Sustainable Finance
Wero: a new step for sovereign payments in europe
Published on 16 June 2025
The European Payments Initiative (EPI) has announced the onboarding of five Luxembourg banks – Spuerkeess, BGL BNP Paribas, Banque Internationale à Luxembourg (BIL), POST Luxembourg and Banque Raiffeisen – as members of its growing network. Together, they are preparing to launch Wero, a European digital wallet offering instant account-to-account (A2A) payments across borders. Set to go live in Luxembourg by June 2026, Wero is designed to simplify everyday transactions for individuals and merchants alike. From splitting bills with friends to paying in-store, online or by invoice, all within a single app. “Joining EPI and supporting the launch of Wero reflects our commitment to offering secure, innovative and user-friendly payment solutions, tailored to the needs of our customers in an increasingly digital and connected Europe,”— Laurent Zahles, CEO, Banque Raiffeisen Luxembourg’s strategic position at the heart of Europe makes it a natural next step in Wero’s expansion. With nearly 50% of the national workforce made up of cross-border workers, the country has a clear need for frictionless, interoperable payment solutions across borders.
Summary
A smooth migration from Payconiq to Wero
To support a seamless transition, EPI and Payconiq, acquired by EPI in 2023, are working closely to migrate users and merchants to Wero. Beginning in 2026, merchants in Luxembourg will progressively adopt the new platform, with Payconiq services ending in September 2026.
“This partnership with EPI and our fellow Luxembourg banks reflects our shared vision for the future of payments in Europe. Together, we are laying the groundwork for a unified digital wallet that empowers citizens and businesses alike,”
— Françoise Thoma, CEO, Spuerkeess
“We can now offer citizens from Luxembourg, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Germany and many other European countries that live and work in Luxembourg an open gate to seamless cross-border payment experiences in their daily lives,”
— Stijn Van Brussel, CEO, Payconiq International
The transition will build on Payconiq’s local footprint, ensuring continuity for customers and merchants alike.
A European solution for Europe’s consumers
Launched in 2024 in Germany, France and Belgium, Wero already counts over 40 million registered users and is now expanding into the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The standalone Wero app brings together various payment functions: peer-to-peer transfers, online and in-store purchases, invoice payments, and – soon – subscription and loyalty programme management.
“Luxembourg offers an ideal environment to deploy our innovative payment solution Wero. With its advanced financial infrastructure, strong digital adoption, supportive regulatory framework and central position in Europe, it serves as a strategic gateway for us to scale our cross-border instant payment services,”
— Martina Weimert, CEO, European Payments Initiative (EPI)
“Our ambition is to offer all our clients cutting-edge digital solutions. With Wero, they will have a European, instant and secure payment platform right at their fingertips,”
— Jeffrey Dentzer, CEO, BIL
“We are thrilled to introduce Wero in Luxembourg, with EPI as a partner that embodies our values of accessibility, simplicity and transparency,”
— Gabriel de La Bourdonnaye, Director, POST Finance
From local rollout to European ambition
This rollout represents far more than just the arrival of a new payment app. It reflects the shared ambition of ABBL members to strengthen Europe’s digital sovereignty and enhance consumer trust in payment systems that are secure, transparent and interoperable.
Wero’s launch in Luxembourg is a concrete step towards a pan-European payment ecosystem, one that promotes competition, innovation and value-added services, while keeping European data, infrastructure and governance under European control.
It also underscores the vital role of banks in delivering tangible innovation to their clients, whether through collaboration, technical interoperability or responsible deployment.
As the transition unfolds, ABBL will continue to support its members by sharing implementation updates, best practices and regulatory insights.
We encourage all members to engage with the Wero deployment process – whether by exploring integration, informing customers, or collaborating with peers to shape the future of payments in Europe.
For more details, visit www.epicompany.eu and www.wero-wallet.eu, or contact the ABBL team to join the conversation.