Dutch shoppers tend to favor payment methods they recognize and trust. In the Netherlands, the predominant payment method has been iDEAL, the direct bank transfer system that powers roughly three out of every four Dutch ecommerce transactions. For years, offering iDEAL as a payment method has been nonnegotiable for businesses, and some Dutch shoppers might abandon a purchase if they don’t see the option.

That’s about to change. The Netherlands is preparing to transition from iDEAL to Wero, a new Europe-wide digital wallet that’s rolling out across multiple countries in 2025 and 2026 and is poised to replace iDEAL entirely by the end of 2027. Wero is a completely new payments infrastructure designed by European banks to unify real-time account-to-account (A2A) payments across the European Union (EU).

This marks a turning point for webshops. Integrating payments is now about preparing for Wero and the broader shift towards instant, bank-based payments that work across Europe. Below, we’ll discuss how to set up a webshop payment system (“webshop betaalsysteem” in Dutch) in the Netherlands, how to prepare for the switch to Wero, and how to choose a provider that’s ready for the next phase of European ecommerce.

What’s in this article?

• What should I look for in a payment system for my webshop?
  
• How do I set up my webshop?
  
• How do I prepare my webshop for the switch from iDEAL to Wero?
  
• Why does the right payment system matter for Dutch webshops?
  
• Which payment methods do Dutch and Belgian customers expect online?
  
• What should I look for in a payment provider that supports Dutch and EU markets?
  
• How Stripe Payments can help
  

What should I look for in a payment system for my webshop?

Your payment provider should be reliable, set up for your market, and able to handle compliance easily.

Here’s what to look for:

• Built for the Dutch market: If most of your customers are in the Netherlands or Belgium, you need a provider that’s designed to support iDEAL (soon Wero), Bancontact, and Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) payments. To customers, that coverage signals trust at checkout.

• EU compliance: Your provider should be able to meet the revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2) and its Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) requirements, with no manual work on your end.

• Unified system for multiple payment methods: Managing iDEAL or Wero, cards, and SEPA payments under one dashboard helps simplify reporting and reconciliation.

• Reliable with euro payouts: Choose a provider that settles directly to your Dutch or EU account without currency conversions or delays.

How do I set up my webshop?

Once you’ve chosen your payment system, you’re ready to implement it.

Below, we’ll walk through the basic steps of setting up shop online:

• Set up your account and verify your business: Provide your Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (KVK) registration, value-added tax (VAT) number, and bank account details, all of which are standard for Dutch sellers. Once you’re approved, activate the payment methods you want to accept. Enable iDEAL immediately, because it’s still the default for most online shoppers.

• Connect your webshop: If your site runs on a platform like Shopify, WooCommerce, or Lightspeed, use your provider’s plug-in. The installation should take minutes. If you have a custom webshop, plug in the application programming interface (API) keys your provider gives you. Modern providers typically include prebuilt checkout components that display the right payment methods automatically based on the customer’s location.

• Test before launch: Run full test payments—some approved, some canceled, and some failed. Confirm that the customer sees messages, that your orders are marked as “paid,” and that redirects back to your site are instant. Dutch shoppers generally place a high value on payment speed and reliability.

• Secure and go live: Ensure your site runs on secure certificates, and never store card data yourself. SCA, such as 3D Secure for cards and in-app approval for iDEAL, should be handled automatically by your provider. When everything’s running well, switch to live mode and monitor the first week’s transactions closely.

How do I prepare my webshop for the switch from iDEAL to Wero?

Wero is being developed by the European Payments Initiative, a consortium of 16 major banks and payment providers. In the Netherlands, it’ll begin replacing iDEAL in late 2026, with a full handover expected by the end of 2027. During that time, iDEAL and Wero will appear side by side, at first co-branded, then fully merged under the Wero name.

Every checkout that offers iDEAL will need to support Wero. If you take the following steps ahead of time, the migration should be simple:

• Double-check with your payment provider: Ask your provider how it’s handling the rollout. If you’re using a modern platform (e.g., Stripe), support for Wero will be built in automatically, replacing iDEAL in your dashboard and APIs. If you’re not, you might need to update your plug-in or integration.

• Put the new logo everywhere: Starting from April 1, 2026, put the new co-branded iDEAL | Wero logo everywhere customers expect it: your payment page, footer, FAQs, and confirmation emails. During the transition, phrase it clearly (e.g., “Wero / iDEAL”) so shoppers see it’s the same trusted system under a new name.

