Initiative Tracker

Wero is the European Payments Initiative's consumer-facing wallet, built on SEPA Instant Credit Transfer rails. Launched in July 2024 in Germany, it represents Europe's most ambitious attempt to build a pan-European payment method independent of US card networks.

Wero

EXPANDING

European Payments Initiative (EPI) · Launched Jul 2, 2024 · Rails: sepa-inst, tips

55M+

Registered users

↑ Growing

Pan-European digital payment solution enabling instant P2P, online payments with integrated buyer protection, and upcoming in-store NFC payments, built on SEPA Instant Credit Transfer via the ECB TIPS infrastructure. Aims to provide European payment sovereignty as an alternative to US card schemes. Value-added services including subscriptions, BNPL, and merchant loyalty programs planned from end of 2026.

System Status

SEPA InstOpen TIPSOpen

No upcoming maintenance windows.

Rollout Tracker

Country	P2P	Online Payments	POS/In-Store	Cross-Border P2P	Updated
AustriaAT	Planned	Planned	Planned	Planned	Jun 2026
BelgiumBE	Live Oct 2024	Live Mar 2026	Planned	Live Oct 2024	Jul 2026
FranceFR	Live Sep 2024	Live Apr 2026	Planned	Live Oct 2024	Jul 2026
GermanyDE	Live Jul 2024	Live Nov 2025	Planned Jun 2027	Live Oct 2024	Jul 2026
GreeceGR	Exploring Jun 2026	Exploring	Exploring	Exploring Jun 2026	Mar 2026
ItalyIT	Exploring	Exploring	Exploring	Exploring	Jul 2025
LuxembourgLU	Live Jun 2026	Live Jun 2026	Live Jun 2026	Planned Jul 2026	Jul 2026
NetherlandsNL	Planned Jun 2026	Planned Dec 2026	Planned	Planned	Jul 2026
Nordics (Vipps MobilePay)NORD	Exploring	Exploring	Exploring	Exploring	Feb 2026
PolandPL	Exploring	Exploring	Exploring	Exploring	Mar 2026
PortugalPT	Exploring	Exploring	Exploring	Exploring	Mar 2026
SpainES	Exploring	Exploring	Exploring	Exploring	Jul 2025

Regulatory Radar

172dDec 31, 2026

Digital euro preparation phase

ECB preparation phase for digital euro with concrete pilot timeline disclosed March 2026. Regulation proposed June 2023, awaiting European Parliament and Council adoption. Pilot launch planned H2 2027 on TIPS infrastructure, with potential first issuance by 2029. Pontes DLT wholesale settlement launching Q3 2026.

172dDec 31, 2026

Wero POS / NFC tap-to-pay launch

EPI’s Wero launches in-store contactless NFC payments, directly competing with Visa/Mastercard at point of sale. Built on SCT Inst.

Timeline

Jul 9, 2026

Wero Goes Live in Luxembourg as Fifth Market

ClearingPost

Jun 30, 2026

Wero Launches in Luxembourg as Four Banks Begin Payconiq Transition

ClearingPost

Jun 22, 2026

Erste Bank and Raiffeisen Take EPI Stakes to Bring Wero to Austria

ClearingPost

Jun 15, 2026

ACI Worldwide Joins EPI and Powers Rabobank's iDEAL-to-Wero Migration

ClearingPost

Jun 12, 2026

BoursoBank Brings 8.9 Million Customers to Wero, Completing French Market Coverage

ClearingPost

Jun 3, 2026

ING Germany Extends Wero to E-Commerce Payments

ClearingPost

Apr 20, 2026

Groupe BPCE completes first Wero e-commerce transactions in France, becoming first French banking group live. 500,000 customers from early May, 13 million targeted by summer. Launch merchants: ESF, Orange, Sosh, Veepee, DPD. Wero reaches 53 million users.

BPCE Group Newsroom

Apr 16, 2026

Bancomat, SIBS-MB WAY, and EPI complete joint proof of concept demonstrating cross-border QR-code-based person-to-merchant payment interoperability. La Banque Postale, Intesa Sanpaolo, and 28 MB WAY member banks provided operational support. First concrete deliverable from the February 2026 EuroPA MoU.

