Wero launched online merchant payments in Germany on November 17, 2025, powered by Sparkassen and Volksbanken/Raiffeisenbanken - marking the European Payments Initiative's critical transition from person-to-person transfers to commercial payments.
Launch Merchants
First wave retailers include Eventim, Decathlon, Lidl, Rossmann, CEWE, Cineplex, Zooplus, Hornbach, Air Europa, Veepee, and BAUR. Deutsche Bank and Postbank went live with full Wero features on December 17, adding major commercial bank coverage. Neobank N26 signed its Wero membership agreement on December 4, planning launches in Germany, France, and Netherlands in H2 2026.
Scale
Wero reached 47 million registered users across Belgium, France, and Germany by late 2025, with EUR 7.5 billion transferred in its first 12 months. E-commerce also launched in Belgium with ING, KBC, and BNP Paribas Fortis, serving merchants including Ahold Delhaize and Bpost.
iDEAL Migration
In November 2025, iDEAL announced a phased migration to Wero starting early 2026 (co-branded logo), with full migration by end 2027. Given iDEAL's approximately 70% share of Dutch e-commerce payments, this is the highest-stakes migration in Wero's roadmap.
What This Means
E-commerce is the proving ground. Wero must demonstrate it can match the conversion rates and user experience of card payments. The P2P-to-commerce transition is where previous European payment alternatives have failed. POS/NFC in-store payments are planned for 2026.
Sources: EPI Company, Finextra