• Payment

Wero, a new European instant payment solution

With Wero, the European Payments Initiative (EPI) company is introducing an innovative payment solution that is transforming the way Europeans transact. After a successful launch in Germany in July 2024, the solution is now available in France and Belgium. The roll-out will continue soon in Luxembourg and the Netherlands, strengthening the accessibility and efficiency of payments across the continent.

A pan-European solution with great potential  

By 2027, Wero aspires to become the go-to digital wallet in Europe. The solution is part of a clear approach: to offer a sovereign and secure payment alternative for European consumers. The solution is based on instant account-to-account transfer technology, allowing its users to send and receive money instantly, simply using a phone number or email address. This person-to-person (P2P) payment service aims to offer a high-performance and accessible European solution, while meeting the growing expectations for speed and security in the payments industry.   

This initiative is all the more relevant as instant transfers are growing rapidly. Indeed, according to the Observatory for the Security of Payment Methods, their use grew by 95% between 2022 and 2023, illustrating a strong demand for fast, simple and reliable services. 

Read alsoPayments: 8 key trends for 2024 and beyond

A transition from Paylib to Wero 

In France, Wero relies on the solid base of 35 million users registered for the Paylib service, a key player in person-to-person payments. French users are therefore offered a simple and seamless transition to Wero before the end of Paylib, scheduled for early 2025. This transition represents a major step towards harmonising payment services across Europe.      

In addition to the classic instant transfer features, Wero will eventually integrate new features. From 2025, users will be able, for example, to generate individual QR codes to make payments, without having to disclose their phone number. Other innovative services, such as e-commerce, "request money" or spend sharing, will enrich the user experience, offering more flexible payment options tailored to various use cases.     

Want to learn more, discover the history of Wero and our vision for a unified European payment experience? Meet Carlo Bovero, Global Head of Cards and Innovative Payments:  

Spill the Tea on Wero with Carlo Bovero

An ambitious deployment strategy 

After a successful launch in Germany in July 2024, Wero arrived in France in October 2024. Launched in Belgium in November 2024, member banks will all have deployed the solution by the end of 2024. Luxembourg and the Netherlands will follow in 2025 and 2026, respectively. 

The gradual launch in these countries, representing more than 65% of non-cash retail payments in the Eurozone, is a testament to Wero's ambition to establish itself as a go-to solution in Europe. 

Wero responds to the strategic challenge of seeing the emergence of a European payment platform in a highly competitive global environment. This makes it possible to offer more value to customers, and greater simplicity for their daily payments in France and in partner countries. Already launched in Germany and now in France, we are delighted that Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands will soon join us, and will be keen to welcome other countries wishing to participate in this European initiative in the future.

Thierry Laborde

Chief Operating Officer, Commercial, Personal Banking & Services - BNP Paribas

A solution supported by the largest European banking players

The Wero project is the result of a collaboration between 16 European banks, including BNP Paribas, Groupe BPCE, Crédit Agricole, and La Banque Postale, which play a key role in the deployment of the solution. Since 24 October 2024, BNP Paribas has been offering Wero to its retail customers via its banking app, ensuring seamless integration and an optimised customer experience.    

BNP Paribas, alongside European banking players, is proud to support this landmark initiative that is shaping the future of payments in Europe. 

© Photo: Thierry Laborde, Chief Operating Officer, Commercial, Personal Banking & Services - BNP Paribas, and Martina Weimert, CEO of EPI.

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