Wero expands European payment network to 130 million users

The European Payments Initiative (EPI) is expanding its Wero payment solution to increase European financial independence from American giants like Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal. Through an agreement with the EuroPA Alliance—a group of national payment systems including Bizum, Bancomat, and Blik—Wero will connect existing national infrastructures across thirteen countries, including members of the European Union and Norway.

Currently, Wero has reached 60 million users, primarily facilitating real-time bank-to-bank transfers. The platform is transitioning from peer-to-peer transfers to a broader retail payment method. In Germany, major retailers such as Decathlon, Eventim, Lidl, and dm have joined as acceptance partners, with dm officially launching the service in August 2026.

Future developments scheduled for October 2026 include the implementation of open acceptance standards and the expansion of Wero to vending machines. While online shopping integration is progressing in markets like Belgium, a wider rollout for in-store card transactions in Germany and France is planned for 2027. The initiative aims to harmonize diverse national systems into a unified European network that does not require the use of the euro.