FirstBank & Trust’s Commercial Card Program Ranked by Nilson Report for Sixth Consecutive Year

Ranked Among the Highest Purchase Volumes For U.S. Visa® and Mastercard Commercial Card Issuers


LUBBOCK, Texas, Aug. 10, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FirstBank & Trust, a member of Heartland Financial USA, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTLF) that operates under the brand name HTLF, continues to display consistent strength in the payments space. Nilson Report ranked HTLF among the top U.S. commercial credit card issuers for the sixth year in a row.

In 2020, HTLF’s commercial credit card program ranked among the top 40 purchasing card programs with over $548 million in purchase volume, a 21 percent increase from the previous year and the fourth highest growth overall for purchasing cards.

Nilson Report’s ranking reflects HTLF’s innovative approach to digital technology products and providing excellent customer experiences. HTLF invested in a team of industry experts to help educate clients on the value of Electronic Accounts Payable (EAP), increasing their purchasing portfolio by 21 percent year over year.

“Now more than ever FirstBank & Trust understands the importance of getting back to business. With a strong payments strategy that includes electronic payments, companies can reduce operating costs, increase fraud protection and provide more streamlined payment processes,” said Greg Garland, FirstBank & Trust’s President and CEO.

“Last year, we introduced our Integrated Payables solution, which is one platform to process check, ACH and credit card payments. This year we are excited to offer new solutions such as contactless cards and Visa Commercial Pay. With the electronic payment method rapidly becoming more common, we are helping clients better manage cash flow, negotiate favorable terms, protect against fraud and have a more effective payments process overall.”

2021 has been a significant year for HTLF and its banks. The company rebranded in the spring to reinforce the strength, insight and growth they bring to their customers, communities, employees and investors. Additionally, HTLF was recognized by Forbes as one of the best banks in America for the fifth year in a row.

For 50 years, Nilson Report has been a respected source of payments industry news and market insight. Nilson analyzes and reports on the performance of hundreds of credit, debit and prepaid card issuers, transaction acquirers and technology vendors with an unbiased perspective. 

About FirstBank & Trust
First Bank & Trust, a subsidiary of Heartland Financial USA, Inc., operating under the brand name HTLF, is a community bank headquartered in Lubbock, Texas, with more than $2.9 billion in assets. FB&T operates over 20 banking centers specializes in business lending and deposit services, and provides mortgage, private client, investment, treasury management, card services, and complete electronic banking programs to individuals and businesses in West Texas. Additional information about FirstBank & Trust is available at www.FirstBankTexas.com. FB&T is a member of the FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender.

About HTLF
Heartland Financial USA, Inc., operating under the brand name HTLF, is a financial services company with assets of $18.37 billion. HTLF has banks serving communities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Texas and Minnesota. HTLF is committed to its core commercial business, supported by a strong retail operation, and provides a diversified line of financial services including treasury management, residential mortgage, wealth management, investment and insurance. Additional information is available at www.htlf.com.

CONTACT:
Brandi Alexander
Balexander@firstbanktexas.com