The Paypers / EPI Company

Apr 15, 2026

Dutch Payments Association hosts first 2026 lunch session with over 120 attendees; EPI's Ivo Broeren presents iDEAL-to-Wero Dutch implementation schedule and confirms additional Wero functionalities including subscriptions, event-driven payments, and purchase protection

Dutch Payments Association

Mar 31, 2026

Mandatory iDEAL|Wero co-branding deadline for all Dutch merchants; non-compliance constitutes breach of iDEAL merchant contract. Technical routing migration to Wero infrastructure planned for H2 2026, subject to DNB approval

CM.com / iDEAL

Mar 26, 2026

EPI CEO Martina Weimert tells Reuters that Trump administration fears are accelerating Wero adoption among European merchants; discloses 52.5 million users and 45 scheme members. Two major merchants cited international resilience as motivation. Weimert expressed concern digital euro may not arrive before 2029.

Reuters

Mar 24, 2026

Global Payments' Worldpay business joins EPI as Principal Member, enabling merchant clients to accept Wero payments across Europe via single integration

The Paypers / PaymentExpert

Mar 20, 2026

Commerzbank Reverses Course to Join Wero, Bringing 11 Million Customers to European Payment Initiati

/insights/commerzbank-reverses-course-to-join-wero-bringing-11-million-customers-to-europe

Mar 19, 2026

Luxembourg Prepares for Wero Launch as Five Banks Formalize EPI Membership

/insights/luxembourg-prepares-for-wero-launch-as-five-banks-formalize-epi-membership

Mar 19, 2026

Wero E-Commerce Goes Live in Belgium as European Payment Wallet Reaches 51.8 Million Users

/insights/wero-e-commerce-goes-live-in-belgium-as-european-payment-wallet-reaches-51-8-mil

Mar 3, 2026

E-commerce payments launched in Belgium with ING, KBC and BNP Paribas Fortis; 51.8M total users announced

EPI / Finextra

Mar 1, 2026

bunq joins Wero as member for DE, BE, FR, NL

The Paypers

Mar 1, 2026

Payconiq brand officially discontinued in Belgium; consumer app renamed to Bancontact Pay, merchant professional tools (Payconiq GO app and Merchant Portal) renamed to Bancontact Pro. All Payconiq payments migrated to Bancontact and Wero systems.

Bancontact

Feb 15, 2026

Vipps MobilePay signs MoU with EPI for Nordic expansion

EPI / Vipps MobilePay

Feb 12, 2026

Defrancq becomes first Belgian company to enable Wero invoice payments via POM, expanding Wero use cases beyond P2P and e-commerce into B2C billing

Finextra / The Paypers

Feb 10, 2026

EuroPA and EPI Sign MoU to Create Pan-European Payment Network Covering 130 Million Users

/insights/europa-epi-mou-pan-european-payments-2026

Jan 31, 2026

iDEAL-to-Wero co-branding phase begins in Netherlands; logo replacement by March 31

iDEAL / EPI

Jan 26, 2026

finby, European PSP and acquirer, signs partnership with EPI to support Wero merchant acceptance across Europe

Finextra / The Paypers

Jan 23, 2026

PSA Payment Services Austria begins preparing issuing support for Wero in Austria and Germany

EPI / PSA

Jan 21, 2026

Mollie becomes EPI Principal Member, connecting 250,000+ merchant relationships across Europe to Wero. Plans to enable Wero acceptance in DE and BE from H1 2026, FR and LU shortly after.

EPI Company / Mollie

Dec 17, 2025

Deutsche Bank launches Wero e-commerce for its customers in Germany

Deutsche Bank

Dec 8, 2025

N26 signs agreement with EPI to integrate Wero for Germany, France and Netherlands (H2 2026)

N26

Nov 26, 2025

Raiffeisen Bank International joins EPI as first Acceptor PSP headquartered outside initial launch markets, enabling merchant Wero acceptance in Austria and CEE

RBI

Nov 18, 2025

Airwallex becomes EPI Principal Member, enabling global merchant clients to offer Wero as a payment method at checkout across Europe

Airwallex / Finextra

Nov 17, 2025

E-commerce payments launched in Germany with Sparkassen and Volksbanken/Raiffeisenbanken

EPI

Nov 17, 2025

Wero E-Commerce Goes Live in Germany - First Merchant Payments for European Payment Initiative

