The Citizens Bank

What The Citizens Bank does

The Citizens Bank is a privately held community bank founded in 1943 in Olanta, South Carolina, operating as the banking subsidiary of Citizens Bancshares Corporation. The bank provides a full suite of retail, commercial, mortgage, and wealth-management products to consumers, small-to-medium businesses, non-profits, and agricultural borrowers across more than 25 branches in South Carolina and one in Laurinburg, North Carolina. Its deposit franchise spans five consumer checking tiers, multiple business checking variants, savings, money market, CDs, and IRAs; its lending portfolio covers personal, auto, boat, RV, home equity, agricultural, commercial real estate, and a full mortgage suite including Conventional, FHA, USDA, VA, Jumbo, and HomeReady products.

The bank operates a conventional digital banking stack — TCB-2GO mobile app, online banking at my.tcbsc.bank, iTalk phone banking, ProfitStars-hosted Remote Deposit Capture, and the Elliott Mae mortgage origination platform — supplemented by partner-delivered capabilities: LPL Financial for investment and insurance products, BancCard for merchant services, IntraFi for multi-million-dollar FDIC sweep coverage, and Fannie Mae for the HomeReady program. Differentiated features include the premium TCB Secure Checking account (with bundled identity theft protection, credit monitoring, and insurance), Positive Pay and ACH Block fraud controls for businesses, and local lender-based decision-making without regional approval delays.

Revenue is generated primarily through net interest income on the lending book, supplemented by deposit service charges, overdraft and wire fees, merchant services residuals, mortgage origination fees, and revenue sharing from LPL-referred investment products. Customer acquisition is community-led — driven by local staff presence, community engagement, and multi-generational relationships — supported by a content marketing footprint (50+ financial calculators, security awareness resources, and the TCB Fraud Watch podcast) and standard digital channels. The bank's positioning as a relationship-oriented community alternative to regional and national banks in underserved SC/NC markets is the central operating premise.

Name

The Citizens Bank

Legal name

The Citizens Bank

Website

https://tcbsc.bank

Company type

Private

Founded year

1943

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Citizens Bank is a privately held community bank, founded 1943 in Olanta, South Carolina and a subsidiary of Citizens Bancshares Corporation. It serves consumers, small businesses, and agricultural borrowers through 25+ branches across South Carolina and North Carolina, offering deposits, lending, mortgage, treasury, and wealth services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (52211), Depository Credit Intermediation (5221)

SIC

State Commercial Banks (6022)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

SME Deposits & Business Accounts (Operating, Savings, CDs) (FSABABAC), Financial Inclusion & Basic Banking (Unbanked/Underbanked, Low-Fee Accounts) (FSABAAAL)

Keywords

• Community banking services
• Retail banking
• Consumer lending
• Mortgage lending
• Business cash management

Headquarters

HQ city

Florence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices26 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Net Interest Income: Interest earned on loans (personal, business, mortgage, agricultural) and securities. Primary revenue driver for the bank from lending activities including consumer loans, commercial loans, and mortgage originations.
2. Fee-Based Income: Service charges on deposit accounts, ATM fees, wire transfer fees, overdraft fees, and account maintenance fees. Also includes merchant services fees through BancCard partnership.
3. Investment Services Revenue: Revenue sharing and referral fees from investment product sales through LPL Financial alliance, including mutual funds, annuities, IRAs, and retirement planning services.
4. Mortgage Origination Fees: Income from mortgage originations including conventional loans, FHA, USDA, VA loans, and Fannie Mae HomeReady program. Lender credits and promotional offers available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Citizens Bank is a community bank founded in 1943 in Olanta, South Carolina, providing a full suite of consumer and business banking products across 25+ branches in South Carolina and one in North Carolina. Its offerings include personal and business checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, IRAs, consumer loans (auto, boat, RV, personal), home equity lines of credit, a full mortgage product suite (Conventional, FHA, USDA, VA, Jumbo, Construction-to-Perm), business loans (operating, building, equipment, agricultural, expansion), cash management services (ACH, Positive Pay, wire, remote deposit, sweeps), merchant services through BancCard, and investment services through LPL Financial, all supported by 24/7 digital, mobile, and telephone banking channels.

Product overview

The Citizens Bank is a community bank offering a comprehensive suite of deposit and lending products across personal, business, and mortgage categories. The core product portfolio includes multiple checking account tiers (TCB Secure, TCB Interest, TCB Select, TCB Advantage, TCB Free) and savings options (Young Citizens Savings, Money Market, CDs, IRAs) for consumers, alongside seven distinct business checking variants (Non-Profit, Free Small Business, Commercial Interest, Premier Business, Business Analysis, IOLTA). The bank's lending division encompasses personal loans, auto loans, boat/RV loans, home equity products, construction loans, land loans, and a full mortgage suite including Conventional, FHA, USDA, VA, Jumbo, and Construction-to-Perm products with a special HomeReady program. Digital banking capabilities center on the TCB-2GO mobile app and online platform providing 24/7 access, mobile deposit, bill pay, and debit card controls. Business services include Cash Management with ACH, Positive Pay fraud protection, wire transfers, Remote Deposit Capture, RemitPlus Express lockbox, IntraFi Network Deposits for FDIC coverage, and sweep accounts. The bank also offers merchant services through BancCard and investment products through LPL Financial. All products are supported by security and fraud protection services including the bank's Fraud Center with 24/7 monitoring.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TCB 2GO: Mobile banking application for customers to access accounts, make deposits, and manage finances on the go.
• TCB

