Commerzbank has announced it will rejoin the European Payments Initiative and integrate Wero for its approximately eleven million customers, marking a significant strategic reversal for the bank that had previously withdrawn from the pan-European payment scheme. Chief Executive Bettina Orlopp confirmed the decision during the bank's annual results press conference on February 11, 2026, stating that discussions were underway regarding the timeline and format of the integration.
The bank's return to EPI represents a notable shift. Commerzbank had originally been among the founding participants of the European Payments Initiative but pulled out, citing cost concerns and skepticism shaped by the failed Paydirekt initiative of the German banking industry. The decision to rejoin suggests growing confidence in Wero's commercial viability as the platform surpasses fifty million registered users across Europe and gains merchant traction in its e-commerce offering.
For EPI, the Commerzbank decision is a milestone in the German market, where Wero already counts Deutsche Bank, Sparkassen, Volksbanken and Raiffeisenbanken, ING Germany, DZ Bank, Postbank, N26, and Revolut among its participants. Adding Commerzbank's substantial retail customer base strengthens the platform's reach ahead of the planned NFC-based point-of-sale rollout expected by the end of 2026.
No specific launch timeline has been communicated. Orlopp indicated that the bank is currently evaluating how and when Wero will be introduced to its customers, suggesting that technical integration work remains in early stages. The timing comes as Wero expands its e-commerce capabilities across Germany and Belgium, with France expected to follow in the first half of 2026, making the platform increasingly relevant for full-service banking relationships across Europe.