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APIs · head to head

i2c vs Trustly

i2c logo

i2c

APIs

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Trustly logo

Trustly

APIs

Pay-by-bank payments network, majority-owned by private equity firm Nordic Capital

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.; Trustly it is majority-owned by Nordic Capital, a private equity firm, so its long-term roadmap is ultimately oriented toward an eventual sale or IPO rather than indefinite independent operation.
  • They diverge on capability: i2c covers Configurable product engine, Trustly covers Pay by bank checkout.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which i2c and Trustly actually diverge.

Attributes where i2c and Trustly differ
Attributei2cTrustly
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
  • Digital banking front ends
  • Global scheme connectivity

Only in Trustly

  • Pay by bank checkout
  • Instant refunds
  • Verified payouts
  • Multi-market bank connectivity
  • Merchant dashboard and reconciliation

Both cover

  • Fraud and risk tooling

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 Trustly
  • An issuer in a market where local scheme and currency support rules out US-centric processorsnot Trustly
  • A programme manager launching instalment products without building a lending corenot Trustly
  • A credit union replacing an ageing processor without writing custom code for product rulesnot Trustly

Trustly

  • An e-commerce merchant wanting a lower-cost alternative or complement to card payment acceptancenot i2c
  • A gaming or gambling operator needing verified, instant payouts to players' bank accountsnot i2c
  • A merchant wanting instant refunds processed directly to a customer's bank account rather than card reversal delaysnot i2c
  • A business in a market with strong open banking adoption wanting pay-by-bank as a checkout optionnot 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.

Trustly

  • It is majority-owned by Nordic Capital, a private equity firm, so its long-term roadmap is ultimately oriented toward an eventual sale or IPO rather than indefinite independent operation.
  • Consumer familiarity with paying by bank transfer still lags card payments in most markets, so merchants typically see it used as a secondary option rather than a full card replacement.
  • The 1.15 to 3.15% merchant fee range is not a single published rate, so a merchant cannot know its actual cost without a sales negotiation.
  • As with all open banking-dependent payment methods, reliability depends on the consistency of the underlying banks' own APIs, which Trustly does not control.
  • Its verified payout functionality is heavily used in gaming and gambling, a sector with additional regulatory scrutiny, which is worth factoring in when evaluating vendor risk exposure by association.

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

Trustly

On request
  • Trustly$undefined/month
    • Typical merchant cost of 1.15% to 3.15% depending on volume and market
    • Exact rate negotiated per merchant, not published as a flat card

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 Trustly if

  • You need pay by bank checkout.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want instant refunds.
Trustly review

Questions people ask

Is i2c or Trustly better?
Neither clearly leads. i2c starts at On request and Trustly at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, i2c or Trustly?
i2c starts at On request and Trustly at On request.
Does i2c or Trustly run on more platforms?
i2c runs on Web, REST API. Trustly 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 Trustly is typically brought in for.
What can i2c do that Trustly cannot?
i2c covers Configurable product engine, Credit and instalments, Multi-currency, Digital banking front ends. Trustly covers Pay by bank checkout, Instant refunds, Verified payouts, Multi-market bank connectivity. Both handle Fraud and risk tooling.

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.

Trustly: Who owns Trustly?

Nordic Capital, a private equity firm, holds a 51.1% majority stake; Alfven & Didrikson and BlackRock hold smaller stakes.

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.

Trustly: Is Trustly going public?

It has discussed an IPO but as of its most recent comments said one remained at least a year away.

i2c: Is it self-serve?

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

Trustly: What does it typically cost a merchant?

Roughly 1.15% to 3.15% of transaction value depending on volume and market, negotiated per merchant.

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