Why We Varo

It’s humbling to think that less than two years ago Varo was still an idea. The banking app had not been released. In July 2017, Varo went live in the App Store, bringing our vision to make banking services better for hard-working Americans to everyone with an iPhone. Just over a year later, that included Android as well.  

Today we serve tens of thousands of customers daily through the app. Thank you for trusting us with your money and leaving such great reviews. We are proud to serve each and every customer!

Our idea for a new banking company has been simple: We don't charge any hidden fees or gotchas and we do everything we can to keep more money in our customer’s pockets. Simply put: Varo’s mission is to help everyone make progress in their financial lives. This is especially important in a time when many Americans can't find $400 for an emergency, according to the Fed.

We asked a few Varovians to share what connects them to our mission. Here’s what they told us:

Steve Davis, Engineering

I connect with our mission because I used to have terrible financial health. I had no idea how to budget and avoid fees, how to live debt free, how to invest for the future. My parents never really taught me. When I went into college, I really screwed up my credit score for a while. I was getting overdraft fees from Wells Fargo all the time. Now that I've learned how to improve financial health for myself, I want to do the same for our customers.

Philippa Girling, Chief Risk Officer

I’ve worked in banking for a long time but I always wanted to be a part of something new, built from the ground up, that embodies and fosters positive social change. Being part of the Varo team allows me to do exactly that as we are giving people fair access to banking tools.

Brendan Gibson, Web Developer

I get angry about poorly designed user interface with banks and service providers every month when I pay my bills. Varo gives me an opportunity to do web banking right.

Tyler Schwarzkopf, Operations Analyst

I personally love the idea of a bank that actually works for you instead of being intentionally vague and charging fees whenever possible. Banking with an institution that understands that the best interests of their customers are also in the best interests of the business is very refreshing. It's nice to know that there's someone still willing to put the customer first in an industry that has become very disconnected!

Mary Ann Miller, Head of Fraud Strategy

Having spent more than two decades in the banking technology industry, I have worked on a lot of teams and products. For too long I saw that customers were not the first thought for companies — but they are at Varo! I'm drawn to Varo's mission because we celebrate our customers' successes — and each others. Respect is number one.

Andrew Roddini, Director of Talent Acquisition

Breaking the cycle. I see financial illiteracy as a systemic issue similar to racial or gender bias. It takes a village to make significant changes in these social systemic breakdowns. At Varo, we build products and make decisions by asking ourselves, “Does this help our customers?” I believe Varo’s customer-centric approach is enabling progress towards financial freedom for our users and helping them to break this cycle.

PS We're hiring! Would you like to help work on the future of banking? Join us.