Wero Payments in 2026: Status, Countries and Business Use

Wero is the digital wallet from the European Payments Initiative (EPI). It moves money instantly between European bank accounts and is becoming a checkout option for online shops. In 2026 it works for person-to-person payments in Germany, France and Belgium, has launched online payments in Germany and Belgium, is rolling out in France, and is replacing iDEAL in the Netherlands.

If you sell to customers in the euro area, or invoice European clients, EPI's wallet is worth understanding. This guide covers what it is, where it works, how the e-commerce rollout has gone, what it means for small businesses and freelancers, and how it fits alongside SEPA transfers and your invoices.

What is Wero?

It is a payment brand and wallet built on SEPA Instant Credit Transfer, the euro scheme that moves money between bank accounts in seconds. Users register through their bank's app or a standalone app, link their account, and can then:

• Send money to another person using a phone number, email address or QR code.
• Request money from friends or contacts.
• Pay online at shops that accept it, confirming in their banking app.

Money moves straight from one bank account to another. There is no card number and no separate stored balance: the wallet is a front end on top of the customer's existing bank account.

EPI is owned by a group of European banks and payment service providers. Its stated aim is a European option for everyday payments that does not depend on international card schemes or big-tech wallets. Along the way, EPI bought the Dutch iDEAL scheme and the Payconiq brand, which is why those services are being folded into the new wallet.

Why Europe wanted its own wallet

Before this project, most European countries had their own domestic payment brands that did not work across borders. A Dutch shopper used iDEAL, a Belgian used Payconiq or Bancontact, and a German often used PayPal or a card. For a small online shop selling across borders, that meant integrating several methods or relying on cards. A single, instant, bank-based option that works in several countries is meant to simplify that picture and lower costs.

Wero status in 2026

According to EPI's published figures at the time of writing, the wallet has around 56 to 57 million users in markets where person-to-person payments are live, with millions more due to join through migrations. Here is where things stand by country, based on EPI's roadmap and announcements.

Country	Person-to-person	Online (e-commerce)	Notes
Germany	Live since 2024	Live since late 2025	First e-commerce market; large retailers among early adopters
Belgium	Live since 2024	Live since March 2026	Payconiq users moving across
France	Live since 2024	Rolling out in 2026	First transactions in spring 2026, wider rollout from the third quarter
Netherlands	Via iDEAL migration	iDEAL becoming iDEAL | Wero	Full migration targeted by 31 December 2027
Luxembourg	Migration from autumn 2026	Acquirers enabling merchants	Payconiq Luxembourg moving across
Austria	Planned	Planned	Listed by EPI as a future migration market

Rollout dates have shifted before, and bank participation varies within each country, so treat this table as a snapshot. Check EPI's announcements and your payment provider for current coverage before you plan around a date.

The e-commerce rollout

Online payments are where the wallet matters most for businesses. The model is familiar to anyone who has used iDEAL or a bank payment button:

1. The customer picks the EPI wallet at checkout.
2. They confirm the payment in their app, on their phone or by scanning a QR code on a desktop screen.
3. The shop receives confirmation, and the money arrives as an instant credit transfer.

Germany went first in late 2025, with major retailers among the early merchants. Belgium recorded its first e-commerce transaction in March 2026, and France saw first transactions in spring 2026 with a larger rollout planned from the third quarter. Payment service providers and acquirers, including large international ones, have joined EPI to offer the method to their merchants.

EPI has also said it plans in-store payments using NFC and QR codes, plus features such as recurring payments and subscription management. Those were roadmap items rather than widely available features at the time of writing.

The European Payments Initiative and its partners

On 2 February 2026, EPI signed a memorandum of understanding with Bancomat (Italy), Bizum (Spain), SIBS-MB WAY (Portugal) and Vipps MobilePay (Nordics). The plan is to link these schemes through a central hub so users can pay across borders: person-to-person first, then e-commerce and point of sale from 2027. In April 2026, some of the partners announced a successful proof of concept for cross-border in-store payments. A memorandum is not a finished system, so expect cross-scheme payments to arrive gradually.

Wero for business: what changes for you

How much this affects you depends on how you get paid.

If you sell online to consumers

The wallet is likely to become a standard checkout option in Germany, Belgium, France and the Netherlands. If your customers are there, ask your payment provider when it will be available. In the Netherlands you do not need to choose: iDEAL payments are migrating through your existing provider.

If you invoice businesses

Most B2B clients pay invoices by SEPA credit transfer from their accounting or banking systems, often in scheduled payment runs. EPI's wallet does not replace that today. Your invoice should still show your IBAN, BIC and legal account name. Read our guide to bank details on an invoice for the exact fields.

