Every online checkout in the Netherlands that accepts iDEAL must display the combined iDEAL|Wero logo by March 31, 2026, under mandatory payment scheme rules enforced by Currence, the operator of the iDEAL system. Merchants that fail to complete the update will be in breach of their iDEAL contract. The branding transition, which began on January 29 when the new co-branded logo became available for implementation, represents the first enforceable milestone in what will become the largest single payment migration in Wero's history.
The co-branding phase is deliberately limited in scope. Existing iDEAL contracts remain active, the consumer payment experience is unchanged, and all transactions continue to process through existing iDEAL infrastructure. No payments route through Wero during this initial phase. The purpose is to build consumer recognition of the Wero brand ahead of technical changes that follow later in the year.
Technical migration to Wero infrastructure is scheduled for the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approval from De Nederlandsche Bank. A Routing Service Module will manage the transition by detecting whether a consumer's bank supports Wero. If the bank is ready, the payment routes through Wero. If not, it processes via iDEAL as before. This hybrid approach allows gradual adoption without reshaping the payment experience for consumers or merchants.
From October 2026, merchants will have the option to participate in a pilot program to actively direct traffic toward Wero in advance of the full cutover. Payment service providers have published detailed merchant guides covering the technical changes required, which include new transaction identifiers that differ from standard iDEAL payment references.
The scale of the migration underlines its significance for European payments. iDEAL currently processes approximately 72 percent of Dutch e-commerce payments across an estimated 210,000 to 350,000 merchant acceptance points. The five major Dutch banks participating in the transition are ABN AMRO, ING, Rabobank, bunq, and N26. Once complete, these transactions will settle via SEPA Instant Credit Transfer through the European Central Bank's TIPS infrastructure, the same settlement rails that already power Wero in Germany, Belgium, and France.
Belgium became Wero's second e-commerce market on March 3, 2026, with ING, KBC, and BNP Paribas Fortis enabling online merchant payments. France, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands are expected to follow through the remainder of 2026 and into 2027. The Dutch transition is unique among these markets because it involves replacing an established national scheme with decades of consumer trust and near-universal merchant acceptance, rather than introducing Wero as a new payment method alongside existing options.
EPI acquired iDEAL's parent company Currence in February 2023, along with Belgium's Payconiq, as part of its strategy to build a pan-European payment alternative to Visa and Mastercard for digital transactions. The co-branded phase is expected to continue until standalone Wero branding replaces the combined logo, with the full discontinuation of iDEAL planned for the end of 2027.