Bizum began as a platform for sending and receiving money between individuals. However, its expansion in Spain increased its development. As a result, the service has raised its operational limits, expanded into the professional sector, and introduced in-person payments. By July 2026, in-person payments via Bizum were available on 60% of bank card terminals in Spain.

To simplify and encourage in-person payments, Bizum developed Bizum Pay, a digital wallet that was initially expected to launch in 2025. Ultimately, the app was released on Google Play and the Apple App Store on July 14, 2026. In just two weeks, Bizum Pay became one of the most downloaded finance apps in Spain, demonstrating a high level of customer interest from the start.

In this article, we explain how Bizum Pay works so businesses can accept payments with this Spanish app and receive contactless payments.

Key takeaways

• Bizum Pay is a digital wallet that enables contactless payments via bank accounts linked to Bizum or added cards.
  
• Although having a Bizum account is necessary to register for Bizum Pay, it is not mandatory to use Bizum for payments. Bizum Pay also allows customers to store card details.
  
• Currently, customers can only use Bizum Pay to make payments at brick-and-mortar stores. Bizum has already announced future expansion to online stores.
  

What is Bizum Pay?

Bizum Pay is a digital wallet that allows for in-person payments at brick-and-mortar stores. To accept payments via Bizum Pay, businesses’ banks must support this payment solution.

With Bizum Pay, customers can make payments directly from their bank accounts via instant transfers or use cards added to the digital wallet. In both cases, customers make contactless payments via near-field communication (NFC) technology.

Prior to Bizum Pay’s launch, customers could use Bizum for in-person payments in stores. Customers had to enter their phone numbers into the payment terminals and validate transactions using their mobile devices. Bizum Pay aims to simplify this payment process by only requiring customers to hold their mobile devices near payment terminals to pay.

The Bizum Pay website states that Bizum anticipates future compatibility for its payment method in online environments. However, an estimated time frame for this functionality has not yet been announced.

How Bizum Pay works

Given that Bizum Pay is the only digital wallet in Spain that supports in-person payments without cards, it works slightly differently from other digital wallets:

• Business activation
  The business requests activation of the Bizum Pay service from its bank. It is important to note that the business needs an account with a participating Spanish bank. The business must also accept the bank’s fees and terms and conditions to activate the feature.
  
• Implementation
  The business activates Bizum Pay by following the bank’s instructions. As a general rule, it will not be necessary for the business to replace its current point-of-sale (POS) terminal to accept Bizum Pay.
  
• Availability check
  The customer must verify that their bank offers Bizum Pay. Currently, the official list only includes a few banks, but it will gradually expand. According to the Simon-Kucher Payment Pulse study reported by Forbes, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) and Banco Santander customers are the most likely to use Bizum Pay regularly.
  
• App download
  The customer downloads the Bizum Pay app for free via Google Play or the Apple App Store.
  
• Customer activation
  The customer activates the service by entering the phone number associated with their Bizum account in the Bizum Pay app. They can also follow the specific instructions in the Bizum section of their banking app.
  
• Payment
  The customer makes a payment via Bizum Pay using the bank account linked to Bizum or with a Visa or Mastercard issued by a participating bank. At brick-and-mortar stores, there is no need to open the app if Bizum Pay has been set as the default digital wallet. Instead, the customer can unlock their device and hold it near the payment terminal.
  
• Settlement
  While Bizum payments are instantaneous, the settlement of in-person Bizum Pay payments varies and depends on the acquiring bank’s terms. In most cases, the funds are instantly transferred when the customer pays via their Bizum account. Card payments are typically settled at the end of the day.
  

Advantages of Bizum Pay

Bizum Pay offers several advantages to customers and businesses. Customers avoid the inconvenience of carrying cards or cash and enjoy enhanced security because of biometric payments.

Below, we explain the main advantages of Bizum Pay for businesses.

Fewer declined payments

Unlike other digital wallets—such as Apple Pay or Google Pay—Bizum Pay offers card-based payments and noncard payments via bank accounts linked to Bizum.

If a customer chooses to pay from their bank account using Bizum Pay, the business sees fewer declined card payments due to issues associated with that payment method. These include expired cards or payments that exceed credit limits.

Increased conversion

According to Shopify’s study on the state of commerce in Spain in 2024, 57% of Spanish customers use mobile apps when shopping. Therefore, the option to pay via mobile can attract a wider audience and increase conversion. This is especially the case when offering an intuitive and convenient payment method, such as Bizum Pay.

