# Meta Payments

> Meta Payments was the payments division of MetaBank, founded as Meta Payment Systems in 2004. It supplied issuing, sponsorship and money-movement infrastructure to companies offering financial products under their own brands. The bank became Pathward in 2022; the payments lineage continues through its partner banking operations. This is the Sioux Falls banking business, distinct from Meta Platforms’ Meta Pay.

- **Founded:** 2004
- **Headquarters:** Sioux Falls, United States
- **Founders:** Brad Hanson (Founder of the Meta Payment Systems division; its founding president)
- **Products:** Prepaid card sponsorship, Demand deposit account sponsorship, Merchant acquiring sponsorship, ATM sponsorship, Digital payments
- **Notable:** Founded its payments division in May 2004., MetaBank served as issuing bank for the initial nearly four million Economic Impact Payment cards announced in May 2020., Pathward’s issuing page reports 16.5 million EIP cards distributed over 18 months.

## Products & services

- **Prepaid card sponsorship** — Historical Meta Payments capability continued by Pathward, covering gift, rewards, general-purpose reloadable, payroll, benefits and government payment programs.
- **Demand deposit account sponsorship** — Current Pathward support for consumer and business deposit-account programs delivered through partners.
- **Merchant acquiring sponsorship** — Bank identification number sponsorship, onboarding, oversight and settlement support for acquiring processors and merchant programs.
- **ATM sponsorship** — Connects independent ATM operators and sales organizations to debit networks, processors and settlement accounts.
- **Digital payments** — ACH, wire and push-to-debit money movement for use cases including refunds, rebates, benefits and gig payments.
- **Partner Solutions** — Name adopted in September 2024 for Pathward’s former Banking as a Service business line; its portfolio included issuing, acquiring, digital payments, financial institution, tax and consumer credit capabilities.

## Achievements

- Founded its payments division in May 2004.
- MetaBank served as issuing bank for the initial nearly four million Economic Impact Payment cards announced in May 2020.
- Pathward’s issuing page reports 16.5 million EIP cards distributed over 18 months.
- Pathward reports moving more than $2.5 billion daily through ACH and wire services; this is transaction flow, not revenue.
- Successor Pathward announced Tearsheet’s 2026 Partner Bank of the Year award in October 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Successor Pathward extended its TabaPay partnership into 2031 and broadened payment use cases.
- **2026-10** — Pathward announced Tearsheet’s Partner Bank of the Year recognition on October 1.
- **2026-10** — Pathward and Clair announced an extension on October 8 covering earned wage advance origination.

## Links

- Website: https://www.pathward.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/meta-payments
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wearepathward

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/meta-payments
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-26