A homeless man in Detroit is using his tech knowledge to get money in an unusual way.
Abe Hagenston, who calls himself "Honest Abe," panhandles for money the way many homeless people do in addition to using a card reader attached to his phone.
The card reader takes credit card donations.
"I take VISA, MasterCard, American Express," Hagenston told WWJ. "I'm the only homeless guy in America who can take a credit card. It's all done safely and securely through square.com."
Hagenston, who has been homeless for about seven years, usually makes money in the winter by shoveling snow, but the warm temperatures this year have meant he hasn't had a way to make extra cash.
Instead, he and other homeless people have organized to panhandle in shifts.
The downtime led Hagenston to use Square as a way to get donations from those who may not have change to give.
Square is a mobile card reader that attaches to smartphones. They cost about $10 and charge vendors a fee for each transaction.
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