Bizum sees low initial adoption in Catalan retail stores

The digital payment system Bizum has begun its rollout to physical retail stores across Catalonia, but initial adoption remains low. Although the technology became available to merchants in late May, business owners report minimal demand from customers, with many stating there is no urgent need to implement the system.

Financial institutions have been updating point-of-sale terminals to support the service, a process that gained momentum during July and August. Depending on the age of the hardware, merchants have either updated their existing software or replaced older terminals with newer, compatible models. The payment process involves the merchant selecting a Bizum option on a dropdown menu, after which the customer completes the transaction by tapping their mobile phone against the terminal.

Major banks operating in the region, including BBVA, CaixaBank, and Banco Sabadell, have completed the technical deployment for their clients. Despite this readiness, some retailers are choosing to wait until after the summer holiday season to fully integrate the technology due to the current lack of consumer interest.