Column vs Griffin

Column is a nationally chartered bank providing banking infrastructure and APIs for companies building financial products. Its payment connections include the Federal Reserve, The Clearing House, SWIFT and card networks, for moving money in the United States and globally. APIs support checking, savings, trust, subledger, clearing and sweep accounts, including multiple account numbers for a single account. Column says its programmatically created bank accounts are FDIC-insured.

Companies can launch debit, credit, unsecured, charge or secured card programs, using their own balance sheet or Column’s. Lending offerings include credit origination, warehouse and forward flow facilities, with dedicated funding for lending programs. Column also describes support for USDC and USDT, accounts and cards for verified customers globally, and foreign-currency accounts with conversion to and from U.S. dollars. Its card issuing connects to Visa and Mastercard and supports Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay and Garmin Pay. Developers can use API documentation, a sandbox and payment workflow guides. Column says its security program follows NIST and FFIEC guidance and is subject to governmental audits and independent third-party assessments. Pricing is on request; prospective customers are directed to contact sales.

Griffin provides banking-as-a-service infrastructure for companies embedding bank accounts, payments, and other financial products through APIs. It operates its own core banking platform and banking license. Business accounts for fintechs and venture-backed startups can be managed online or by API, while embedded savings and bank accounts support customer funds and client money. Payment features include Faster Payments, instant transfers between Griffin accounts, payment webhooks, and Confirmation of Payee. Verify automates KYC and KYB checks and provides onboarding workflows. The REST API uses JSON and includes a free sandbox without fees or an NDA. Griffin also works with tell.money on open-banking integrations. Griffin Bank is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the FCA and PRA. Security documentation cites encryption at rest and in transit, monitored access, and least privilege. Business banking starts at £100 per month; platform packages are £10,000 per month, with onboarding from £15,000 one-off.