Kansas City, Missouri – For thousands of Kansas City residents, getting help can still mean visiting several offices, filling out repeated forms and waiting for payments to arrive. City leaders now want to replace much of that process with one card.
Mayor Quinton Lucas has announced a plan to expand the Fountain Card into a broader payment and access system, one that could hold benefits, cover bills, provide bus fare and serve as a digital key to City services.
Under the proposal, the Fountain Card would function as a prepaid debit card. Residents could carry a physical version or use it through their phones, including people who do not have traditional bank accounts.
The City and participating community organizations would be able to load money directly onto the card. That could shorten the wait for utility assistance and other benefits by reducing the need for checks, paperwork or visits to multiple locations.
Kansas City will now negotiate with the United Way of Greater Kansas City to administer the expanded program. United Way would coordinate the banks, technology companies and community groups needed to build and operate the system.
“The Fountain Card is already making life easier for tens of thousands of Kansas Citians,” Lucas said.
“Now with more tools, including helping our large unbanked population, one card will help Kansas City families access City services, pay their bills, hop on a KCATA bus, and expands our ability to reach all in our community without requiring folks go to multiple physical locations.”
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The proposal reaches beyond distributing financial assistance. Residents could use the card to pay bills, transfer money, access City payment portals and manage services through a single login. Plans also call for expanded access to bus passes and Kansas City’s mandated “Functionally Free” bus fare for residents in need.
Local merchants could eventually accept Fountain Card payments at competitive rates. Fees collected through those transactions could help pay for the program’s operating costs.
The initiative dates back to Lucas’ 2019 campaign for mayor. The Fountain Card was approved in 2023 and is currently managed by the Kansas City Health Department.
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Since the program began, more than 19,000 Kansas Citians have received cards to help them access lending and City services. The proposed expansion would turn that existing foundation into a more ambitious system, combining financial assistance, transportation and government access in one place.
“For our many thousands of our neighbors who don’t have a bank account, this program will open a door to the financial tools many take for granted,” Lucas said.
