Who Owns CareCredit?
CareCredit is a healthcare financing brand owned by Synchrony Financial (NYSE: SYF). It provides a credit card for health and wellness expenses not covered by insurance, accepted across a network of more than 270,000 provider and retail locations including dentists, veterinarians, vision centers, and Walgreens. Synchrony acquired the brand through GE's 2005 purchase and developed it into the largest dedicated healthcare credit card in the US.
Parent Company
Acquired
2005
Status
Publicly Traded
Headquarters
CareCredit Timeline
United StatesOfficial Website
Who Owns CareCredit?
- Parent Company: Synchrony Financial
- Ownership Type: Subsidiary
- Acquisition Year: 2005
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock Ticker: New York Stock Exchange: SYF
| Brand | Parent Company | Ownership Type |
|---|---|---|
| CareCredit | Synchrony Financial | Subsidiary |
History of CareCredit
- Founded: 1987
- Founders: Denfax Inc. (original developer)
- Acquired by Synchrony Financial: 2005
CareCredit began in 1987 as a financing product for dental patients, built around a simple insight: insurance rarely covered elective dental work, leaving patients unable to pay and dentists unable to collect. The card let providers get paid immediately while patients financed the bill over promotional periods, often interest-free if repaid within a set window.
The model expanded through the 1990s from dentistry into veterinary care, vision, hearing, and cosmetic procedures, essentially creating the healthcare financing category in the United States. Denfax Inc., the company behind it, built the provider network that became the brand's durable advantage.
GE Capital acquired Denfax in 2005 and scaled CareCredit under its retail finance umbrella, expanding acceptance to major retail partners including Walgreens. When GE divested its consumer finance business, CareCredit transferred to Synchrony Financial in the 2014 IPO and 2015 full separation, emerging as the company's flagship owned brand.
Under Synchrony, the brand broadened aggressively. The CareCredit Dual Card added general spending capability wherever Mastercard is accepted. Wellness categories expanded into fertility, nutrition, weight management, and retail health products at roughly 18,000 locations including Walmart, Sam's Club, Albertsons, and Walgreens. A "Better Together" integration launched with Pets Best pet insurance before Synchrony sold that business to Independence Pet Holdings in 2024, retaining an equity stake that keeps CareCredit connected to IPH's pet insurance network.
The brand generated $3.8 billion in interest and fees for the Health and Wellness platform in FY2025, making it one of Synchrony's most profitable owned assets and its largest consumer-facing brand name.
About Synchrony Financial
What does Synchrony Financial own?
Synchrony owns Synchrony Bank, the Utah industrial bank holding $81.1 billion in deposits; the CareCredit healthcare financing brand; and dozens of partner card programs including Amazon, Sam's Club, OnePay at Walmart, TJX, JCPenney, PayPal, and Verizon. It holds an equity stake in Independence Pet Holdings after selling Pets Best in 2024.
Is Synchrony Financial publicly traded?
Yes. Synchrony trades on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker SYF and is an S&P 500 component. It IPO'd in August 2014 and fully separated from GE in November 2015.
Who founded Synchrony Financial?
The business grew inside General Electric's retail finance operations dating to 1932. Margaret Keane led the unit that became Synchrony and served as CEO through the 2014 IPO and independence, making her the effective founder of the standalone company.
Where is Synchrony headquartered?
Synchrony Financial is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, USA. Its bank subsidiary is chartered in Utah and the company operates centers across the US and internationally.
How many brands does Synchrony own?
Synchrony's owned consumer brands are principally Synchrony (including Synchrony Bank) and CareCredit. The majority of its card issuance runs under partner brands like Amazon and Sam's Club rather than Synchrony-owned names.
Who owns Synchrony Financial?
Synchrony is owned by public shareholders, predominantly institutional investors, with no controlling owner. It has been fully independent of GE since November 2015.
What is CareCredit?
CareCredit is Synchrony's healthcare financing credit card, used for dental, vision, veterinary, cosmetic, and wellness expenses not covered by insurance. It is accepted at more than 270,000 provider and retail locations and generated about 17 percent of the company's interest and fee income in 2025.
- Founded: 2003
- Headquarters: Stamford, Connecticut, USA
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock: New York Stock Exchange: SYF
- Revenue: $15.0 billion net revenue (FY2025)
- Employees: Over 20,000
Where Is CareCredit Made / Based?
- Headquarters: Costa Mesa, California, USA
CareCredit Categories & Tags
CareCredit Recalls & Controversies
Deferred-Interest Model Scrutiny: The card's promotional structure, where interest accrues retroactively if the balance is not fully paid within the promotional period, has drawn regulatory examination and consumer litigation over disclosure adequacy, a pattern common to the deferred-interest category generally.
2013-2014 CFPB Action: In the GE Capital era, the business paid $34.1 million in refunds over deceptive enrollment and marketing practices for card add-on products, part of broader CFPB action against the card issuer.
