A Snack With Your Deposit: When Did Banks Start Handing Out Lollipops?

Many of us probably have some memory of accompanying a parent to a bank and receiving a lollipop for our troubles. Some of us might still sneak one as adults after we make a deposit (hey, we deserve a reward, right?).

But when did banks start handing out these sweet snacks, and why?

When Did Banks Start Offering Lollipops?

We can’t say for sure when the trend began, but one of the earliest published references we found is from the June 22, 1947, edition of the New York Times. The article described the expansion of the Franklin Square National Bank, and spent a great deal of time discussing its amenities. Among them were:

• A department dedicated to children’s banking, with “lilliputian [small] furniture and lollipops.”
• A travel bureau.
• A new “television device” used for verifying checks rather than streaming soap operas.

The bank also featured a “small, personal amphibian aircraft” hanging in the lobby, which we wish we could have seen.

Why Did Banks Start Offering Lollipops?

Another New York Times article, this one from August 10, 1953, sheds some light on the why. The piece describes a notice posted at Union Square Savings Bank: “No more lollipops until September.” An executive interviewed for the article stated it was because most families with young children (the intended recipients of the lollipops) were on vacation during the summer.

The bank, by the way, apparently took its candy duties seriously: it purchased 20 cases of lollipops at a time, and reportedly handed out hundreds of thousands of them over the years.

We can use that executive’s comment to hash out why banks turned to lollipops in the first place. Banks are not terribly exciting for young children, and the promise of a lollipop during a visit could go a long way toward making the experience more pleasant (or at least less painful) for everyone involved.

But there may have been a broader goal as well, as mid-century banks were increasingly looking for ways to shed their previously formal, often intimidating reputations and make banking feel more welcoming and accessible to families. Candy for the kids fit neatly into that approach, keeping children and their parents (the banks’ clients) happy.

And hey, happy children might eventually grow up to become happy future customers.