Community Financial Service Centers

What Community Financial Service Centers does

Community Financial Service Centers (CFSC) is a privately held, multi-state retail financial services chain operated by R. & L. Management Co., Inc., an Illinois corporation headquartered at 425 Huehl Road, Building 3, Northbrook, IL. Founded in 1983, CFSC runs a network of physical storefront locations across at least nine U.S. states — New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Indiana, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Missouri, and Wisconsin — with regulatory licensure including New York's Article 9-A of the Banking Law and California's Deferred Deposit Transaction Law (Debt Collector License #10755-99). The company targets underbanked and unbanked consumers, small business owners, and government check recipients who cannot or prefer not to use traditional banks.

The core product set centers on check cashing (personal, payroll, government, and business checks), money orders, electronic bill pay, money transfers, and foreign currency exchange. CFSC has layered adjacency services onto this base, including a proprietary Yes! Debit reloadable prepaid card alongside Netspend cards, prepaid cellular through Boost Mobile, lottery ticket sales, coin counting, tax refund services, automobile payment services, NYC transit (MetroCard and OMNY), E-ZPass, Bitcoin buying/selling via Coin Flip ATMs, and electronic device trade-in through ecoATM kiosks. Underlying the offering is point-of-service retail infrastructure with in-person transaction processing and a CFSC Loyalty Rewards Program that earns 1 point per $1 in transaction fees, redeemable at 200 points for discount rewards. The company maintains English and Spanish language storefronts and supports its transactions with content marketing (blog, Facebook, Instagram, email) used primarily for customer education.

CFSC's business model is entirely transaction-fee based with no membership required to access core services. Revenue derives from per-transaction fees (specific amounts are not publicly disclosed), commissions or spreads from partner-distributed products (prepaid cards, transit cards, cellular recharges), and ancillary services. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through walk-in retail locations, and the company sells no enterprise or B2B software. Total headcount is in the 1,001–5,000 range, with active hiring across multiple markets. The company shows no public listing, no disclosed funding rounds, no documented M&A, and no parent-subsidiary relationships.

Name

Community Financial Service Centers

Legal name

R. & L. Management Co., Inc.

Website

https://cfsc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Community Financial Service Centers (CFSC) is a privately held retail financial services chain serving underbanked and unbanked consumers across nine U.S. states through storefronts. It offers check cashing, money transfers, bill pay, prepaid debit cards, Bitcoin transactions, and complementary services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Alternative Financial Services

NAICS

Nondepository Credit Intermediation (5222), Credit Card Issuing (522210), Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522)

SIC

Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153), Personal Credit Institutions (6141)

akta.pro primary industry

Credit Cards & Revolving Credit (FSABAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Remittances & Retail FX (Consumer Cross-Border) (FSABAAAK), Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) & Revenue-Based Financing (FSAKAGAD)

Keywords

• Check cashing services
• Money transfer services
• Prepaid debit cards
• Alternative financial services
• Bill payment services

Headquarters

HQ city

East Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Transaction Fees: CFSC charges transaction fees for services including check cashing, money orders, money transfers, and other financial transactions. Fees are charged per transaction with amounts based on transaction type.
2. Loyalty Rewards Program: CFSC operates a Loyalty Rewards Program where members earn points for qualifying transactions. Members earn 1 point per $1 spent in transaction fees, redeemable for discounts on future purchases at participating locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CFSC operates physical retail storefronts offering alternative financial services to underbanked and unbanked consumers, including check cashing (personal and business), money orders, domestic and international money transfers, electronic bill payment, foreign currency exchange, and prepaid debit cards. The company also offers complementary services such as prepaid cellular, transit products (MetroCard, E-ZPass, OMNY), auto payment services, lottery, tax refund processing, Bitcoin services, coin counting, and ecoATM phone recycling.

