What Five Star Bank does

Five Star Bank is a community bank founded in 1817 and headquartered in Warsaw, New York, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Financial Institutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISI), a bank holding company with approximately $6.3 billion in assets. The bank operates 48 branches across Western and Central New York with over 600 associates and maintains a commercial lending franchise that extends into the Mid-Atlantic region. It offers a comprehensive suite of consumer and commercial banking products, including checking, savings, CDs, IRAs, HSAs, mortgages, home equity loans, personal loans, credit cards issued through Elan Financial Services, business checking, commercial loans, commercial real estate, treasury management, and merchant services.

Underlying the franchise is a digital banking platform supporting online and mobile channels, card management features, mobile deposits, bill pay, and integration with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Wallet. Business customers receive Autobooks accounting integration within Digital Banking for Business. Five Star Bank distributes mortgage products through a dedicated web center and partners with the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York for down payment assistance programs. Wealth management is delivered through affiliate Courier Capital, LLC, and investment products through Principal Financial Group.

The bank generates revenue primarily through net interest income from mortgage, commercial, and consumer lending, complemented by fee-based services (deposit service charges, ATM fees, wire fees, NSF fees), mortgage banking revenue (originations, servicing, FHA/VA/USDA/SONYMA programs), wealth management fees via Courier Capital, and insurance/affiliate income. Customer segments span individual consumers, small businesses, commercial borrowers, public/municipal entities, and wealth management clients. GTM motion is direct-to-consumer through physical branches, relationship-based commercial lending teams, and digital self-service channels.

Name

Five Star Bank

Legal name

Five Star Bank

Website

https://five-starbank.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1817

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Five Star Bank is a community bank founded in 1817, operating 48 branches across Western and Central New York as a subsidiary of Financial Institutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISI). It provides consumer and commercial banking, mortgage, treasury, and wealth management services to individuals, small businesses, and municipalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (522110), Commercial Banking (52211)

SIC

State Commercial Banks (6022)

akta.pro primary industry

Mass-Market Consumer Deposit Banking (Checking/Savings) (FSABAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Small Business Banking (Microbusiness/Sole Proprietor) (FSABAAAI), Public Sector Retail Banks (State-Owned Commercial Banks) (FSABAKAL)

Keywords

• Community banking services
• Retail banking products
• Commercial lending services
• Mortgage loan products
• Wealth management services

Headquarters

HQ city

Warsaw

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Net Interest Income: Traditional banking revenue from spread between interest earned on loans and interest paid on deposits. Core revenue driver from mortgage lending, commercial lending, consumer loans, and deposit products.
2. Mortgage Banking Revenue: Revenue from mortgage originations, servicing, and related fees. Products include fixed-rate mortgages, adjustable rate mortgages, construction loans, and government-sponsored programs (FHA, VA, USDA, SONYMA).
3. Fee-based Services: Non-interest income from deposit service charges, ATM fees, wire transfer fees, insufficient funds fees, and other banking service charges.
4. Wealth Management (Courier Capital): Investment management, retirement planning, and consulting services offered through affiliate Courier Capital to individuals, families, businesses, institutions, and non-profits.
5. Insurance Products: Insurance and investment products offered through affiliates, not FDIC insured.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Five Star Bank is a community bank offering consumer and commercial banking products including checking, savings, CDs, IRAs, mortgages, home equity, personal loans, credit cards, and business banking services such as commercial loans, treasury management, and merchant services. The bank operates 48 branches across Western and Central New York, supplemented by digital and mobile banking platforms. It also provides wealth management through its affiliate Courier Capital and serves municipalities with public banking services.

Product overview

Five Star Bank offers a comprehensive community banking platform with both consumer and business banking products. The core platform consists of Digital Banking (online and mobile) as the central access point for managing checking, savings, loans, mortgages, and credit cards. Consumer products include checking/savings accounts, CDs/IRAs, Health Savings Accounts, mortgages, home equity products, personal loans, and credit cards issued through Elan Financial Services. Business banking encompasses checking, savings, commercial lending, commercial real estate, treasury management, merchant services, and Autobooks for accounting. The bank also offers specialized mortgage programs (Homebuyer Dream Program, Home Savings Club, Purchase Power Program, New Home Perks) to support first-time homebuyers. Wealth management services are provided through affiliate Courier Capital and partnership with Principal Financial Group. Digital wallet integration with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Wallet extends payment capabilities. The bank operates 48 branches across Western and Central New York with over 600 associates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Courier Capital: Wealth management affiliate offering customized investment management, retirement planning, and consulting services to individuals, families, businesses, institutions, and non-profits.

