Award recognizes Pathward’s commitment to helping fintechs and payments innovators bring new solutions to market and scale responsibly.

Pathward Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASH) through its subsidiary, Pathward®, N.A. ("Pathward"), today announced that Pathward has been named Partner Bank of the Year as part of The Big Bank Theory Awards 2026, presented by Tearsheet. The Big Bank Theory Awards is Tearsheet’s premier awards program recognizing and celebrating innovation in banking and embedded finance. The Partner Bank of the Year Award recognizes the best partner bank behind digital bank offerings.

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Pathward has been named "Partner Bank of the Year" by Tearsheet.

The recognition highlights Pathward’s capabilities across issuing, acquiring, digital payments, and tax solutions, along with its consultative approach to risk and compliance and breadth of knowledge and expertise from decades of payments and money movement experience.

"Pathward’s combination of deep industry expertise, broad capabilities to support our partners’ needs, and forward-thinking compliance program gives us a unique advantage that our partners can count on," said Pathward's Chief Customer Officer Will Sowell. "We are honored to receive the Partner Bank of the Year award from Tearsheet. This recognition reflects our team’s commitment to our partners and their customers, and we appreciate the trust our partners place in us to help bring their innovations to market."

Pathward’s recognition as Partner Bank of the Year underscores its role as a trusted collaborator for companies seeking to build and scale innovative financial products and services.

Pathward combines banking infrastructure, financial expertise and a consultative approach to risk and compliance to support partners as they launch and grow. Through payments sponsorship and lending, Pathward delivers the infrastructure, expertise and financial support businesses need to bring innovative financial products and services to market. Payments sponsorship solutions include issuing, acquiring, digital payments, and tax solutions. Pathward also offers lending capabilities that include commercial finance and credit sponsorship solutions.

Details about Tearsheet’s Big Bank Theory Awards and the full list of 2026 winners are available at https://tearsheet.co/announcement/bankings-big-ideas-get-their-moment-the-big-bank-theory-awards-2026/.

Explore how Pathward’s banking expertise empowers payment innovators at https://www.pathward.com/payments/.

About Pathward Financial, Inc.

Pathward Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASH) is a U.S.-based financial holding company driven by its purpose to power financial inclusion. Through our subsidiary, Pathward®, N.A., we strive to increase financial availability, choice and opportunity through payments sponsorship and lending. These capabilities provide support to individuals and businesses. Learn more at pathwardfinancial.com.

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Media contact:

Courtney Heidelberg

605.291.7044

mediarelations@pathward.com

Investor Relations contact:

Darby Schoenfeld, CPA

SVP, Chief of Staff & Investor Relations

877.497.7497

investorrelations@pathward.com