Costs, licensing, consumer protection Privacy, self-custody, censorship resistance

iCard Infinite

A plan byiCard · Visa/Mastercard

3.5/5 1.5/5 · Data verified on

iCard is a Bulgarian electronic money institution (Bulgarian National Bank licence) offering a wallet with a personal Bulgarian IBAN, multi-currency accounts and a genuinely zero-fee base plan: two free virtual cards (Mastercard and Visa) plus a free physical Visa debit card. The dual free virtual network is rare in the segment and makes it a little-known low-cost alternative in Italy. Like any EMI, however, funds are not covered by a deposit guarantee, only by safeguarding.

Infinite

Price
€10
Cashback currency
Nessuno
Required staking
Nessuno

What's included

  • Higher limits and premium perks
Free
Account fee
None (e-money account)
Deposit guarantee
Free
ATM withdrawal
Visa/Mastercard
Network
46
Transparency: Low
46/100 · see methodology
46
Data exposure: Low
46/100 · lower is better for sovereignty · methodology

Data & conditions

§ Amounts in USD/GBP are shown in the service's native currency.

Account fee Free
IBAN dedicato · BG · BG
Deposit guarantee None (e-money account)
Multi-currency Yes · 6 currencies
Outbound transfers to third-party IBANs Yes
Utility direct billing No
SEPA direct debit (SDD) No
SEPA transfer Free
Card included Carta fisica Visa di debito gratuita + 2 carte virtuali gratis
Network Visa/Mastercard
ATM withdrawal Free
Free ATM limit ATM withdrawals: see iCard official tariff
Fund custody Custodial (platform holds funds)
KYC Full
Supported countries EEA · 1+ countries
Regulator Bulgarian National Bank (BNB)
OAM Italy registration No
Segment B2C
Funding / solidityBulgarian electronic money institution · wallet with BG IBAN and multi-currency accounts
MiCA / License status Istituto di moneta elettronica (IMEL) — Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) Bulgarian EMI (Bulgarian National Bank)

Strengths

  • Zero-fee base plan: 2 free virtual cards (Mastercard and Visa) + free physical Visa debit card
  • Personal Bulgarian IBAN with multi-currency accounts (EUR, GBP, USD, BGN, CHF, RON) and mobile payments
  • Disposable cards and P2P: dual free virtual network, rare in the segment
  • No notable sovereignty advantage documented.

Weaknesses

  • No deposit guarantee: only safeguarding (segregated funds), no FITD or protection up to EUR 100,000
  • Foreign (BG) IBAN: possible friction on salary credits, direct debits and Italian utility billing
  • Little-known brand in Italy, with no local commercial presence
  • Custodial: the platform holds your funds and can freeze or lose them.
  • Full KYC required: verified identity, zero pseudonymity.
  • Subject to regulation (Bulgarian EMI (Bulgarian National Bank)): reporting to authorities and freezes on order.

Verdict

B D ★ 3.5/5 ★ 1.5/5

The B rating rewards an unusually generous base plan — zero fee, two free virtual cards on different networks and a free physical Visa card — within a solid cost-critical profile with a multi-currency IBAN. The limit, as for any EMI, is protection: funds enjoy no deposit guarantee (no FITD, no EUR 100,000 cover) but only safeguarding, and the Bulgarian IBAN can create friction on Italian salaries and direct debits. An interesting low-cost alternative as a secondary account, not as a primary deposit.

iCard stays custodial with full KYC: funds are held by the institution, every operation is tracked and the account can be frozen or closed on court order or for AML, like any European EMI. Safeguarding protects against issuer failure but grants no sovereignty over funds: no self-custody, no permissionless use. Disposable cards cut payment-data exposure but do not change the supervised, custodial nature of the service.

Privacy & anonymity 30% 1.3
Fund control 20% 0.0
Censorship resistance 20% 1.5
Costs 10% 5.0

Promp's editorial rating based on real fees and net annual cost. Promp reviews third-party products independently.

"Sovereignty" rating: score computed on privacy/anonymity (30%), fund control (20%), censorship resistance (20%), trustless/auditability (20%) and costs (10%). Same data, different weights.

FAQ

Is iCard a bank?

No: it is a Bulgarian electronic money institution (EMI) authorised and supervised by the Bulgarian National Bank. It is not a bank and balances have no deposit guarantee, only safeguarding (funds kept segregated).

Is iCard's base plan really free?

Yes: the Standard plan is EUR 0/month and includes 2 free virtual cards (Mastercard and Visa) plus a free physical Visa debit card. There are paid upper tiers (Infinite EUR 9.99/month, Metal EUR 10.99/month with a EUR 50 issuance fee).

What IBAN does iCard issue?

iCard issues a personal Bulgarian (BG) IBAN, with multi-currency accounts in several currencies (EUR, GBP, USD, BGN, CHF, RON). Being a foreign IBAN, some Italian credits and direct debits may face friction.

Sources

Update history

✓ Terms unchanged since Jul 12, 2026

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