Products and services

• Personal Checking Accounts
• Personal Savings and Money Market Accounts
• Certificates of Deposit (CDs)
• Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)
• Business Checking Accounts
• Business Savings Accounts
• Personal Loans
• Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC)
• Residential Mortgage Loans
• Business Loans
• Digital Banking (Online and Mobile)
• Cash Management Services
• Merchant Services
• Investment Services through LPL Financial
• iTalk Phone Banking

Quantifiable outcome

• 2% lender credit up to $5,000 on HomeReady mortgages
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BancCardcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBancCard is a leading merchant services provider with over 20 years of experience, partnered with The Citizens Bank to deliver end-to-end payment processing solutions. BancCard partners with top four processors in the industry to provide secure payment acceptance for retail, restaurant, e-commerce, and other business types. Justin Taylor represents BancCard at (843) 412-2722.
• LPL FinancialcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLPL Financial is a leading provider of investment and insurance programs to financial institutions, registered broker/dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. LPL Financial advisors located at The Citizens Bank provide investment products including mutual funds, stocks, bonds, annuities, IRAs, retirement planning, and 529 education savings plans. Pete DuBose serves as the primary financial consultant at the Sumter branch.
• IntraFi Network DepositscoreTechnology or IntegrationIntraFi Network Deposits (formerly CDARS and ICS) provides access to multi-million-dollar FDIC insurance coverage while maintaining liquidity and earning interest. ICS allows withdrawals up to six times monthly, while CDARS provides time deposit options with full FDIC coverage across multiple institutions.
• Direct Transfer, LLCminorOthersDirect Transfer, LLC serves as the transfer agent for Citizens Bancshares Corporation stock. Located at One Glenwood Avenue, Suite 1001, Raleigh, NC 27603. Contact: [email protected], (919) 343-9941.
• Fannie MaecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFannie Mae's HomeReady program is offered through The Citizens Bank, providing low down payment (3%) mortgages with flexible income sources, reduced mortgage insurance, and homeownership education. The Citizens Bank provides a 2% lender credit (up to $5,000) on HomeReady loans.
• Elliott MaecoreTechnology or IntegrationElliott Mae provides the mortgage origination and servicing platform used by The Citizens Bank. Customers can access their mortgage application through the Elliott Mae portal. NMLS# for The Citizens Bank is 402951.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Atlantic Capital Bancshares: Community/commercial bank serving the Carolinas and Southeast with similar business banking, treasury management, and commercial lending focus; directly comparable community-bank operating model.
• Capital City Bank Group: Tallahassee, FL-based community bank holding company of similar scale to TCB with full-service consumer, business, and mortgage banking across the Southeast; a closely matched community-bank peer.
• First Bancorp (Troy, NC): Troy, NC-based community bank holding company operating branches across North and South Carolina; directly comparable to TCB in scale, geographic focus, and full-service community banking model with personal/business/mortgage lending.
• Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida: Stuart, FL-based community bank with a comparable Southeast footprint and full-service community banking model targeting retail, small business, and wealth clients.
• HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. Asheville, NC-based community bank holding company with comparable footprint across the Carolinas, Tennessee, Virginia, and Southwest; offers a similar mix of consumer/business banking and mortgage lending to community-focused customers.

Broad incumbents

• SouthState Corporation: Larger regional bank holding company headquartered in Winter Haven, FL with deep South Carolina presence; competes directly with TCB across consumer, business, and mortgage banking in the Carolinas market.
• United Community Banks, Inc. Blairsville, GA-based regional bank with significant Carolinas and Southeast branch presence; broader portfolio than TCB but directly competitive for community-banking relationships across similar Southeast markets.
• Pinnacle Financial Partners: Nashville, TN-based community/regional bank with strong Southeast presence and similar relationship-banking model; comparable in commercial and consumer banking but operates at significantly larger scale.
• First Horizon National Corporation: Memphis, TN-based regional bank holding company with significant Carolinas presence (post-Capital Bank merger); a much larger incumbent competing for the same community and middle-market relationships.

Others

• Fannie Mae (strategic counterpart, not direct peer): Listed here as the HomeReady strategic partner enabling TCB's low-down-payment mortgage program (2% lender credit up to $5,000); included for ecosystem reference rather than as a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/citizensbanksc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqZ3fQ0jZ1qW9k7Y5xP0
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheCitizensBankSC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-citizens-bank
• Instagraminstagram.com/thecitizensbank

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 The Citizens Bank