What is the difference between commercial, retail and corporate banking?

Corporate banking is defined as custom-tailored financing and banking services for corporations. Corporate banking is typically offered by commercial banks, and entails all the services that can be extended on a financial level to corporate entities to ease day-to-day operations. Cash management, working capital loans and commercial mortgages are just some of the products available in this form of banking; some banks even offer financial supply chain optimization.

Commercial banking is a provision of banking and other related services for profit. Commercial banks are incorporated companies with the main activities of accepting deposits and disbursing loans, or of exercising fiduciary rights similar to national banks. They also open personal and checking accounts and offer mortgages and business loans.

Retail banking is the direct execution of transactions between a bank and its consumers, rather than with corporations or other banks. Services offered include savings and transactional accounts, mortgages, personal loans, debit cards, and credit cards. The term is generally used to distinguish these banking services from investment banking, commercial banking or wholesale banking. It may also be used to refer to a division of a bank dealing with retail customers and can also be termed as Personal Banking services.