Byline Bank and Lithic Partner to Accelerate Fintech Card Program Launches

Quick Summary

Byline Bank and Lithic have partnered to provide a streamlined Sponsor Bank solution for technology companies. This collaboration allows fintechs to utilize Lithic’s programmable card infrastructure alongside Byline’s regulated banking framework to rapidly launch and scale consumer and commercial card programs with robust risk oversight.

How Does the Byline Bank and Lithic Partnership Benefit Fintechs?

The Byline Bank and Lithic partnership addresses the critical need for speed to market in the competitive financial services landscape. By acting as a Sponsor Bank, Byline provides the necessary banking infrastructure, including accounts and payment processing, while Lithic offers the API-driven platform required for modern card issuance. This synergy allows companies to:

• Navigate regulatory requirements with greater confidence and clarity.
• Access specialized leadership with over 20 years of payments experience.
• Deploy consumer and commercial card programs via a single integration.

“Fintech companies need banking partners that can move with the same sense of urgency they do,” said Joe Wolsfeld, Head of Payments & Fintech Banking at Byline Bank. “We've built a team and operating model designed to streamline decision-making, accelerate execution and help innovative companies launch and scale products with confidence.”

What Capabilities Does This New Banking Infrastructure Support?

Beyond standard debit and credit offerings, the collaboration supports complex use cases, including digital assets and high-growth money movement products. Byline Bank’s risk management framework is designed to be flexible yet rigorous, ensuring that innovative financial products remain compliant while scaling. The infrastructure is built for high-growth technology firms that require programmable card issuing capabilities to differentiate their user experience. This partnership ensures that as a fintech grows, its banking partner has the balance sheet and operational capacity to scale alongside them, supported by Byline's $9.9 billion in assets.

How Does This Integration Improve Speed to Market?

The primary friction point for new card programs is often the bank sponsorship approval and integration phase. Byline Bank has optimized its operating model to streamline decision-making, reducing the time it takes for a company to move from concept to live transactions. “Lithic has built the programmable card issuing infrastructure that technology companies rely on to launch and scale. Byline stands out for its combination of deep industry expertise, its collaborative approach and the ability to execute efficiently,” said Bo Jiang, CEO of Lithic. “For the fintechs building on Lithic, that means faster time to market, cleaner regulatory navigation, and a banking partner that can scale alongside them.”

FF NEWS TAKE:

The Byline Bank and Lithic alliance definitely moves the needle by tackling the 'Sponsor Bank' bottleneck. In an era where regulatory scrutiny is increasing, having a bank like Byline that explicitly supports digital assets and complex fintech use cases is a major win for the ecosystem. This partnership lowers the barrier to entry for embedded finance, allowing non-financial brands to become fintechs faster than ever before.