PCB Bank
PCB Bank is a California state-chartered community bank headquartered in Los Angeles that provides commercial, SBA, and residential lending, business banking, and trade finance services primarily to Korean-American small businesses and individuals across six states.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What PCB Bank does
PCB Bank is a California state-chartered, FDIC-insured community bank headquartered in Koreatown, Los Angeles, operating as the wholly-owned banking subsidiary of publicly-traded PCB Bancorp (NASDAQ:PCB). Founded in 2003 by Korean-American entrepreneurs as Pacific City Bank, the institution serves small to medium-sized businesses and individuals in Korean-American communities across California, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Georgia, and Washington through 15+ branches and loan production offices. Its product set spans personal banking (checking, savings, home loans, credit cards), business banking (four business checking tiers, savings, business credit cards), commercial lending, SBA 7(a) and 504 loans as a Preferred Lender, trade finance (letters of credit, D/P, D/A), and a nationally-scaled mortgage warehouse lending operation. Bilingual English/Korean service delivery is a defining operating characteristic.
The bank's technology stack is conventional community-banking infrastructure: an online banking platform, iOS and Android mobile applications, card controls with spending limits and geographic restrictions, two-factor authentication, EMV chip debit cards with mobile wallet support (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay), and integration with the Korean Community Banks ATM network plus 55,000+ STAR and MoneyPass surcharge-free ATMs. Business credit cards are issued through a partnership with Elan Financial Services on the Visa and Mastercard networks; cash management services including remote deposit are powered by FIS Global.
The revenue model is a standard spread-plus-fee community bank construct. Net interest income is generated from commercial, SBA, home, and warehouse loan portfolios, supplemented by transaction fees on wires, account service charges (e.g., $8 monthly plus $0.25 per debit on Business Regular Checking), and interchange on debit and credit card programs. Go-to-market is community-led and relationship-driven: branch staff and commercial loan officers serve Korean-American business owners directly, with SBA Preferred Lender status enabling faster in-house credit decisions. Customer concentration is low given the long tail of SMB and consumer relationships, though the high-yield dividend (3.67-3.88%) and seven consecutive annual increases reflect a deliberate focus on retail investor appeal as a public company.
PCB Bank firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PCB Bank
- Legal name
- PCB Bancorp
- Website
- https://mypcbbank.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- PCB Bank is a California state-chartered community bank headquartered in Los Angeles that provides commercial, SBA, and residential lending, business banking, and trade finance services primarily to Korean-American small businesses and individuals across six states.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PCB Bank industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Banking
- NAICS
- Commercial Banking (522110)
- SIC
- State Commercial Banks (6022)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mass-Market Consumer Deposit Banking (Checking/Savings) (FSABAAAA)
Keywords
Where PCB Bank is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices19 records
Markets served
PCB Bank business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Interest Income: Primary revenue from interest earned on loan portfolio including commercial loans, SBA loans, home loans, and other credit products. PCB Bancorp operates as a holding company for PCB Bank serving small to medium-sized businesses in Southern California.
- Fee Income: Various banking fees including monthly service charges, debit transaction fees, wire transfer fees, and other account-related service fees. Business checking accounts charge $8 monthly fee plus $0.25 per debit transaction with waivers for higher balances.
- SBA Lending: Revenue from SBA 7(a) loans (up to $5 million) and 504 loans (up to $5.5 million) with SBA guaranteeing portions of loans. Bank is an SBA Preferred Lender.
- Trade Finance Services: Fees for letters of credit, standby letters of credit, Documents Against Payment (D/P) and Documents Against Acceptance (D/A) processing for international trade.
- Mortgage Warehouse Lending: Warehouse lending to mortgage brokers across all 50 states with 100% advance rate available and no non-usage fee.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Business PCB EZ Checking - Basic business checking with low minimums |
| Subscription | Monthly | Business Regular Checking - Standard small business checking |
| Subscription | Monthly | Business Analysis Checking - Comprehensive analyzed checking with fee credits |
| Subscription | Monthly | Business Super NOW Checking - Interest-bearing checking account |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Loan Officer Trainee (OC Regional) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Loan Officer Trainee (Los Angeles) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | IT Systems Administrator II |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Network Administrator/Engineer III |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Senior Information Security Analyst |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels5 records
PCB Bank product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PCB Bank is a California state-chartered community bank that provides personal and business banking products including checking, savings, debit and credit cards, home loans, commercial loans, SBA 7(a) and 504 loans, trade finance (letters of credit, D/P, D/A), mortgage warehouse lending, and cash management services. The bank distributes these offerings through 15+ branches across six states, complemented by online and mobile banking, bilingual English/Korean service, and ATM access through the Korean Community Banks, STAR, and MoneyPass networks.
Product overview
PCB Bank is a California state-chartered community bank headquartered in Los Angeles, serving primarily Korean-American communities. The bank operates as a single-segment banking organization offering a comprehensive suite of financial products through both physical branches and digital banking channels. The core product portfolio includes personal banking services (checking, savings, home loans, credit cards), business banking services (checking, savings, commercial loans, SBA loans, cash management), and specialized lending (trade finance, mortgage warehouse lending). Digital banking capabilities encompass online banking, mobile banking, and Zelle peer-to-peer payments. The bank maintains loan centers and branches across California, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Washington.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Personal Checking Personal checking accounts for individuals, including simple starter checking, interest checking, online bill pay, and free debit cards with mobile wallet support. For personal banking customers in Korean-American and other communities served by the bank.
