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APIs · head to head

i2c vs Solaris

i2c logo

i2c

APIs

Configurable card issuing and banking processing platform for banks and programme managers

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Solaris logo

Solaris

APIs

German banking as a service with a full banking licence and a live regulatory problem

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: i2c developer experience lags API-native competitors, and teams expecting Stripe-grade documentation and sandboxes find an enterprise integration project instead.; Solaris baFin appointed a special representative in 2022 and extended the mandate in July 2024, so a partner is joining a bank under active supervisory monitoring, with slower approvals and heavier compliance demands as a direct consequence.
  • They diverge on capability: i2c covers Configurable product engine, Solaris covers German banking licence.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which i2c and Solaris actually diverge.

Attributes where i2c and Solaris differ
Attributei2cSolaris
PlatformsWeb, REST APIWeb, API

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (APIs).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in i2c

  • Configurable product engine
  • Credit and instalments
  • Multi-currency
  • Fraud and risk tooling
  • Digital banking front ends
  • Global scheme connectivity

Only in Solaris

  • German banking licence
  • IBAN accounts
  • Card issuing
  • Lending as a service
  • Digital assets and custody
  • SEPA payments
  • KYC and onboarding
  • Deposit protection

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

i2c

  • A bank wanting credit, debit and prepaid portfolios on one processor rather than threenot Solaris
  • An issuer in a market where local scheme and currency support rules out US-centric processorsnot Solaris
  • A programme manager launching instalment products without building a lending corenot Solaris
  • A credit union replacing an ageing processor without writing custom code for product rulesnot Solaris

Solaris

  • A retailer or platform launching a German current account or card product without applying for its own licencenot i2c
  • A fintech that needs deposit taking and lending, which an e-money licence cannot providenot i2c
  • A European business needing German IBANs because customers reject foreign IBANs for salary and direct debitnot i2c
  • A company requiring German statutory deposit protection on customer balances as a product claimnot i2c

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

i2c

  • Developer experience lags API-native competitors, and teams expecting Stripe-grade documentation and sandboxes find an enterprise integration project instead.
  • Implementations lean on i2c or partner professional services, so timelines and costs are set by a services queue rather than by your own engineering speed.
  • Pricing is per active card and per transaction with monthly minimums, none of it published, so comparing bids requires modelling your own portfolio carefully.
  • Configuration flexibility means product behaviour lives in platform settings rather than in your repository, which complicates version control, testing and audit trails.
  • As a private company with a broad global footprint, regional support depth is uneven, and a programme in a smaller market may get thinner service than a flagship account.

Solaris

  • BaFin appointed a special representative in 2022 and extended the mandate in July 2024, so a partner is joining a bank under active supervisory monitoring, with slower approvals and heavier compliance demands as a direct consequence.
  • BaFin fined Solaris EUR 6.5 million in March 2024 for systematically late suspicious activity reports and EUR 500,000 for breaching large exposure limits between January 2022 and March 2024, which is a track record a partner inherits reputationally.
  • Solaris has previously needed BaFin approval before onboarding new corporate clients, which can turn a commercial decision to launch into a regulatory timetable outside your control.
  • The 2024 restructuring involved job cuts and the closure of parts of a business unit, so product lines a partner depends on may not have the engineering behind them that the sales process implies.
  • SBI Holdings acquired majority control in 2025, so strategic direction now sits with a Japanese financial group whose priorities for the European business may differ from the roadmap you were sold.

Pricing, plan by plan

i2c

On request
  • i2c processing platform$undefined/year
    • Per-active-card and per-transaction processing fees
    • Minimum monthly commitments by programme
    • Implementation and configuration professional services

Solaris

On request
  • Solaris banking as a service$undefined/year
    • Quoted per partner, typically setup fee plus monthly platform fee
    • Per account, per card and per transaction charges on top
    • Interchange sharing arrangements negotiated per programme

Which should you pick?

Choose i2c if

  • You need configurable product engine.
  • You work on Web, REST API.
  • You also want credit and instalments.
i2c review

Choose Solaris if

  • You need german banking licence.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want iban accounts.
Solaris review

Questions people ask

Is i2c or Solaris better?
Neither clearly leads. i2c starts at On request and Solaris at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, i2c or Solaris?
i2c starts at On request and Solaris at On request.
Does i2c or Solaris run on more platforms?
i2c runs on Web, REST API. Solaris runs on Web, API.
What is i2c best used for?
i2c is most often used for a bank wanting credit, debit and prepaid portfolios on one processor rather than three, an issuer in a market where local scheme and currency support rules out us-centric processors, a programme manager launching instalment products without building a lending core, a credit union replacing an ageing processor without writing custom code for product rules. Of those, a bank wanting credit, debit and prepaid portfolios on one processor rather than three and an issuer in a market where local scheme and currency support rules out us-centric processors are not what Solaris is typically brought in for.
What can i2c do that Solaris cannot?
i2c covers Configurable product engine, Credit and instalments, Multi-currency, Fraud and risk tooling. Solaris covers German banking licence, IBAN accounts, Card issuing, Lending as a service.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

i2c: Does i2c issue the cards itself?

No. It processes; issuance sits with a bank or licensed issuer, and in most markets you need that relationship separately.

Solaris: Does Solaris have a real banking licence?

Yes. Solaris SE is a German credit institution, which is why it can offer deposits and lending, unlike e-money based competitors.

i2c: Can it handle revolving credit?

Yes. Credit, instalments and buy-now-pay-later sit on the same platform as debit and prepaid, which is unusual among modern processors.

Solaris: Is the BaFin action still live?

The special representative appointed in 2022 had the mandate extended in July 2024, and fines were issued in March 2024. Treat supervisory oversight as an active condition in your diligence.

i2c: Is it self-serve?

No. Expect a configuration-led implementation with professional services rather than signing up and calling an API.

Solaris: Who owns Solaris now?

SBI Holdings of Japan agreed in December 2024 and January 2025 to take a majority stake of over seventy per cent for around EUR 100 million.

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