A beggar in Detroit has entered the digital age, accepting credit card donations.
Abe Hagenston, 42, who has been on the streets for nearly a decade, has brought an unprecedented measure of sophistication to begging.
It is all rather a long way from "Buddy can you spare a dime."
Having a technological background - he was a web designer - Mr Hagenston has paved the way in cashless panhandling.
Thanks to his mobile phone, he can process payments before the traffic light has changed.
He takes Visa and MasterCard, naturally American Express will do nicely, with the money being transferred to his account thanks to a smartphone attachment which can read credit cards.
The phone – nicknamed the Obamaphone – was provided by the US government's Lifeline Assistance programme.
Like all true professionals, he has a LinkedIn account. Mr Hagenston also has his own website.
He uses the website to solicit further donations and offer his services to carry out odd jobs from clearing snow to mowing the lawn.
If he is unable to do the work, he knows other homeless people who are willing to do so.
"My business is being homeless, now homeless is my business," he explains
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
I've given cash to homeless people, but personally I don't know that I'd trust doing credit card.... 