If you invoice consumers or very small clients

Here an instant bank payment can help. A client who would struggle to type an IBAN can pay in seconds if you give them a payment link or QR code from a provider that supports this wallet or other pay by bank methods. See how to add a payment link to an invoice.

If you are a freelancer paid by individuals

The person-to-person features are designed for private use between individuals. Using a personal wallet for business income can clash with your bank's account terms and makes record keeping harder. EPI has indicated that dedicated business payment features are coming, but check your bank's terms before using the personal app for invoices.

Wero vs cards vs SEPA transfers

Feature	EPI wallet	Card payment	Manual SEPA transfer
Speed	Seconds (instant transfer)	Authorised instantly, settles in days	Same or next business day, or instant if sent as SEPA Instant
Customer effort	Confirm in app	Enter card or use a wallet	Type IBAN, amount and reference
Typical merchant pricing	Set by provider; often a flat fee	Percentage plus fixed fee	Usually low or free to receive
Reconciliation	Reference passed automatically	Via processor reports	Depends on the payer typing the reference
Chargebacks	No card-style chargebacks	Yes	No
Best for	Online shops, consumer payments	International customers, credit	B2B invoices

Worked example: fees on a 250 euro order

Assume, as an illustration only, that your provider charges a 0.30 euro flat fee per Wero payment and 1.5% plus 0.25 euro per card payment. On a 250 euro order:

• Card: 250 x 1.5% = 3.75, plus 0.25 = 4.00 euro.
• Instant bank payment at a flat fee: 0.30 euro.

On 200 such orders a month, that is 740 euro saved, or 8,880 euro a year. On a 20 euro order the gap is far smaller (0.55 euro by card versus 0.30 euro), so the savings matter most for higher-value baskets and invoices. Your real numbers depend entirely on your provider's pricing, so check before you assume savings. Some providers list the Dutch method as a single combined flat-fee option during the migration.

Safety and customer protection

Payments are confirmed inside the customer's banking app using the bank's own security, such as biometrics or a PIN. Under the EU Instant Payments Regulation, euro payment providers must also offer Verification of Payee, which checks the payee name against the IBAN before a transfer is sent. That makes your exact legal account name more important than ever: if your invoice says "Studio Nine" but the account is "Studio Nine BV", the customer may see a partial-match warning.

Instant transfers are hard to reverse, which protects merchants from chargebacks but also means customers who pay a scammer may struggle to recover money. For online purchases, EPI and its partners have described buyer protection features; check the current terms with your provider so you can answer customer questions accurately.

How to prepare

1. Ask your payment provider whether it supports the wallet, in which countries, and at what price.
2. Update your checkout labels if you accept iDEAL or Payconiq and your provider asks you to switch branding.
3. Keep your bank details accurate, with the exact account holder name, because of Verification of Payee checks.
4. Use clear invoice references so incoming transfers match invoices. A consistent invoice numbering system helps.
5. Set the right currency. The wallet runs in euro. If you invoice clients outside the euro area, see foreign currency invoicing.
6. Check VAT details on cross-border invoices. Our VAT invoice guide explains what to include, and a qualified adviser can confirm your position.

Questions your customers may ask

If you add the new method to your checkout or payment links, a few questions come up again and again. Short, accurate answers on your payment page or FAQ save support time:

• "Do I need a new app?" Usually not. Many participating banks build the feature into their existing banking app. Some customers use the standalone app instead.
• "Does my bank support it?" It depends on the bank and country. If their bank is not listed at checkout, they can pay by card or manual transfer instead.
• "Is there a fee for me?" Consumers are not normally charged for paying this way, but they should check their own bank's terms.
• "How do I get a refund?" Refunds come back as a new transfer from the shop, so explain your refund timescale in your terms.

Keep these answers general and point customers to their bank for anything account-specific. If you sell to customers in several countries, keep card payments available too, so nobody is left without a way to pay.

What it does not do

It is easy to overestimate a new payment brand. At the time of writing, EPI's wallet:

• Is euro-only and limited to countries where participating banks are live.
• Does not replace SEPA credit transfers for normal B2B payment runs.
• Does not replace SEPA Direct Debit for collecting regular payments, although recurring features are on EPI's roadmap.
• Is not a credit product, so customers pay from available funds.
• Does not issue invoices or receipts for you; you still need your own records.

Conclusion

Wero has grown from a person-to-person app into a real e-commerce option in Germany and Belgium, with France rolling out and the Netherlands migrating from iDEAL by the end of 2027. For online sellers in those markets it is worth enabling through your provider. For invoicing, keep doing what works: clear bank details, a unique reference and, where useful, a bank payment link. Create your next euro invoice with our free invoice generator, which supports multiple currencies and lets you add payment instructions in the notes.