• Explain the change clearly and concisely: Dutch shoppers are loyal to iDEAL so clarity matters. Let them know this change comes from their banks and that they still pay directly from their own banking apps, instantly and safely. Ensure your support staff can explain this in a sentence or two.

• Test, monitor, and improve: As Wero rolls out as a new payment method towards the end of 2026, test transactions regularly and track conversion metrics. The goal is an obstacle-free experience across devices and banks. By the time iDEAL fully retires, your webshop should already feel experienced with Wero and ready for a more connected European payment industry.

Why does the right payment system matter for Dutch webshops?

The Dutch payment market is already one of the most advanced in Europe. The Netherlands has one of the lowest rates of cash use, with cash accounting for only about 22% of all payments in 2024, and customers are embracing A2A models. Dutch customers are used to clicking “Pay with my bank” and seeing it work instantly. When it doesn’t, many customers simply abandon the purchase.

The right system also matters for compliance purposes. In Europe, SCA rules (e.g., 3D Secure for cards, bank authorization flows for A2A payments) must be respected, or you risk declined transactions or regulatory liability. A smart provider handles compliance invisibly so your checkout stays simple.

Which payment methods do Dutch and Belgian customers expect online?

Generally, Dutch customers expect iDEAL, while customers in Belgium expect Bancontact. There are important nuances between the two demographics.

Expected Dutch payment methods

• iDEAL: Used in roughly 73% of all Dutch online purchases, it connects directly to the customer’s bank account, settles instantly, and never asks for card details.

• Cards: These make up about 14% of online transactions and are commonly used for international or higher-value orders, especially in travel and B2B.

• Buy now, pay later (BNPL): BNPL is a fast-growing option that’s projected to exceed $10 billion in volume by the end of 2025. Dutch shoppers appreciate flexibility but remain cautious with credit.

• SEPA Direct Debit: SEPA is used for subscriptions and recurring payments. It’s low-cost and familiar to customers.

Expected Belgian payment methods

• Bancontact and Payconiq: These options dominate Belgian ecommerce payments. Combined, they processed over 2.5 billion payments in 2024. Bancontact and Payconiq work via debit cards and mobile apps, and customers often pay by scanning a QR code. In early 2026, the contactless Payconiq by Bancontact will become Bancontact Pay, and Wero will be available for Belgian businesses.

• Other cards and digital wallets: Belgian customers typically prefer debit cards over credit cards. Wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay are steadily gaining share.

Webshops that sell in both countries should accept iDEAL, Bancontact, and SEPA as a baseline. Add BNPL and digital wallets for reach, and you’ll meet the high expectations of the average Dutch or Belgian customer.

What should I look for in a payment provider that supports Dutch and EU markets?

When it comes to payments in the Netherlands and Europe, the right provider keeps every step—from checkout to payout—easy, transparent, and compliant.

The ideal payment provider will include the following:

• Local coverage: Native support for iDEAL, Bancontact, SEPA, and Wero (once it’s live), along with euro payouts straight to your Dutch or EU account, without currency conversion delays.

• Clarity and control: Transparent pricing and fees you can find easily, in addition to real-time reporting and reconciliation tools that cut bookkeeping time.

• Integration and compliance: Modern APIs and well-maintained plug-ins for major ecommerce platforms, along with built-in security and compliance—the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and SCA—handled in the background.

• Reliability and reach: Consistent uptime and responsive support that knows the Dutch and EU payment environment, and flexible infrastructure that grows with your business.

How Stripe Payments can help

Stripe Payments provides a unified, global payment solution that helps any business—from scaling startups to global enterprises—accept payments online, in person, and around the world.

Stripe Payments can help you:

• Optimize your checkout experience: Create a friction-free customer experience and save thousands of engineering hours with prebuilt payment UIs, access to 125+ payment methods, and Link, a wallet built by Stripe.

• Expand to new markets faster: Reach customers worldwide and reduce the complexity and cost of multicurrency management with cross-border payment options, available in 195 countries across 135+ currencies.

• Unify payments in person and online: Build a unified commerce experience across online and in-person channels to personalize interactions, reward loyalty, and grow revenue.

• Improve payment performance: Increase revenue with a range of customizable, easy-to-configure payment tools, including no-code fraud protection and advanced capabilities to improve authorization rates.

• Move faster with a flexible, reliable platform for growth: Build on a platform designed to scale with you, with 99.999% historical uptime and industry-leading reliability.

Learn more about how Stripe Payments can power your online and in-person payments, or get started today.