What Bank Does Cash App Use?

For many folks, a traditional bank account is a bit of a moot point in this day and age. With a handful of credit-building, money-managing, savings, and other financial apps at the tip of your fingers via your phone at any given time, it makes sense why some folks might want to skip setting up a bank account. However, most folks are aware that apps like Cash App have some sort of bank institution backing them.

That begs the question: what bank does Cash App use? The answer, though, is just a bit convoluted. With the various services Cash App has available like savings accounts, checking with their native-branded debit card, and even the ability to buy and sell stocks, there's a host of partnerships running behind the scenes. Let's take a look at Cash App's varying services and what banks are backing them up so you can feel confident about where you're putting your money.

If you have a Cash Card from Cash App, you likely enjoy the freedom to use it as you would any other card. It's a standard Visa debit card that allows you to spend money directly from your Cash App account just like a standard checking account. Cash App in itself, however, is not a bank. As such, the Cash Card system is handled by two different banking entities.

The first one is Sutton Bank. This bank issues the physical card itself and provides the majority of the transactional banking services. Effectively, the Cash Card is a prepaid debit card in that its limitation is the amount of money in your Cash App account.

The other entity involved with the Cash Card is Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo provides FDIC insurance to your account. So, your Cash App balance is insured up to $250,000, just like it would be in a standard checking or savings account. It is worth remembering, though, that this insurance is only to protect you against Wells Fargo folding and does not extend to fraudulent uses of your Cash App balance or Cash Card.

You may or may not be aware that you can use Cash App for direct deposit of payroll checks from your employer. In addition, you can also perform bank-to-bank ACH transfers via the account and routing number provided by Cash App just like with a standard bank account.

As you might have expected, this ability is fielded by a third party because, again, Cash App is not a bank in itself. These transfers and deposits are either fielded by Sutton Bank or Lincoln Savings Bank. You can tell which bank is handling your direct deposits and transfers by opening your Account & Routing settings in Cash App. If your routing number is 041215663, your account is handled by Sutton Bank. If your routing number is 073923033, it's tied to Lincoln Savings Bank. Which bank handles your transfers depends on where you live. So, the only way to be sure of which one you've got is to check your personal Cash App account and verify the routing number.