Healthcare Debt Context: As a prominent healthcare lender, the brand features in the broader national debate over medical debt and the propriety of financing essential care, criticism that attaches to the category rather than to specific misconduct.
Brands Owned by Synchrony Financial
CareCredit Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +Category-defining brand with unmatched provider acceptance network
- +17 percent of parent's interest and fee income in FY2025
- +Diversified across dental, veterinary, vision, cosmetic, and wellness categories
- +Dual Card expands utility beyond healthcare purchases
- +Three decades of provider relationships create a genuine network effect
Considerations
- -Deferred-interest model draws regulatory and consumer criticism
- -Healthcare financing occupies an ethically sensitive space
- -BNPL and point-of-care fintech competitors are expanding
- -Entirely dependent on the US healthcare system's out-of-pocket structure
Frequently Asked Questions About CareCredit
Sources & Further Reading
Competitors to CareCredit
No direct competitors found in the same category. This could be because CareCreditoperates in a unique market segment or we're still building our competitor database.
Independent Alternatives to CareCredit
Looking for brands with different ownership structures? These similar brands are not owned by Synchrony Financial, giving you alternative choices that support different corporate structures.
Finance FintechBarings
Owned by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual)
Global asset management firm headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and subsidiary of MassMutual, managing investments across fixed income, real estate, and private markets.
asset-managementinvestmentsfixed-income
Privately Owned
Barings is privately owned, unlike CareCredit which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Finance FintechBloomberg Terminal
Owned by Bloomberg L.P.
Industry-standard financial data and analytics platform used by approximately 325,000 subscribers at banks, hedge funds, and institutional investors worldwide.
financial-datamarket-dataanalytics
Privately Owned
Bloomberg Terminal is privately owned, unlike CareCredit which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Finance FintechNuveen
Owned by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America
American asset management brand with about $1.4 trillion in assets under management, operating as the investment management arm of TIAA since 2014.
asset-managementinvestment-managementmutual-funds
Privately Owned
Nuveen is privately owned, unlike CareCredit which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Finance FintechTD Bank
Owned by TD Bank, N.A.
TD Bank is the U.S. retail banking brand of Toronto-Dominion Bank, operating about 1,100 East Coast branches as "America's Most Convenient Bank" under a federal asset cap since 2024.
bankingretail-bankfinancial-services
Privately Owned
TD Bank is privately owned, unlike CareCredit which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Finance FintechTrading 212
Owned by Trading 212
UK-based commission-free trading platform offering stocks, ETFs, and crypto to over 4.5 million clients across Europe.
tradinginvestingfintech
Privately Owned
Trading 212 is privately owned, unlike CareCredit which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Finance FintechBank of America
Owned by Bank of America Corporation
Consumer and commercial banking brand serving roughly 70 million clients through approximately 3,500 financial centers and industry-leading digital banking.
bankingconsumer-bankingretail-bank
Publicly Traded
Bank of America operates independently without a large parent corporation.
Synchrony Financial Stock Information
Jobs at Synchrony Financial
Latest News About CareCredit
Related Articles About CareCredit
View more articles
Global
Regional Brands That Got Swallowed by Multinationals
La Serenissima is now Arcor/Danone. Innovist is now L'Oreal. Zabka is being bought by Couche-Tard for $8.6B. S Brands is now Wipro. Discover regional brands swallowed by multinationals. Explore our database.
Who Brands StaffSep 26, 2026
GlobalAcquisitionsBrand Ownership
Global
Why Some Global Brands Have Different Names Abroad
Lay's is Walkers in the UK. Burger King is Hungry Jack's in Australia. KFC is PFK in Quebec. Mr. Clean is Don Limpio in Spain. Discover why global brands have different names abroad. Explore our database.
Who Brands StaffSep 24, 2026
GlobalInternationalBrand Ownership
Global
Brands That Mean Different Things in Different Countries
Fila is premium in Taipei but budget in Europe. Muller yogurt means indulgence in Italy but health in Germany. Starbucks' Tank Day caused boycotts in Korea. Discover brands that mean different things in different countries. Explore our database.
Who Brands StaffSep 23, 2026
GlobalInternationalBrand Ownership
People Also Searched
Discover popular brands and companies in the Finance & Fintech category and related searches from other users.
Brandbuy-now-pay-later
Afterpay
Block's buy-now-pay-later brand, offering interest-free installment payments across a global merchant network, acquired in 2022 for $29 billion.
Brand in Finance & Fintech
bnplfintech
Brandinvestment-technology
Aladdin
Comprehensive investment management technology platform developed by BlackRock, providing portfolio management, risk analytics, and trading solutions for institutional investors and asset managers.
Brand in Finance & Fintech
portfolio-managementrisk-analytics
Brandmobile-payment
Apple Pay
Apple's mobile payment and digital wallet service enabling contactless payments and financial transactions on Apple devices.
Brand in Finance & Fintech
digital-walletcontactless-payment