i2c Wants to Free CUs from their Legacy System Constraints

By Roy Urrico

How can credit unions unlock legacy systems slowing their ability to adapt to shifting customer expectations heading into 2026. That is one of the topics addressed by Dan Hanks, SVP, global product management, at i2c, in a conversation with Finopotamus.

Dan Hanks, SVP, global product management, at i2c.

The Redwood City, Calif.-based, i2c, which provides a single global platform for issuer processing and digital banking, and supports credit, debit, prepaid and lending programs on one unified technology stack. i2c holds that because credit unions seek more flexible and modern technology solutions, a growing number of them are turning to i2c to explore its next-gen, all-in-one platform to deliver future-ready, high-performance member experiences.

“Our focus is on helping banks, credit unions, and fintechs deliver innovative payment and banking products quickly and efficiently. We empower clients with the technology and tools to create differentiated financial offerings that meet the evolving needs of their customers or members,” said Hanks. “As for me, I have been in the cards space for nearly two decades. In my role as senior vice president on the global product team at i2c, I oversee all credit, commercial, and rewards-related product lines.”

Helping Clients Succeed

“i2c is celebrating its 25th anniversary—for a quarter-century, we have been focused on innovation, trust, and transformation,” Hanks said. “Our core value proposition is grounded in helping clients succeed in three critical ways.”

1. “We help them outperform outdated legacy systems through a single, unified platform that eliminates the fragmentation of traditional multi-vendor environments, enabling true modernization and scalability.

2. “Second, we enable them to outpace evolving market, regulatory, and customer demands; our proprietary building-block architecture allows issuers to configure new features, such as digital-first onboarding, virtual cards, or complex rewards, in real-time without custom code, ensuring they can move quickly.

3. “Finally, we help credit unions outmaneuver competitors in an increasingly crowded market by moving away from generic, one-size-fits-all approaches. By leveraging our highly configurable tools to embed unique member insights into every product, institutions can compete on experience and loyalty rather than just rates.”

Hanks explained i2c’s comprehensive suite of value-added services, including fraud risk management, dispute resolution, and contact center support, ensure members receive a seamless, secure, and personalized experience.

Integrated With Other Proprietary Systems

The i2c platform’s foundation, Hanks described, is built on proprietary architecture of over 100,000 pre-coded building blocks and 300-plus application programming interfaces (APIs). This enables issuers to configure and manage complex features, such as pricing, risk rules, and workflows, without custom code. Hanks noted, “Institutions can configure pricing, controls, limits, rewards, risk rules, spend management, account structures, dispute handling and reporting without custom development or major platform changes.”

He added, “By building our solutions with modular, API-first architecture, we can seamlessly connect with core banking systems, fintech partners, and other third-party solutions. This enables us to offer solutions such as digital wallets, Real-Time Payments (RTP), and buy now, pay later (BNPL) via simple APIs, helping financial institutions scale quickly to deliver modern, digital-first experiences.”

Hanks noted one of the key benefits of this approach is that i2C’s single platform offers a 360-degree view of the member across all products (credit, debit, prepaid, core banking, money movement) to help clients hyper-personalize communications and rewards. “The platform operates on a private cloud engineered and managed by i2c, incorporating a composable architecture that allows capabilities to be activated and evolved through continuous software releases, rather than major version upgrades.”

CUs Navigate a Storm

“Credit unions today are navigating a perfect storm with outdated legacy systems, increasing fraud threats, complex regulations, and rising member expectations,” maintained Hanks. “At i2c, we help credit unions meet those challenges head-on.”

Hanks also shared with Finopotamus how i2c’s “next generation, all-in-one platform is purpose-built to empower credit unions with the tools they need to grow, stay compliant, and deliver the kind of secure, seamless experiences their members expect. Ultimately, we help them scale smarter, serve better, and deepen member trust.”

i2c's digital banking solutions are helping credit unions stay competitive and boost member loyalty with secure, flexible and personalized card solutions, Hanks added. “I2c is also providing credit unions with self-service tools and AI (artificial intelligence)-powered compliance features that help them modernize their approach to risk mitigation. With integrated fraud protection, automated reporting, and customizable controls, we are helping credit unions safeguard against threats and stay ahead of evolving regulatory demands.”