Mercury® Financial Extends Partnership with First Bank & Trust

Distributed by Business Wire
8th September 2021

Partnership to continue strengthening the company’s foundation in digital enhancements and financial inclusion

WILMINGTON, Del.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Mercury® Financial LLC (Mercury Financial), a financial inclusion technology company serving nearly one million near-prime customers, announced today it will extend its partnership with First Bank & Trust (FB&T) to 2025. The continued partnership with the family and employee-owned bank allows Mercury Financial to expand its digital services, further driving the company’s mission toward greater financial inclusion.

“Delivering exceptional service and experiences is core to our value in helping customers manage their credit responsibly. FB&T’s trust in our service and values make our entire customer program possible,” said Jeff Courtney, chief operating officer at Mercury Financial. “We’ve grown and improved tremendously over the past four years. Through our partnership, Mercury Financial has established a strong foundation as a financial inclusion pioneer and we look forward to expanding our capabilities to improve people’s lives.”

The partnership began in 2017 under the shared mission to support customer programs and help deliver credit to deserving Americans in the near-prime segment. As a trusted partner, FB&T is the bank issuer and payment model behind Mercury’s financial technology platforms. Over the next four years, the partnership model will grow behind Mercury’s expanded digital services and capabilities.

“Our partnership with Mercury Financial allows us to diversify and engage with a forward-thinking, entrepreneurial organization, committed to delivering fair and transparent financial products, with worthy benefits for our customers,” said Cal DeJong, president of national products at FB&T. “We’ve experienced many triumphs over the last four years and I’m excited to see what this next chapter will bring, building upon the success of the Mercury credit card program.”

This news closely follows Mercury Financial’s extended partnership with Global Payments Inc. Through its TSYS Issuer Solutions segment, Global Payments will continue to provide a range of services for Mercury® Financial’s credit card portfolio including processing, call center services and support for its loyalty program. Extended partnerships with Global Payments Inc. and FB&T will open the financial inclusion technology company to greater opportunities in digital services.

About Mercury® Financial

Mercury® Financial LLC (Mercury Financial) is expanding financial inclusion through technology. We deliver access to credit and a superior digital credit experience focused on the underserved near prime customer. To date, Mercury Financial has helped empower nearly 1 million deserving Americans with better credit through the use of its proprietary risk assessment and data analytics technologies. We strive to provide best-in-class credit lines to allow customers to maximize their purchasing power. We offer valuable cashback rewards and travel rewards through strategic partnerships like the Spirit Airlines “Free Spirit” Program. Mercury Financial prioritizes providing the tools to promote positive financial behavior and upward mobility through a seamless digital experience.

Mercury Financial has more than 160 employees in offices in Wilmington, Delaware, and Austin, Texas, and is led by CEO and 15-year financial services veteran James Peterson and a management team with decades of combined industry experience. Backed by Värde Partners, a leading global alternative investment advisor, Mercury Financial has extended more than $3 billion in credit lines to customers since its founding in 2013.

Mercury® Financial manages the Mercury® Mastercard® and the Free Spirit® Points Mastercard®, which are issued by First Bank & Trust, Brookings, SD pursuant to a license by Mastercard® International.

For more information, visit www.mercuryfinancial.com.

About First Bank & Trust

First Bank & Trust is a family- and employee-owned South Dakota state bank, member FDIC, with 22 locations in 17 communities in South Dakota and Minnesota. Headquartered in Brookings, SD, it is the largest privately-held bank in SD with over $3.8 Billion in total assets. First Bank & Trust has a history that dates back more than 140 years and spans four generations of the Fishback family, who support independent and entrepreneurial leadership. First Bank & Trust’s experience in partnering with Fintech companies nationwide centers around the shared goal of developing market-leading solutions that deliver consumer-friendly, sustainable, innovative, and compliant financial services products on a national scale.

For more information, visit https://www.bankeasy.com/industry-solutions/partnerships/fintech-sponsorships.