The news: Robinhood has partnered with Gopuff to deliver cash that customers have withdrawn from their Robinhood bank accounts.
For $6.99 (no fee for premium customers), Robinhood customers can order cash delivered in a sealed paper bag.
Zooming out: The vast majority of consumers wouldn’t change their primary financial institution (FI) unless it offered convenient access to cash, which Gen Zers are more likely to carry than other demographics.
As the number of ATMs declines, a critical mass of consumers who want access to cash may struggle to find an easy place to withdraw it.The Gopuff concept combines the features of Gen Z–focused app-based delivery services, like Gopuff, Instacart, Doordash, and Shipt, with a core banking feature.
Robinhood has aggressively expanded its financial products and services targeting Gen Z and millennials, including the recent launch of Robinhood Banking for Gold members. The offering, currently in limited release, includes a high-yield savings account, global multicurrency money movement, estate planning services, tax advice—and cash delivery.
Our take: Robinhood is building on its super-app strategy for Gen Zers and millennials to draw them in with entirely new financial products: It recently added trading for nontraditional assets as well as “event contracts” to trade bets with other users. The Gopuff cash delivery partnership blends premium banking services that younger consumers expect with the digital access and convenience they’re accustomed to.
For FIs, the Gopuff servicing model is new and entirely unexpected: Cash delivery in a brown paper bag from a delivery driver would traditionally raise eyebrows. The ATM and bank branch may be the casualties. Consumers who use digital self-service for everything are less likely to visit the bank when a key reason for doing so is eliminated.