i2c Named Finalist for Best Security or Anti-Fraud Development at Card & Payments Awards Middle East 2026

i2c Inc., a global financial technology innovator, has been named a finalist in the Best Security or Anti-Fraud Development category at The Card & Payments Awards Middle East 2026. The region’s premier awards program recognizes organizations that deliver practical, high-impact innovations to strengthen payment security and protect customers in one of the world’s fastest-growing digital payments markets.

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i2c was recognized for its AI-driven Fraud Risk Management solution, embedded directly within its unified banking and payments platform and operating in real time at the point of transaction authorization—an increasingly critical capability as digital payments scale across Middle East markets. By evaluating risk at the moment a payment is initiated, rather than after funds are approved, the solution enables earlier detection of fraudulent activity while preserving approval rates and minimizing friction for legitimate customers.

Designed for digital‑first economies where fraud evolves quickly, i2c’s AI-driven fraud model continually adapts through frequent refreshes and a closed-loop learning framework that feeds confirmed fraud and dispute outcomes back into decisioning. Integrating directly within the authorization process—rather than relying on external tools or post‑authorization checks—the model evaluates each transaction in real time using adaptive AI and rich contextual signals across transactions, customers, merchants, devices, biometrics, authentication methods, disputes, and more. This enables faster detection of emerging threats, sustained approval performance, and higher accuracy over time without adding friction for legitimate customers.

“We’re honored to be recognized as a finalist for Best Security or Anti-Fraud Development in a region that is seeing rapid growth in digital payments and increasingly sophisticated fraud activity,” said Matt Pearce, Vice President, Fraud Risk Management & Dispute Operations at i2c. “Our approach is built to support banks and issuers in high-growth markets by embedding adaptive fraud prevention directly into the payments flow, so institutions can scale securely without compromising the customer experience.”

i2c’s fraud risk management solution has delivered measurable results for Middle East clients, including some of the region’s leading financial institutions and fintechs. Across prepaid portfolios, fraud rates were reduced by up to 60%, declining from approximately 6 basis points to over 2 basis points, while authorization approval rates reached up to 90%, exceeding industry benchmarks. In addition, the platform has demonstrated the ability to capture up to 40% of fraud volume while maintaining approximately 0.5% customer friction, contributing to reductions in fraud-related operational costs of up to 40%.

The Card & Payments Awards Middle East celebrate excellence across the cards, payments, and fintech ecosystem, recognizing organizations that deliver tangible improvements in security, innovation, and customer trust.

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