The most obvious alternative is a cash or check, but you won’t likely get an early direct deposit this way. The odds are also that both of these options will soon disappear. According to the Times of India, 92% of money exists online, while some employers don’t allow employees to receive physical paychecks. Another option is PayPal, an online payment platform with millions of users worldwide. It lets you buy, sell, and send money without disclosing your financial information. PayPal even enables you to access funds from a debit card or check. The problem is that PayPal charges independent contractors for every transaction. Receivers must pay 2.9% and a 30-cent fee for each transfer. If you earn $50,000 per year after taxes, PayPal slashes that number to $48,550. You're paying $1,450 to use PayPal, while direct deposits are free. Western Union stands out as one of the world's most well-known financial services providers. It opened in 1851 and moved more than $300 billion in 2018 alone. The company also operates in more than 200 countries and handles 130 currencies. It has the same drawbacks as PayPal. You have to pay for a service that many places offer for free. Western Union makes sense if you want superior speed than regular direct deposits.