Walmart Not New to Financing

Walmart is considering switching its branded credit card business partner from Synchrony Financial to Capital One Financial Group, according to a Bloomberg report. Accordingly, the change in banking partner is related to the retailer’s vision for Walmart Pay, Walmart’s current checkout payment system.

In light of this, it is worth noting that Walmart is no stranger to working creatively and ambitiously with banks. In fact, aside from currently having independent bank branches that operate from inside Walmart stores – including Fort Sill National Bank and City National Bank and Trust – Walmart once had aspirations to become a bank.

In 2006, using an old and now controversial statute, the behemoth retailer attempted to get a charter to become an Industrial Loan Company (ILC) Bank. Chris Cole, Senior Regulatory Counsel at Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), a trade group, told AltFinanceDaily that banks and other anti-Walmart groups banded together to thwart the retailer’s plans.

Recently, two fintech companies, SoFi and NelNet, have submitted applications to become ILC banks.  

Todd Stone was a reporter for AltFinanceDaily.