/insights/wero-ecommerce-live-germany-november-2025

Nov 10, 2025

Wero E-Commerce Payments Go Live in Germany and Belgium with Major Retailers

/insights/wero-ecommerce-germany-belgium-2025

Oct 27, 2025

iDEAL to Phase Into Wero, Bringing Dutch Payment Giant Under European Scheme

/insights/ideal-phases-into-wero-2025

Sep 15, 2025

Wero Reaches 43.5 Million Users After First Year, Expands Beyond P2P

/insights/wero-43m-users-first-anniversary-2025

Jun 17, 2025

Five Luxembourg banks (BGL BNP Paribas, Bil, Raiffeisen, Spuerkeess, Post Luxembourg) formalize EPI membership

EuropaPressWire

Jun 1, 2025

Europa MoU signed with Bizum (Spain), Bancomat Pay (Italy)

EPI

Oct 1, 2024

Wero P2P launched in Belgium; cross-border P2P enabled between DE, FR, BE

EPI

Sep 1, 2024

Wero P2P launched in France

EPI

Jul 2, 2024

Wero launched: P2P payments in Germany

EPI

Feb 1, 2023

EPI acquired iDEAL (Netherlands) and Payconiq (Belgium/Luxembourg)

EPI

Jan 1, 2022

EPI restructured after several banks withdrew; refocused on instant payments

Finextra

Jul 2, 2020

European Payments Initiative (EPI) founded by 31 banks and payment providers

EPI

Related Systems

SEPA Inst

FPS · Eurozone · EPC / RT1 / TIPS

Window: 24/7/365

ISO 20022: native · Gross

TIPS

FPS · Eurozone · ECB / Eurosystem

Window: 24/7/365

ISO 20022: native · Gross

Competitive Landscape

Apple Paycompetitor

Digital wallet

Strong iOS market share in Europe. Wero targets merchants frustrated with Apple Pay fees.

Google Paycompetitor

Digital wallet

Growing Android-based payments in Europe.

Visacompetitor

Card scheme

Wero explicitly aims to reduce European dependence on US card schemes for digital payments. Wero explicitly aims to reduce European dependence on US card schemes for digital payments. International card schemes account for two-thirds of euro area card transactions (Reuters/Weimert, March 2026).

Mastercardcompetitor

Card scheme

Same competitive dynamic as Visa. Mastercard also processes iDEAL currently.

iDEALintegration

Domestic A2A scheme

Acquired by EPI in 2023. Being migrated to wero rails in the Netherlands.

Bizumintegration

Domestic A2A scheme

Spanish P2P/P2M scheme. MoU with EPI for potential wero integration.

Bancomat Payintegration

Domestic A2A scheme

Italian mobile payment scheme. MoU with EPI for potential wero integration.

Vipps MobilePayintegration

Nordic A2A scheme

Nordic P2P/P2M platform. MoU with EPI signed February 2026.

Payconiqintegration

Domestic A2A scheme

Belgian/Luxembourg payment scheme. Acquired by EPI in 2023, powers wero in Belgium.

SEPA Instant Credit Transferunderlying

Payment rail

Wero transactions settle via SCT Inst through the ECB TIPS infrastructure.

bunqintegration

Neobank

European neobank joined Wero in early 2026. Will offer Wero P2P and e-commerce in DE, BE, FR, NL.

N26integration

Neobank

Signed EPI membership December 2025. Wero P2P launch planned H2 2026 in DE, FR, NL with ecommerce and POS to follow.

Raiffeisen Bank Internationalintegration

Acceptor PSP / Major bank

First EPI scheme member headquartered outside initial launch markets. Joined as Acceptor PSP November 2025, enabling Austrian and CEE merchant acceptance of Wero payments.

IRISintegration

Domestic A2A scheme

Greek instant payment system operated by DIAS. 4.25 million users, processes 120M+ transactions annually (~€11B). Joined EuroPA alliance. Cross-border P2P with Wero markets planned H1 2026, e-commerce and POS interoperability planned 2027.

SIBS / MB WAYintegration

Domestic A2A scheme

Portuguese instant payment system. MB WAY already enables cross-border transfers to EuroPA alliance countries. Signed EuroPA/EPI MoU February 2, 2026 alongside Bancomat, Bizum, and Vipps MobilePay.