- Personal Savings
- Home Loans
- Business Checking
- Business Savings
- Commercial Loans
- SBA Loans
- Trade Finance
- Mortgage Warehouse Lending
- Cash Management
- Online Banking
- Mobile Banking
- Business Debit Card
- Business Credit Cards
Quantifiable outcome
- Dividend raised for 7 consecutive years with 11 years of continuous payments
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use PCB Bank
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
PCB Bank technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature7 records
PCB Bank partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Elan Financial ServicescoreElan Financial Services is the creditor and issuer of PCB Bank's business credit cards, providing zero fraud liability protection and 24/7 cardmember service. The partnership enables PCB Bank to offer Visa and Mastercard business credit card products without building own card infrastructure.
- Apple PaycoreApple Pay mobile wallet integration allows PCB Bank debit card holders to make contactless payments using Apple devices.
- Google PaycoreGoogle Pay mobile wallet integration allows PCB Bank debit card holders to make contactless payments using Android devices.
- Samsung PaycoreSamsung Pay mobile wallet integration allows PCB Bank debit card holders to make contactless payments using Samsung devices.
- STAR NetworkcoreSTAR Network provides surcharge-free ATM access for PCB Bank customers at 55,000+ locations.
- MoneyPasscoreMoneyPass network provides additional surcharge-free ATM access for PCB Bank customers nationwide.
- SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication)coreSWIFT BIC code PACBUS6L enables international wire transfer capabilities for PCB Bank customers sending or receiving funds globally.
- Korean Community Banks NetworkcoreUnified Korean Community Bank's ATM network enables fee-free ATM withdrawals for customers who hold accounts at any participating Korean bank. Partnership serves the Korean-American banking community.
- VisacoreVisa is the payment network for some PCB Bank credit cards, issued through Elan Financial Services license.
- MastercardcoreMastercard is the payment network for some PCB Bank credit cards, issued through Elan Financial Services license.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
PCB Bank competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hanmi Financial Corporation: Parent of Hanmi Bank, a Korean-American focused community bank headquartered in Los Angeles with extensive branches across California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and Washington. Most directly comparable peer—same customer niche, same SoCal base, similar size tier, identical SBA lending and commercial real estate focus.
- East West Bancorp: Asian-American focused commercial bank headquartered in Pasadena, CA, with branches across major US Asian-American population centers. Comparable in community-bank relationship model serving immigrant entrepreneurs, though materially larger scale provides a reference point for PCB Bank's growth trajectory.
- Cathay General Bancorp: Parent of Cathay Bank, a Chinese-American focused commercial bank serving Asian-American SMBs. Most relevant peer for cross-ethnic Asian-American community banking model, with similar SBA lending, trade finance, and CRE concentration alongside a community-branch distribution strategy.
- Bank of Hope: Korean-American focused commercial bank resulting from the merger of BBCN Bancorp and Wilshire Bank, headquartered in Los Angeles. Direct rival for Korean-American SMB deposit and lending relationships in the same SoCal footprint.
- Preferred Bank: Los Angeles-based commercial bank (NASDAQ: PFBC) focused on serving middle-market businesses and Korean/Chinese-American SMBs. Closest peer on size, SoCal concentration, and Korean-American customer emphasis.
- Royal Business Bank: Los Angeles-headquartered commercial bank focused on Asian-American small and middle-market businesses, with branches across California and select expansion markets. Comparable in size, customer mix, and emphasis on SBA and trade finance lending.
Broad incumbents
- Banc of California: Larger California community bank with multi-ethnic SMB focus and a broader product set. Comparable geographic and SMB overlay but materially larger scale and more diversified customer base than PCB Bank.
- Pacific Premier Bancorp: Irvine-based commercial bank serving SMBs and professionals across the Western US. Comparable community-bank model and SoCal footprint but with broader geographic and product diversification.
- CVB Financial: Parent of Citizens Business Bank, a California-focused commercial bank serving SMBs and municipalities. Useful comparable for community-bank margins, dividend track record, and SBA lending economics, though with broader geographic and product diversification.
Emerging players
- Mercury: Digital-first business banking platform targeting startups and SMBs with an emerging focus on underserved business owner communities. Represents the digital neobank competitive vector that community banks like PCB Bank must defend against with mobile and online banking capabilities.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
PCB Bank social profiles
Digital presencePCB Bank compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
PCB Bank financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PCB Bank leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
PCB Bank funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PCB Bank M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PCB Bank
What does PCB Bank do?
PCB Bank is a California state-chartered community bank that provides personal and business banking products including checking, savings, debit and credit cards, home loans, commercial loans, SBA 7(a) and 504 loans, trade finance (letters of credit, D/P, D/A), mortgage warehouse lending, and cash management services. The bank distributes these offerings through 15+ branches across six states, complemented by online and mobile banking, bilingual English/Korean service, and ATM access through the Korean Community Banks, STAR, and MoneyPass networks.
Is PCB Bank a public or private company?
PCB Bank is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was PCB Bank founded?
PCB Bank was founded in 2003. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is PCB Bank based?
PCB Bank is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does PCB Bank make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Interest Income is the primary driver. The others are fee Income, SBA Lending, trade Finance Services and mortgage Warehouse Lending.
Who are PCB Bank's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hanmi Financial Corporation, East West Bancorp, Cathay General Bancorp, Bank of Hope, Preferred Bank and Royal Business Bank. Broad incumbents are Banc of California, Pacific Premier Bancorp and CVB Financial. Mercury is listed as an emerging player.
Does PCB Bank have an API?
No public API is recorded for PCB Bank.
What industry is PCB Bank in?
PCB Bank's product category is Community Banking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSABAAAA, Mass-Market Consumer Deposit Banking (Checking/Savings). Its NAICS code is 522110 and its SIC code is 6022.