the moment it’s sent, and pairing it with card-based alternatives creates a dependable way for unbanked individuals to receive and use funds instantly.
In this blog, we’ll explore how real-time access and prepaid solutions are helping close long-standing gaps in financial inclusion, and how Berkeley supports organizations building programs that meet people where they are.
The Persistent Challenge of Financial Exclusion
Financial exclusion shows up in the most practical parts of a person’s life. Without stable access to deposits, bill payments, or safe ways to receive money, everyday tasks become slower and more expensive. It also makes it harder for organizations to deliver wages, benefits, or support quickly when people need them most.
Across North America, several groups feel these pressures more acutely. A few patterns are especially common:
- Indigenous and remote communities often live far from branches or service centers, which turns basic banking into a logistical hurdle. Limited broadband access can make digital onboarding difficult as well.
- Gig workers and people in cash-based jobs face income volatility, making it harder to maintain minimum balances or meet traditional banking requirements. Their earnings also need to be accessible quickly, not days later.
- Disaster-affected families may lose documents, addresses, or account access overnight, forcing them to rely on cash or emergency services that aren’t built for immediate financial needs.
- Individuals with low income or little credit history often struggle to open or maintain accounts, especially when overdraft fees or account minimums create financial strain.
These circumstances come with hidden costs. People may rely on cheque-cashing outlets or payday lenders, where fees build up quickly. Cash dependence also creates safety risks and limits participation in a digital-first economy.
Financial exclusion means having no practical, reliable way to receive and use money at the moments that matter most. Fortunately, modern payment infrastructure is finally starting to close that gap.
Real-Time Access: A Catalyst for Economic Empowerment
With so much changing in how money moves, real-time access has become one of the most meaningful advances. It puts funds in people’s hands the moment they’re earned or approved, removing the delays that once made daily finances unpredictable.
The impact shows up quickly in people’s lives. For example:
- Workers in gig and shift-based roles can access their earnings right away, helping them cover daily expenses without resorting to high-interest advances or payday lenders. Immediate access turns unpredictable income into something more manageable.
- Families facing emergencies can receive financial assistance within minutes, which can determine how quickly they secure temporary housing, buy essentials, or return to work. In disaster situations, the speed of the payment can be as important as the assistance itself.
- Small vendors and local businesses benefit from instant payouts, improving cash flow and reducing the need for short-term borrowing. For many, this stability helps them operate smoothly during busy periods or unexpected disruptions.
Organizations feel these advantages too. Real-time payments streamline payroll cycles, benefits distribution, refunds, reimbursements, and crisis response. Instead of dealing with cheques or slow bank transfers, funds move quickly and predictably, strengthening trust between organizations and the people they support.
Berkeley’s Direct Send technology moves money to prepaid cards or existing bank accounts in seconds, allowing organizations to offer real-time access without building complex banking infrastructure. It’s a reliable, secure way to match payments to the rhythm of modern life.
The Power of Prepaid and DDA-Linked Solutions
Real-time payments need a reliable place for funds to land. Prepaid and DDA-linked solutions provide that structure, acting as simple, secure account alternatives for people who don’t use traditional banking. They give organizations a practical way to deliver money instantly, providing the flexibility of a digital account without the complexity of opening a traditional bank account.
A few advantages stand out:
- Reloadable prepaid cards give users immediate, frictionless access to funds, letting them withdraw cash, shop in-store or online, and transfer money without needing a checking account. This removes barriers for people who might not qualify for bank accounts or who prefer not to rely on them.
- DDA-linked solutions allow organizations to offer account-like functionality such as storing funds, receiving deposits, and making payments without having to build or maintain a banking stack. It helps enterprises give users a predictable, “everyday money” experience in a controlled, compliant environment.
- These tools support real-time disbursement of wages, benefits, refunds, and relief funds, ensuring that the moment money is sent, it’s usable. That’s critical in situations where timing shapes outcomes.
- Programs can be designed around specific community, organizational, or mission-driven needs, from controlling spending categories to enabling ATM access to customizing branding. This flexibility is especially important for nonprofits, governments, and enterprises supporting diverse user groups.
To run these programs effectively, organizations need infrastructure that’s both secure and adaptable. Berkeley delivers that through a PCI- and SOC 2-compliant platform with hundreds of configuration options, allowing programs to launch quickly and operate with the reliability communities depend on.
Supporting Indigenous and Underserved Communities
Traditional banking systems have historically undersupported indigenous communities. In the U.S., for example, 12.2% of American Indigenous and Alaska Native households are unbanked, nearly three times the national rate.
Many organizations are seeking ways to support financial independence and cultural representation in these communities. Prepaid and DDA-linked solutions play an important role here because they can be shaped around community priorities rather than forcing them to adapt to traditional banking models.
A few approaches have proved especially effective:
- Supporting Indigenous-owned financial institutions in leading their own programs, with modern payment tools providing the infrastructure while local partners set priorities and oversight.
- Offering co-branded or community-branded cards or wallets, which support cultural representation and give residents a sense of ownership over the program.
- Strengthening transparency in social or government benefit distribution, using configurable controls and real-time reporting to ensure funds are used as intended without adding administrative burden.
- Embedding data sovereignty and compliance safeguards so communities maintain control over sensitive information, a requirement that is particularly important in Indigenous contexts.
To support programs like these, organizations need technology that is secure, configurable, and respectful of local governance. Berkeley provides this infrastructure, offering PCI- and SOC 2-compliant systems, flexible program design, and controls that adapt to community requirements without compromising safety or speed.
Building Inclusive Financial Infrastructure
Real-time access and prepaid tools solve immediate problems, but their real value is in how they help organizations build systems that can serve communities consistently, transparently, and at scale. When the right technology is in place, inclusion becomes part of day-to-day operations rather than an isolated initiative.
Organizations taking this long-term approach tend to focus on a few key principles:
- Partnering with trusted payment technology providers that can manage both the technical complexity and the community nuance behind inclusive programs. Real-time transfers, card management, security controls, and data requirements all need to function reliably in the background.
- Designing branded, culturally aligned card and wallet programs that feel familiar to the people using them. This helps communities recognise the program as theirs, not an external system imposed on them.
- Creating transparent, compliant distribution systems for wages, benefits, stipends, or relief funds. When organizations can see how funds move and how they’re used, oversight becomes simpler and more accountable.
- Building programs that can grow over time, moving from immediate financial support toward broader goals like digital participation, community autonomy, or consistent income stability. When speed and access are built into the foundation, organizations can expand services without re-engineering their processes.
Inclusion Through Innovation
Financial inclusion isn’t charity. It’s part of the infrastructure that helps people stay resilient, recover faster, and participate fully in the economy. As real-time payments and modern prepaid tools become standard, the organizations that rethink how money moves will be the ones best equipped to support their communities and workforces.
Looking ahead to 2026, enterprises have an opportunity to design for inclusion rather than treating it as an add-on. That means building systems where people can access funds instantly, where support reaches those without traditional bank accounts, and where financial tools reflect the needs of the communities they serve.
If you’re exploring how to build accessible, real-time financial solutions that make a meaningful impact, Berkeley can help. Their secure, configurable platform gives organizations the infrastructure needed to turn inclusive design into everyday practice. Reach out to learn how you can build programs that move at the speed of people’s lives.