Blikintegration

Domestic A2A scheme

Polish instant payment and mobile payment system. Part of the EuroPA alliance. In preparation for integration with EPI/Wero network. Cross-system P2P planned 2026, e-commerce and POS interoperability planned 2027.

Nuveiintegration

Payment service provider

Global PSP, one of the first processors to begin processing merchant Wero transactions (live November 2025). CamperDays among first merchants accepting Wero via Nuvei. Enables European merchants to offer Wero in online checkout through existing Nuvei integration.

Mollieintegration

Payment service provider

Dutch PSP serving 250,000+ merchants across Europe. Became EPI Principal Member in January 2026. Will offer Wero for merchants in Germany and Belgium from H1 2026, France and Luxembourg shortly after, and Netherlands from late 2026 aligned with iDEAL migration. As Principal Member, connects merchants directly to Wero network via existing Mollie dashboard.

PAYONEintegration

Payment service provider

Joint venture of Worldline and DSV Group. Licensed EPI member and nationwide Wero acquirer in Germany since November 2025. Serves 277,000 merchant customers and processes 5.4 billion transactions annually. First PSP to offer Wero ecommerce acceptance at scale in Germany, with in-store rollout planned for 2026.

Unzerintegration

Payment service provider

German PSP enabling Wero merchant acceptance. Expanding in 2026 to additional use cases including in-store NFC payments, subscriptions, and loyalty program integration. Rollout also planned for Luxembourgish merchant customer base.

finbyintegration

Payment service provider / Acquirer

European PSP and acquirer. Signed partnership with EPI in January 2026 to support Wero. Described by EPI as a leading European acquirer whose participation will significantly accelerate Wero expansion and merchant adoption across Europe.

Worldpay (Global Payments)integration

Payment service provider

Global Payments' Worldpay business joined EPI as Principal Member on March 24, 2026. One of the world's largest merchant acquirers, processing billions of transactions annually. Global Payments acquired Worldpay from GTCR/FIS for $24.25B in January 2026. Will enable merchant clients to accept Wero via single integration across Europe without additional hardware or interface changes.

Airwallexintegration

Payment service provider

Australian-founded global fintech PSP. Became EPI Principal Member in November 2025, enabling merchant clients across 150+ countries to offer Wero at checkout in Europe. First major APAC-headquartered PSP to join EPI.

Stripeintegration

Payment service provider

Global PSP processing Wero payments for European merchants. Live for Wero e-commerce in Germany and Belgium. Listed as processing partner for Belgian e-commerce launch alongside Worldline, Buckaroo, and Mollie. Enabling Wero checkout integration via standard Stripe API for merchants across Europe.

Nexiintegration

Payment service provider

Italian payments technology company and one of Europe's largest payment processors. Supporting Wero merchant acceptance for e-commerce and POS. Listed alongside Nuvei, Worldline, Unzer, and PPRO as payment providers currently enabling Wero transactions per EuroShop February 2026 report.

PPROintegration

Payment infrastructure provider

Payment infrastructure provider enabling PSPs and payment platforms to offer Wero as a local payment method across Europe. Listed as one of five PSPs currently supporting Wero merchant acceptance alongside Nexi, Nuvei, Worldline, and Unzer per EuroShop February 2026 report.

Payablintegration

Payment service provider / Acquirer

European PSP and acquirer. Became Licensed EPI Member in October 2025. Direct Wero acquirer enabling merchants and other PSPs across Europe to offer Wero as an A2A payment method via single integration alongside cards and local payment methods.

MultiSafepayintegration

Payment service provider

Dutch PSP supporting the iDEAL-to-Wero transition. Launched Wero integration from January 20, 2026. Enabling Dutch and European merchants to accept Wero payments through existing MultiSafepay dashboard as part of co-branding phase and eventual full migration.

PAY.nlintegration

Payment service provider

Dutch PSP, first in the Netherlands to process a Wero ecommerce transaction (September 2025). EPI member. Rolling out Wero to merchants in Germany (live late 2025), Belgium (H1 2026), and Netherlands (H2 2026 aligned with iDEAL migration).

ACI Worldwideintegration

Technical service provider

Joined EPI as technical service provider June 15, 2026. Integrating Wero onto ACI Payments Orchestration Platform for merchant and financial intermediary acceptance across Europe. ACI powers 26 instant payment schemes globally.

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