PayPal Files for Bank Charter to Expand Small Business Lending

Highlights:

• PayPal has filed for a bank charter to enhance small business lending and banking services.
• The new bank will provide FDIC-insured deposits and savings accounts to customers.
• PayPal’s bank charter is part of a larger trend of fintech companies seeking banking licenses.

Payments firm PayPal has officially applied for a U.S. bank charter, a move that reflects the increasing trend of fintech companies seeking to receive banking licenses. The company submitted its applications to the Utah Department of Financial Institutions and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to establish PayPal Bank, an industrial loan company. This initiative aims to expand the lending ability of PayPal to small businesses in the United States and lower their dependency on third-party financial institutions.

PayPal has long been a major player in small business financing. It has provided loans to over 420,000 business accounts all over the globe, totaling more than $30 billion since 2013. The company plans to simplify the lending process by creating PayPal Bank, which will eliminate reliance on external institutions. The bank would not only make PayPal more efficient, but it would also enable the firm to be able to serve small businesses that require capital to grow and expand.

Alex Chriss, the CEO of PayPal, commented in the statement, noting:

Expanding Services with FDIC-Insured Deposits

In addition, the business lending services that the new PayPal bank offers would provide various consumer-based financial services. Interest-bearing savings accounts would be one of the main services, and PayPal would continue expanding the traditional banking services within the current ecosystem. If approved, the deposits with PayPal Bank would have FDIC insurance, which would give customers more financial security.

This marks a major expansion of the financial products offered by PayPal, which already has offerings such as credit and working capital to small businesses. The transition to a fully chartered bank will enhance the company’s position in the growing fintech industry. In addition, the company would address the rising need to offer more comprehensive banking services.

A Broader Trend Among Fintech and Crypto Firms

The bank charter application by PayPal comes at a time when other fintech and crypto companies are also seeking to acquire banking licenses. The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) recently gave preliminary approvals to a number of crypto companies. This included Ripple, Circle, and Paxos to create or convert into national trust banks.

Once PayPal is granted its license by the regulators, the company will be able to provide loans directly, bypassing intermediaries. Moreover, it might join the U.S. card networks, which would facilitate the seamless process of payments. PayPal Bank’s potential services will help the company to offer a smoother and more effective experience to businesses and individual customers.

Mara McNeill, an experienced financial services executive, has been appointed as the president of PayPal Bank. McNeill brings to the bank nearly 25 years of commercial lending and private equity experience. This will be essential in guiding the bank through its development and its entry into PayPal’s broader payment ecosystem.

This latest move also aligns with growing PayPal involvement in cryptocurrencies. The company has broadened its crypto products, comprising peer-to-peer crypto transfers and a Pay with Crypto option for merchants.