Wero expands European instant payment service to online retail

Wero, a European instant payment application launched by the European Payments Initiative (EPI), is expanding its services from peer-to-peer transfers to online retail. The initiative, supported by a consortium of sixteen European banks including BNP Paribas, Société Générale, and Crédit Agricole, aims to provide a sovereign alternative to American payment giants like Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal by ensuring payment data is processed within Europe.

Currently available in France, Germany, and Belgium, the service allows users to send and receive money in real time without sharing IBAN details. The platform is preparing to integrate into major e-commerce sites, with Fnac and Darty among the first to adopt it. Future rollouts are expected to include retailers such as Decathlon, Lidl, E. Leclerc, Kiabi, and Veepee, as well as service providers like Air France and Orange. The system is designed to simplify the checkout process by allowing customers to complete purchases via an instant bank transfer with a single click, bypassing the need to enter traditional credit card information.