The Bancorp Bank

The CFPB issued a $3.25M consent order against Chime Financial for illegal overdraft fee practices on deposit accounts held through partner banks The Bancorp Bank and Stride Bank.

The Bancorp Bank and Chime Extend Private-Label Banking Partnership

The Bancorp Bank extended its private-label banking services agreement with Chime Financial, renewing its role in holding Chime member deposits and supporting FDIC-insured services. This continuation of one of the largest BaaS relationships in the U.S. underscores the ongoing importance of sponsor bank partnerships for leading neobanks. The deal reinforces The Bancorp's position as a top-tier BaaS provider.

The Bancorp Bank Shifts to National Charter Amid OCC Fintech Scrutiny

The Bancorp Bank, a major U.S. sponsor bank for fintech-BaaS partnerships, transitioned from a state to a national charter in September 2022. The move came amid increased OCC scrutiny of partner bank-fintech relationships. The charter change has significant implications for regulatory oversight of BaaS arrangements.

The Bancorp Partners with Current as BaaS Sponsor Bank

The Bancorp Bank announced a banking-as-a-service sponsor bank partnership with fintech Current to provide back-end banking services and card issuing sponsorship. Current, a digital banking app with nearly 3 million members, will leverage The Bancorp's infrastructure to enhance its product offerings including basic, premium, and teen accounts. The partnership represents a key expansion for both companies in the BaaS space.

NorthOne Partners with Bancorp Bank for Small Business Banking Services

NorthOne partnered with The Bancorp Bank to provide small business banking services, with Bancorp serving as the chartered bank behind NorthOne's fintech platform. The arrangement is a classic BaaS model where a licensed bank enables a fintech to offer FDIC-insured accounts. This partnership highlights the continued growth of bank-fintech collaborations for SME-focused embedded finance.

The Bancorp Extends BaaS Relationship With Chime

The Bancorp Bank announced an extension of its Banking-as-a-Service relationship with neobank Chime in February 2020. The Bancorp supports Chime's spending and savings accounts as well as debit services. The extension reinforces The Bancorp's role as a key sponsor bank for major consumer fintechs.

The Bancorp Partners With SoFi to Power SoFi Money Product

The Bancorp Bank became the exclusive card issuer and back-end banking services provider for SoFi Money, a cash management product. The partnership leverages The Bancorp's payments sponsorship platform, ranked as a top issuer of private-label debit and prepaid cards. SoFi members gain physical and virtual debit cards with features including ATM fee reimbursement and P2P payments.

Mobile Banking Fintech Chime Raises $200M Series D at $1.5B Valuation

Chime, a US mobile banking challenger that relies on bank partners to offer FDIC-insured checking and savings accounts, raised $200 million in Series D funding led by DST Global. The round valued the neobank at $1.5 billion. The raise underscores growing investor appetite for fintechs built on top of chartered bank infrastructure.

Betterment and The Bancorp Renew Payment Processing Partnership

Betterment Holdings and The Bancorp Inc. announced the continuation of their partnership, with The Bancorp serving as Betterment's payment processing partner since 2013. The Bancorp provides BaaS-like sponsor bank services including ACH origination and prepaid card issuance for non-bank financial companies. The renewal underscores the importance of sponsor bank relationships in enabling fintech platforms.