Products and services

• Checking Accounts Personal checking account options with various features for everyday banking needs of individual consumers.
• Savings & Money Market Savings and money market deposit accounts for building emergency funds and growing wealth for individual consumers.
• CDs & IRAs Certificate of deposit accounts and Individual Retirement Accounts for long-term savings with fixed rates, targeted at individual consumers.
• Health Savings Accounts Tax-advantaged savings accounts for individuals with high-deductible health insurance plans.
• Mortgages Residential mortgage products including fixed rate, adjustable rate, jumbo, construction-to-permanent, and government-backed loans (FHA, VA, USDA, SONYMA) for home purchase and refinancing, for individual consumers.
• Home Equity Loans & Lines of Credit Home equity financing options including HELOCs with up to $300,000 borrowing capacity and fixed-rate home equity loans with 5, 10, 15, or 20-year terms, for individual homeowners.
• Personal Loans & Lines of Credit Unsecured personal loans up to $10,000, vehicle loans for cars, trucks, RVs, boats, and overdraft protection lines of credit, for individual consumers.
• Credit Cards Visa credit card products including Everyday Rewards Credit Card with 4x points on dining and up to $250 cash back, issued through Elan Financial Services, for individual consumers.
• Business Checking Business checking accounts designed for businesses of various sizes with tools for managing business finances.
• Business Savings & CDs Business savings accounts and certificates of deposit for business liquidity and growth.
• Small Business Banking Banking solutions tailored for small businesses with specialized support and products.
• Commercial Loans & Lines Commercial lending products including operating lines of credit and term loans for business financing needs.
• Commercial Real Estate Commercial real estate financing for acquisition, development, and construction projects.
• Business Credit Cards Business credit card products with expense management tools and mobile payment capabilities.
• Treasury Management Cash management and treasury services for businesses including payment processing and liquidity management.
• Merchant Services Payment processing services for business merchants to accept card transactions.
• Public & Municipal Banking Banking services designed for public entities, municipalities, and government organizations.
• Courier Capital Wealth Management Wealth management affiliate providing customized investment management, retirement planning, and consulting services to individuals, families, businesses, institutions, and non-profits.
• Homebuyer Dream Program First-time homebuyer assistance program through Federal Home Loan Bank of New York providing up to $14,500 for down payment and closing costs plus $500 toward counseling.
• Home Savings Club First-time homebuyer savings program where Five Star Bank matches $3 for every $1 saved, up to $3,000 total, for down payment and closing costs.
• Purchase Power Program Mortgage program providing underwriter pre-approval and bridge financing to help buyers make competitive cash-like offers, with up to $1,500 in closing cost credits.
• New Home Perks $500 closing cost credit for mortgage customers who set up automatic payment from a Five Star Bank checking account.

Quantifiable outcome

• Q1 2026 revenue of $45.10 million, representing 27.63% year-over-year increase
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Courier CapitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWestern New York-based investment adviser affiliate offering customized investment management, retirement planning, and consulting services to individuals, families, businesses, institutions, and non-profits. Partnership allows Five Star Bank to offer comprehensive wealth management alongside traditional banking products.
• Principal Financial GroupminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInvestment partner referenced on website for investment products and services offered through Five Star Bank.
• Elan Financial ServicescoreTechnology or IntegrationCredit card issuer and processor for Five Star Bank branded credit cards. Elan Financial Services provides zero fraud liability for unauthorized transactions and issues cards pursuant to Visa U.S.A. Inc. license.
• University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovative partnership with URMC intended to expand healthcare access in rural communities in Upstate New York. Represents cross-industry collaboration between banking and healthcare sectors.
• LECOMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support aspiring students and future healthcare professionals in Upstate New York through $10,000 grant program.
• Catholic Charities of the Finger LakesminorGTM or Marketing Partner$10,000 grant to support Ovid community neighbors following a recent fire. Community support initiative.
• Shea's Performing Arts CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor of Five Star Bank 2023-24 Broadway Season at She's Buffalo Theatre. Arts and cultural sponsorship.
• Buffalo Zoo and Seneca Park ZoominorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with local zoos for summer events and community engagement programs.
• Allpoint (ATM Network)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSurcharge-free ATM network providing access to 43,000+ ATMs at convenient retailers nationwide.
• Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (FHLBNY)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHomebuyer Dream Program participation providing up to $14,500 for down payment and closing costs plus $500 for homeownership counseling for first-time homebuyers in New York State.
• Freddie MaccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesignated as Priority Affordable Lender by Freddie Mac, reflecting commitment to affordable homeownership programs. Partnership enables access to specialized mortgage products and affordable lending programs.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Community Bank System: Multi-state community bank holding company with a comparable Upstate New York branch footprint, similar mix of consumer and commercial lending, and public-trading profile (NYSE: CBU) closely mirroring Financial Institutions, Inc. (FISI).
• NBT Bancorp: Upstate New York-headquartered community bank holding company (NASDAQ: NBTB) with comparable branch network across NY, PA, and New England, similar asset size (~$11B), and overlapping consumer/commercial/mortgage product mix.
• Tompkins Financial Corporation: Upstate NY-based community bank (NYSE-MKT: TMP) with similar asset size, mortgage banking focus, wealth management affiliate, and shared Western/Central New York geography.
• Evans Bancorp: Western New York-headquartered community bank (NYSE: EVBN) with comparable small-business and consumer focus, similar asset scale (~$2B), and direct geographic overlap in the Buffalo/Rochester corridor.
• Chemung Financial Corporation: New York-based community bank holding company (NASDAQ: CHMG) operating across Southern Tier and Central NY, with comparable consumer/commercial banking and wealth management mix.
• First Bank (NJ): Community bank with commercial lending franchise spanning the Mid-Atlantic region, comparable asset scale, and similar small-business and consumer banking product mix.
• Trustco Bank Corp: Upstate NY community bank (NASDAQ: TRST) with strong mortgage banking focus, similar branch network density, and comparable consumer/deposit product mix for the same regional customer base.
• Cortland Bancorp: Ohio-based community bank holding company with comparable asset scale (~$2B), similar community-banking model focused on consumer/small business/commercial lending, and equivalent private/closely-held ownership structure.

Broad incumbents

• Berkshire Hills Bancorp: Northeast-focused regional bank with substantially larger asset base (~$11B+), broader geographic footprint across NY and New England, and overlapping community-bank positioning with commercial and mortgage lending.
• M&T Bank: Large regional bank headquartered in Buffalo, NY with dominant Western/Central NY presence, serving as the primary competitive incumbent against Five Star Bank in shared geographies, though at much greater scale (~$200B assets).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fivestarbankny
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCszrrIIbz5xUa3ESjYSBzFw
• Facebookfacebook.com/fivestarbankny
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/five-star-bank
• Instagraminstagram.com/fivestarbankny

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Five Star Bank