The European Payment Initiative (EPI), a bank-backed venture challenging Mastercard and Visa in Europe, has enrolled 14 million users. The initiative aims to provide a secure and seamless payment solution across Europe and has processed eight million transactions to date.
This milestone coincides with the launch of the Wero wallet in Belgium for customers of Belfius, BNP Paribas Fortis, ING, and KBC, following initial phases in France and Germany. The initiative also plans to introduce a standalone P2P payments app.
Wero is now available to customers of German savings and cooperative banks through their banking apps, with plans to expand to Postbank and Deutsche Bank customers in the near future. The standalone Wero app is set to offer additional functionalities, including peer-to-peer payments and QR code payments for merchants.
By 2026, in-store payments, buy now, pay later options, merchant loyalty programs, and expense sharing features will be added.
EPI is currently in discussions with additional banks to join the project in 2025. CEO Martina Weimert expressed confidence in the phased launch of Wero, focusing on deepening market penetration, expanding bank partnerships, and enhancing features to establish Wero as a successful European payment solution.