Product overview

Community Financial Service Centers (CFSC) is a financial services retailer operating a network of storefront locations offering essential banking and payment services. The company provides a comprehensive portfolio of financial products centered around check cashing, money transfers, money orders, and bill payment services. The core offering consists of in-person financial services for underbanked and unbanked consumers who prefer or require cash-based transactions. Supporting the core services is a suite of complementary offerings including prepaid debit cards (Yes! Debit branded and Netspend), foreign currency exchange, lottery services, tax refund access, and automobile payment services. CFSC also offers transit-related services including MetroCard and OMNY card sales for NYC transit and E-ZPass for toll payments. Recent additions include Bitcoin cryptocurrency services through Coin Flip ATMs and phone recycling through ecoATM kiosks. The company operates both English and Spanish language platforms and maintains a loyalty rewards program for frequent customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Check Cashing Service enabling individuals and businesses to cash personal checks, payroll checks, government checks, and business checks at CFSC retail locations for immediate cash access without a bank account.
• Business Check Cashing Service for small business owners to cash business checks quickly without waiting for traditional bank processing, providing immediate access to business funds.
• Money Transfers Domestic and international money transfer services provided through Western Union, enabling customers to send and receive funds globally at CFSC locations.
• Money Orders Issuance of money orders as guaranteed payment instruments for bill payments and person-to-person transactions.
• Electronic Bill Pay Electronic bill payment service enabling customers to pay utilities and other recurring bills at CFSC locations without needing a bank account.
• Foreign Currency Exchange Currency exchange service allowing customers to convert U.S. dollars to foreign currencies and vice versa at CFSC retail locations.
• Prepaid Debit Cards Distribution and servicing of prepaid debit cards, including the proprietary Yes! Debit brand and Netspend, providing card-based payment functionality without requiring a traditional bank account.
• Prepaid Cellular Phone Products & Services Prepaid mobile phone services and airtime recharges offered in partnership with Boost Mobile at CFSC retail locations.
• Bitcoin Cryptocurrency Services Cryptocurrency transaction services via Coin Flip ATMs, allowing customers to buy and sell Bitcoin at CFSC retail locations.
• Tax Refund Services Tax refund-related financial services that help customers access their tax refunds quickly without requiring a traditional bank account.
• Lottery Services State lottery ticket purchasing services available at CFSC retail locations.
• Automobile Payment Services Automobile-related payment services including vehicle registration renewals and other vehicle fee payments processed at CFSC locations.
• MetroCard Purchases New York City transit MetroCard purchases and refills for subway and bus travel, available at CFSC locations.
• E-ZPass Electronic toll collection account management and transponder sales/services for E-ZPass toll road payments at CFSC locations.
• OMNY Cards Sale of New York contactless OMNY transit fare payment cards for subway and bus rides using the OMNY tap-to-pay system.
• ecoATM Phone Recycling Electronic device trade-in and recycling services through ecoATM kiosks, allowing customers to sell old phones and electronic devices for cash at CFSC locations.
• Coin Services Coin counting and exchange services that convert customers' accumulated coins into cash or stored value at CFSC locations.
• Business Funding Business financing and funding services designed for small business owners needing alternative funding access outside of traditional bank channels.
• Yes! Debit Proprietary prepaid debit card brand offered exclusively at CFSC locations, providing customers with a branded reloadable card option for everyday purchases.
• CFSC Loyalty Rewards Program Customer loyalty program where enrolled members earn 1 point per $1 spent in transaction fees, with 200 points redeemable for $2 in discount rewards on future services at participating CFSC locations.
• ATMs On-site automated teller machine services for cash withdrawals and basic banking transactions at CFSC retail locations.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Inspire360 ClubminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 February 2026Inspire360 announced partnership with Mike Boyle's Certified Functional Strength Coach (CFSC) to become an Inspire360 Club Education Partner, bringing functional training methodology and coaching seminars to health club staff globally. The collaboration provides Inspire360 Club users access to CFSC's curriculum including courses developed with Muscle and Motion, seminars featuring industry experts, and safety-focused training checklists.
• Western UnioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWestern Union money transfer services are offered at CFSC locations, allowing customers to send and receive money globally through the Western Union network.
• Yes! DebitcoreTechnology or IntegrationYes! Debit prepaid debit card services are offered at CFSC locations as part of the personal services portfolio.
• NetspendcoreTechnology or IntegrationNetspend prepaid debit cards are offered at CFSC locations, providing card-based financial services without requiring a traditional bank account.
• Boost MobileminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBoost Mobile prepaid cellular phone products and services are offered at CFSC locations.
• OMNYminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCFSC sells OMNY cards for New York City transit, allowing customers to pay for subway and bus fares.
• ecoATMminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorecoATM services allow customers to sell old phones and electronic devices at CFSC locations for cash.
• E-ZPassminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCFSC sells E-ZPass transponders and accepts E-ZPass payments for toll road usage.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• MoneyGram: MoneyGram is a major global money transfer and bill payment company that competes with the Western Union-powered money transfer service CFSC offers at retail, making it a relevant comparable for CFSC's transfer and bill pay revenue lines.
• Western Union: Western Union is the dominant global money transfer network and is both a CFSC channel partner (money transfers at CFSC stores) and an indirect competitor to the money-transfer portion of CFSC's offering.
• Green Dot Corporation: Green Dot is a large U.S. prepaid debit card issuer and banking-as-a-service provider serving underbanked consumers — comparable to CFSC's Yes! Debit and Netspend prepaid card business, but at much greater scale and primarily through retail bank distribution.

Direct peers

• ACE Cash Express: ACE Cash Express is one of the largest U.S. check-cashing and alternative financial services retail chains, offering check cashing, money orders, prepaid debit cards, and bill pay — a near-direct comparable to CFSC's storefront model and customer base.
• Check Into Cash: Check Into Cash is a multi-state AFS retailer providing check cashing, payday lending, money transfers, and prepaid debit cards — comparable in product breadth and customer segment to CFSC.
• PLS Check Cashers: PLS Check Cashers operates a multi-state chain of retail financial services centers offering check cashing, money orders, money transfers, and prepaid cards — directly comparable to CFSC's product mix and underbanked customer focus.
• Money Mart: Money Mart is a check cashing and short-term consumer financial services retailer serving underbanked customers — comparable to CFSC's core check cashing and bill payment value proposition.
• Netspend (a PayPal/Visa-backed program): Netspend is a leading prepaid debit card provider used by underbanked consumers in the U.S. and is a CFSC distribution partner — directly comparable as a prepaid card program manager overlapping with CFSC's Yes! Debit offering.
• Speedy Cash: Speedy Cash operates retail and online short-term credit and AFS services including check cashing, money transfers, and prepaid cards — directly comparable to CFSC's storefront credit-oriented offerings.

Emerging players

• PayPal (including Venmo): PayPal and Venmo are digital-first platforms targeting underbanked and mainstream consumers for money movement, bill pay, and crypto — emerging competitors to several of CFSC's core services (check cashing substitutes, money transfers, bitcoin).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/theCFSC
• Instagraminstagram.com/thecfsc
• Xx.com/thecfsc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cfsc-community-financial-service-centers

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Financial Service Centers