It is also important for businesses to request stickers and signage from their banks to inform customers that they accept payments via Bizum Pay.

Better brand perception

Offering modern payment methods reinforces the image of a modern and accessible business that has adapted to current customer habits. In fact, customer habits in Spain are increasingly digital, according to Minsait Payments’ 13th Report on Payment Method Trends.

Immediate liquidity

When customers pay from bank accounts linked to Bizum, the funds are typically received instantly, which provides immediate liquidity.

If a business wants to simplify accounting management, it is important to know that Bizum Pay also allows businesses to receive funds in single batches once a day.

Payment traceability

Bizum Pay also allows businesses to view details of purchases, such as the location where each payment was processed.

This is especially important for businesses that allow their employees to make charges to corporate expense cards or business bank accounts. Linking them to Bizum Pay can improve internal control by enabling the monitoring of compliance with company policies. These could include avoiding personal expenses or cash withdrawals from automated teller machines (ATMs).

Building customer loyalty

Another feature of Bizum Pay is the ability to store loyalty cards in digital format. This feature helps businesses encourage purchases or store visits, especially if they offer loyalty programs based on points.

Limitations of Bizum Pay

Given its recent launch, Bizum Pay has some limitations compared to other digital wallets. However, many of these limitations are expected to improve over time.

Below, we explain the current operational restrictions of Bizum Pay.

Availability

Other digital wallets—such as Apple Pay and Google Pay—are compatible with around 50 Spanish banks. However, only a few banks have signed up for Bizum Pay so far. This is because the digital wallet is still in the rollout phase. However, the number of participating banks is expected to increase in the coming months.

Smartwatch compatibility

For now, Bizum Pay is only compatible with mobile phones. Other digital wallets—such as Samsung Pay—feature mobile payment technology that is compatible with smartwatches. This is not yet the case for Bizum Pay.

This represents a notable limitation in a country with many early adopters of this technology. For example, in 2018, nearly one-third of the Spanish population stated they were interested in paying using these devices. This is compared to the European average of 24%.

International payments

The scope of Bizum Pay is limited to Spain. Therefore, if a business expands internationally, international customers will not be able to choose this payment method.

Even so, Bizum—through the European Payments Alliance (EuroPA) initiative—has already reached a partnership agreement with the European Payments Initiative (EPI) to achieve future interoperability with Wero, one of Europe’s leading digital wallets.

Alternatives to Bizum Pay in Spain

Although Bizum Pay offers a solution for everyday mobile payments, the market for payment methods in Spain is broad and diverse. To adapt to customer payment habits, it is important to be familiar with the available alternatives. Here are the most popular ones in Spain.

Apple Pay

This product stands out primarily for Apple’s high level of security and privacy. According to Redsys’s 2024 Market Study, Apple Pay is the most frequently used payment app in Spain.

Google Pay

One of the main advantages of Google Pay is its compatibility with many devices. According to data from Statista, during the second quarter of 2024, 27% of respondents stated they had used Google Pay to make payments at a point of sale. In addition, 24% said they used Google Pay to purchase products online.

PayPal

PayPal offers the option to add funds and provides extra security when shopping at unfamiliar online stores. This can make household budget management easier by preventing customers from exceeding spending limits.

Among Spanish customers, 80% reported using PayPal for online purchases from July 2023–June 2024. PayPal is a leading digital wallet for online payments in Spain, according to the latest Statista data on PayPal usage.

Amazon Pay

This solution allows customers to sign in and use the payment methods saved to their Amazon accounts. Data from Statista indicate that Amazon Pay is a widely used digital wallet among Spanish customers from Generation X (i.e., those born from around 1965–1981). This group accounts for 40% of Amazon Pay customers in Spain.

How Stripe can help you accept the most popular payment methods in Spain

The 13th Report on Payment Method Trends reveals the most widely used payment methods among Spanish customers. They are contactless systems (72%), cards (66%), and digital wallets (19%). Accepting these payment methods in your business can be key to increasing conversion and revenue.

To start accepting payments via digital wallets on your website, you must integrate a payment gateway from a payment processor that supports them. For example, Stripe allows you to accept payments via 10 different digital wallets in Spain and over 100 payment methods, such as Bizum.

Meanwhile, if you want to accept in-person payments in Spain using popular methods—such as digital wallets, cards, and contactless systems—Stripe Terminal offers state-of-the-art card readers that support digital wallet payments. Terminal also centralizes online and in-person payments in one place.

FAQs on Bizum Pay