Cash Choice is King. In today’s on-demand economy, where workers increasingly expect more flexibility and freedom in how they earn a living, organized labor unions need to adapt or risk failing in the future. Payment methods such as online checkout have become standard across all industries, fundamentally altering the labor market in the past 10 years. If customers have a choice about how they pay for their purchases, they are more likely to use effective methods. If union members have the ability to pay dues online, they are more likely to stay current. This increases non-cash spending in the economy and helps reduce costs for businesses as well. One study found that every additional $1 billion in online payments between 2007 and 2010 led to an increase of 1.4 cents in GDP and 2.7 million jobs.

Online payments are the present and the future

In 2018, online payments increased by almost 40% to reach $904 billion. This number is expected to reach $1 trillion by 2022, an increase of more than 200%. More than half of Americans now use a mobile device to make a purchase. Almost everyone carries out digital payments at some point in their lives. Nearly nine out of 10 consumers use a mobile payment device (e.g., Bluetooth-enabled smartphones, apps) to make online purchases.

Visa, Mastercard and JCB will all be transitioning to a 'no' payments system by 2020. This has already happened with some countries starting to stop accepting cash entirely. As more and more payments are made online using mobile devices or cards both from physical stores and online stores, there will be less need for physical cash.

Conclusion

As payments continue to move almost entirely online towards a cashless reality, labor unions, like any other business that wants to succeed long term, must offer online payments to provide the choice, flexibility, speed, and convenience the modern consumer expects. If they can offer members online payments through a union-friendly payment platform built specifically for organized labor, even better.