i2c and Access Finance Partner on Program for Credit-Challenged Consumers

i2c and Access Finance have partnered to bring a credit card for credit-challenged people to the United States.

With the partnership, Bulgaria-based Access Finance will use i2c’s payments platform to expand its Juzt Mastercard credit program from Europe to the U.S., the companies said in a Wednesday (May 17) press release.

“We are proud to partner with Access Finance as they work to reimagine credit not only in Europe but in the United States and beyond,” i2c Chief Client Officer Serena Smith said in the release. “Our flexible, next-gen platform was designed to help visionaries like Access Finance create innovative payment products to those who need them most, and their Juzt credit card is a perfect embodiment of that.”

PYMNTS research has found that 35% of Americans have subprime credit scores, and that the share rises to 40% among millennials.

FinTechs are helping these consumers by providing alternative lending options and ways to improve their credit scores, according to “FinTechs’ Role in Improving Access to Lending Services,” the May edition of the “FinTech Tracker®,” a PYMNTS and Sezzle collaboration.

The Juzt program being brought to the U.S. by Access Finance and i2c features an international consumer credit card enabled on the Mastercard network and is designed for people who have little or no credit history, according to the press release.

Together with higher approval rates, the Juzt product also offers Apple Pay, Google Pay and a mobile app, the release said.

While using i2c’s payments platform to bring Juzt to the U.S., Access Finance will also use the company’s Communication Management and Fraud & Risk Management solutions, per the release.

“Access Finance is excited to be launching our Juzt credit program to the U.S., utilizing i2c’s ‘building block’ technology, as part of our commitment to expanding financial access to all,” Access Finance Co-Founder and CEO Tsvetan Krastev said in the release.

i2c provides clients with building blocks and self-service interfaces they can use to react to new market conditions and opportunities, i2c Founder and CEO Amir Wain told PYMNTS in an interview posted May 8.

“Businesses that can survive change keep customer needs at the forefront,” Wain said. “While it may feel safer to cater to existing customers and stick with what your company ‘knows,’ many truths would be ignored with this approach. Building strategies that go beyond meeting the status quo will deliver relevant and personalized value for both today and tomorrow’s customers.”