According to data from the Bank of Spain (BdE), 55% of Spanish customers used instant payment systems in 2024. This places Spain in third position within the eurozone behind the Netherlands and Luxembourg. In these countries, the Wero instant payment system is already available.

Wero is not yet operational in Spain, but it is being introduced in an increasing number of countries. For example, planning for the expansion into Austria began in January 2026 and materialised in less than six months. This makes Wero's rollout in Spain seem inevitable.

In this article, we explain what the Wero instant payment system entails and how it will help Spanish businesses.

Key takeaways

• Wero allows customers to send and receive money instantly between accounts in different European countries using phone numbers or email addresses.
  
• The European Payments Alliance (EuroPA) and the European Payments Initiative (EPI) have agreed to interconnect Bizum and other payment methods with Wero to facilitate pan-European payments.
  
• Although Wero is not yet available in Spain, businesses can receive payments from customers in the countries where it operates if they implement compatible payment gateways.
  

What is Wero?

Wero is an integrated digital wallet that enables instant payments between accounts in different European countries. This payment method was developed by the European Payments Initiative (EPI) – a project involving dozens of banks and acquirers – and is supported by the European Central Bank (ECB).

It is a secure and easy-to-use payment method that links to customers' bank accounts but does not require sharing personal details to send or receive money. After customer authentication via bank, Wero enables the direct transfer of money between European bank accounts in ten seconds or less.

Similar to Bizum, Wero was initially created as a person-to-person (P2P) payment service. However, plans are in place to gradually incorporate several payment functions, including e-commerce, mobile commerce (m-commerce), point of sale (POS) systems, subscriptions, and preauthorisations.

Why was Wero formed?

European payments rely on international infrastructures. This means fees and data are frequently transferred between different countries. This limits Europe’s ability to improve independently and increases privacy-related risks.

To address this problem, banks and payment providers created Wero with the aim of replacing fragmented local payment methods. Once expanded, Wero can offer the following benefits at the European level:

• Financial sovereignty
  Having a European payment infrastructure reduces reliance on international networks. This can minimise dependence on foreign-based financial multinational corporations.
  
• Cost and investment enhancements
  By eliminating international intermediaries, businesses can avoid the high fees charged by foreign networks. Furthermore, this enables European investment to be redirected towards the development of a unified network.
  
• Regulatory autonomy
  A pan-European payment method provides legal certainty. This enables improvements to fully align with European regulations, such as Regulation 2024/886 on instant euro transfers and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
  
• Operational simplicity
  By using a single payment system across Europe, businesses will no longer need to adopt unfamiliar payment methods or integrate various local solutions. This minimises one of the challenges of international expansion.
  

When will Wero be available in Spain?

The National Union of Credit Cooperatives (UNACC), the Spanish Confederation of Savings Banks (CECA), and the Spanish Banking Association (AEB) support the project to interconnect Bizum with Wero. In February 2026, this support materialised in an agreement. Bizum and its partners in the European Payments Alliance (EuroPA) signed a memorandum of understanding with the EPI to interconnect their respective payment solutions.

Banking institutions have committed to participating in this infrastructure designed to facilitate pan-European payments. However, Wero's definitive arrival in Spain depends on the payment system's success in countries where it is already available. Therefore, the specific date of its availability in Spain is not yet known.

How to accept Wero payments with Stripe

Although it is not yet possible to send money from Spain using Wero, businesses can accept payments from customers in the countries where it operates. To do this, businesses need to work with payment service providers that are compatible with Wero.

For example, Stripe Payments is a comprehensive payment platform that offers an e-commerce gateway with support for Wero in Germany. If you decide to expand your business outside of Spain and view the German market as an important opportunity, you can use Payments to allow your customers to securely pay for their purchases via the Wero app or their banks. In this way, your business will be prepared for the rapid expansion projected for Wero across Europe.

Accepting Wero payments with Stripe can help reduce cart abandonment, which tends to be high for e-commerce businesses that do not offer payment options customised for their customers’ locations. According to Stripe’s analysis of purchasing processes in Europe, 86% of shoppers admit they often abandon purchases if they cannot pay using their preferred methods.

Furthermore, with Payments, you can accept payments from instant payment systems that have reached an agreement with the EPI to interoperate with Wero. For example, you can accept payments via Bizum at your business or via MB WAY, the most popular local payment method in Portugal.

Accepting Wero payments: Advantages for businesses

Accepting payments via a modern payment method such as Wero is a fundamental aspect of digital business transformation. This payment method offers both operational and commercial benefits, along with the advantages of other types of instant transfers. Here are some of the key benefits:

Ability to receive pan-European payments

Wero is a payment method that eliminates the typical friction associated with cross-border payments. This benefits both customers and businesses that export goods or services. For example, if a business sells in France or Germany – two of the countries where Wero is already operational – customers can use Wero to easily make instant payments.

It is important to understand the significance of these two markets for Spain. Between January and April 2026, Spanish exports to France and Germany exceeded €19.5 billion and €14 billion, respectively. Combined, these figures account for 25.8% of total exports, according to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business's Monthly Foreign Trade Report.

Cost savings

Making a payment with Wero is typically free for customers. In addition, businesses avoid paying card processing fees, meaning that the costs of processing payments with Wero are lower than or comparable to those of accepting card payments. Costs depend on the terms set by each payment service provider, but they will almost never exceed card payment fees.

Greater security

Security measures depend on the application used, whether the Wero app or that of the bank integrating it. The system typically generates a unique security code for each transaction or requests the customer's biometric credentials. These measures help reduce the risk of digital fraud, which causes annual losses of €350 million in Spain, according to Visa.

Fewer declined payments

Using phone numbers as identifiers or entering other data for biometric payments reduces common errors associated with other systems, such as incorrectly entering a card number. This can help lower the number of declined payments.

Enhanced brand image

When a business provides modern payment options, it strengthens the impression that it is current, approachable, and in tune with today's customer preferences. According to the 6th Study on the Health of Branding in Spain, 71% of business executives state that having a strong brand facilitates entry into new markets. For Spanish businesses, this could include the European countries where Wero is already operational.

Improved cash management

Wero transactions are processed in ten seconds or less, which helps to avoid delays in payment settlement. Instant fund transfers provide better cash flow planning and compliance with tax obligations, such as quarterly value-added tax (VAT) returns.

Elimination of manual tasks

Accounting departments no longer have to verify account numbers, proper issue of transfers, or receipt of payments. This can help save time and maximise resources.

FAQs about Wero