Wero: Europe’s Digital Wallet Gains Ground Across Borders
Across the European Union, citizens and businesses are steadily gaining access to a homegrown digital wallet that promises to change the way they move money. Wero, launched in 2024 by the European Payments Initiative (EPI), is more than a new app—it’s Europe’s attempt to build financial sovereignty in a world dominated by U.S. payment giants like Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal.
For ordinary Europeans, Wero means the ability to transfer money instantly across borders without fees, using only a phone number or email instead of cumbersome IBANs. For businesses, it promises faster settlement, reduced transaction costs, and independence from card-based infrastructure. And for policymakers, it represents a step toward Europe’s long-standing goal of digital autonomy in financial services.
A Year of Acceleration
Since its debut in Germany in July 2024, Wero has expanded rapidly:
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France and Belgium joined in late 2024, initially focusing on peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers.
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By mid-2025, Wero had reached 40 million users across these three countries.
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The wallet is already moving beyond P2P: 2025 marks its first ventures into e-commerce and mobile commerce payments, setting the stage for point-of-sale (POS) functionality by 2026.
To bolster this rollout, EPI has strategically acquired local payment systems like iDEAL in the Netherlands and Payconiq in Belgium, ensuring that existing user bases and merchant networks can be folded into the Wero ecosystem.
What This Means for Europeans
For citizens, Wero offers a Europe-wide, instant alternative to cards and PayPal. Payments settle in seconds, around the clock, without hidden fees. Whether sending €20 to a friend across the border, splitting a restaurant bill, or paying an online merchant, Wero promises consistency and speed.
For businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the wallet could lower transaction costs compared to card payments and help reduce reliance on international payment processors. Instant settlement improves cash flow and reduces the risk of chargebacks—an area where current global incumbents hold considerable power.
In essence, Wero is attempting to knit together a single European payment fabric—one that reflects the same spirit of integration as the euro itself.
ING Germany as a Milestone
The latest boost to Wero’s adoption came on 21 August 2025, when ING Germany announced that its customers can now send and receive money via Wero directly from the ING app—instantly, across borders, and free of charge. With more than 10 million retail customers in Germany, ING’s decision embeds Wero directly into daily financial habits at scale.
While this is just one bank’s announcement, the significance runs deeper: it demonstrates how mainstream European financial institutions are moving from pilot projects to full integration, making Wero part of everyday banking rather than a niche add-on.
Building a Pan-European Infrastructure
Wero’s roadmap shows steady layering of services:
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Launch in Germany, France, Belgium with P2P payments |
| 2025 | User base grows to ~40M; Revolut integrates Wero; merchant acquirers (Worldline, Unzer) begin rollout; ING Germany enables in-app transfers |
| 2026 | Point-of-sale support introduced; Belgian banks onboard (Argenta, Beobank, Crelan, vdk, Bank Van Breda); expansion to the Netherlands and Luxembourg |
| 2027–28 | Subscriptions, BNPL, loyalty programs, and digital identity integration; preparation for potential digital euro linkage |
This phased approach mirrors Europe’s cautious but steady way of building financial infrastructure: start with what’s proven, then gradually extend.
Strategic Importance for Europe
The European Commission and national governments have long been concerned that Europe’s payments landscape is fragmented and over-dependent on foreign providers. Card schemes like Visa and Mastercard process the bulk of in-store transactions, while PayPal dominates e-commerce. Even mobile wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay piggyback on U.S. infrastructure.
Wero aims to change that. By leveraging SEPA Instant Credit Transfer (SCT Inst), the wallet uses rails that are already European, real-time, and bank-account based. This makes it not just an alternative product, but a strategic backbone for future innovation.
The wallet also dovetails with plans for a digital euro. While the European Central Bank’s digital currency is still in the design phase, Wero familiarizes consumers and merchants with account-to-account instant payments, making eventual adoption smoother.
Challenges Still Loom
Despite the momentum, several hurdles remain:
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Merchant acceptance: Without broad adoption at the point of sale and in online checkouts, Wero risks remaining a peer-to-peer tool rather than a universal wallet.
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Consumer awareness: Surveys in 2024 showed that relatively few Europeans recognized the Wero brand. Awareness is improving, but U.S. players enjoy entrenched visibility.
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National alternatives: Local systems like Swish (Sweden) and Bizum (Spain) have deep roots. Integrating or replacing them will be a delicate process.
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Bank commitment: Some banks left the EPI in earlier phases, raising questions about long-term commitment. The ING rollout shows renewed momentum, but buy-in must continue.
Why Businesses Should Pay Attention
For European businesses, particularly SMEs, Wero could represent:
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Lower costs compared to card interchange fees.
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Faster liquidity with instant settlement.
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Broader reach across EU markets with a single solution, rather than fragmented national wallets.
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Resilience by reducing dependency on non-EU payment infrastructures.
If adoption accelerates, businesses may find themselves not just beneficiaries but drivers of Wero’s success—encouraging customers to pay with Wero to reduce fees and gain loyalty benefits.
Conclusion: A European Project Growing Into Reality
Wero’s first year has transformed it from an ambitious idea into a functioning payments solution with tens of millions of users, fintech and banking partnerships, and now full integration into one of Germany’s largest retail banks. For EU citizens, it offers speed and simplicity. For businesses, it promises cost efficiency and independence. And for Europe as a whole, it represents a tangible stride toward digital sovereignty.
Much work remains—onboarding merchants, educating consumers, and aligning national systems—but the progress is undeniable. With each bank integration and each expansion into new markets, Wero edges closer to becoming what its name suggests: a true European way to pay.