Balance Credit (sunup)
“Can a technology-enabled loan servicer for underbanked consumers scale a rent-a-bank installment lending model across all 50 states by outsourcing origination to a regulated bank partner?”
Founded in 2015 as SunUp Financial, LLC, Balance Credit launched as a direct online installment lender for underbanked U.S. consumers. The company transitioned toward a bank-partner model where Capital Community Bank (Utah) originates and funds loans while Balance Credit handles customer marketing and loan servicing — a rent-a-charter structure commonly used to extend credit across state lines without holding individual state lending licenses. NCP Finance was also added as a lending partner for Texas (CSO model) and Ohio, reflecting regulatory arbitrage strategies common in the sub-prime consumer lending space.