Bancomat, Bizum, EPI, SIBS, and Vipps MobilePay accelerate the implementation of sovereign, pan-European payment solutions

Bancomat, Bizum, SIBS-MB WAY, and Vipps MobilePay (all members of the EuroPA alliance), together with EPI Company (EPI), today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which represents a significant step towards strengthening Europe's payment sovereignty. The collaboration brings together leading European payment solutions around a shared ambition: to enable seamless cross-border payments across Europe by 2027.

The signing of the MoU is a key milestone for Europe's strategic autonomy in the area of payments. At a time when Europe remains heavily dependent on entities outside the continent, this grassroots industry initiative demonstrates that European banks and payment service providers have both the infrastructure and scale necessary to quickly deliver a viable alternative. The collaboration builds on the success of existing solutions, which will be connected via a central hub, creating a truly pan-European cross-border payment experience.

The initiative includes solutions currently used by approximately 130 million users, which translates into immediate value for both consumers and merchants operating across borders. At launch, the project will cover 13 European countries, which together account for around 72% of the population of the European Union and Norway. The coalition remains open to all European countries, including Switzerland and other markets outside the eurozone. Countries that already have their own national solutions can join directly, while those that do not can implement one of the solutions available under the initiative.

The signing of the MoU confirms the successful completion of the feasibility study phase. The project is now moving into the implementation phase.

For European end users, this means they can continue to use their preferred solution, but with extended European coverage and a consistent user experience, just like in their domestic market. Merchants will be able to accept payments from European consumers using European solutions, reducing their dependence on global players outside Europe. At the same time, a new common identification mark will be created, displayed alongside existing brands, allowing consumers to easily recognize where their preferred solutions are accepted outside their existing markets.

The interoperability model is based on a central technology hub, which will be managed by a new central unit jointly established by the partners. This hub will act as a technical layer, enabling the smooth flow of transactions between existing pan-European and national solutions, based on European standards and infrastructure, including instant account-to-account payments.

Existing payment solutions will remain unchanged. They will retain their brands, user experience, and functionalities.

According to the schedule, after signing the MoU, the partners will establish a central entity responsible for interoperability by the first half of 2026, begin preparations for the technical implementation of the target architecture, and simultaneously carry out proof-of-concept projects.

Full coverage of all key use cases is planned by 2027 as part of a gradual rollout. Cross-border peer-to-peer payments will be launched in 2026, while in 2027 the solution will cover e-commerce payments and payments at brick-and-mortar points of sale.

Based on the best European solutions and market diversity, the initiative will provide a scalable and sovereign European payment solution that supports innovation, convenience, and efficiency for both consumers and merchants.

"This Memorandum of Understanding is a huge step towards a truly pan-European payment network. The direction has been set, and the momentum is real. Together, we will deliver large-scale cross-border P2P, e-commerce, and POS payments. Building on the EuroPA alliance, which already connects national mobile solutions in Spain and Portugal, this collaboration significantly expands interoperability and brings seamless European payments to millions of users," said Fabrizio Burlando, CEO of Bancomat.

"Europe has the infrastructure, scale, and vision necessary to create a sovereign, robust, and reliable European alternative in the area of payments. The first steps have already been taken. The EuroPA alliance has been operating since March in four markets—Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Andorra—and clearly shows that the existing solutions are effective and quickly adapted by the market. In 2025, without any promotion, €6 million in cross-border transactions have already been completed. With this agreement, we are demonstrating our commitment to further cooperation so that more and more European citizens and merchants have access to trustworthy payment solutions that protect user data," added Ángel Nigorra, Managing Director of Bizum.

"This agreement shows that Europe's payment sovereignty is not a vision, but a reality in the making. Solutions such as Wero already exist and are operational in several countries. By connecting them through interoperability with our partners, we are laying the foundations for a truly European payment ecosystem based on solutions that are already available and trusted by users," emphasized Martina Weimert, CEO of EPI.

"European payment sovereignty will be achieved by combining trusted solutions, such as MB WAY, and the interoperability of European infrastructure. With MB WAY, we have shown that it is possible to build and scale trusted, instant payment systems in Europe that are widely adopted by users and merchants—both in brick-and-mortar stores, e-commerce, and P2P payments. MB WAY users can already send money to countries belonging to the EuroPA alliance, which proves that interoperability is the fastest way to a sovereign European payment ecosystem," said Teresa Mesquita, board member and COO of SIBS.

"At Vipps MobilePay, we work every day to make payments easy for users in the Nordic countries. We are proud to join this collaboration to connect Vipps and MobilePay with wallets in other European countries. If payments are to be truly simple, sending money abroad must be as easy as paying domestically. This collaboration brings this experience directly to the apps that our users already know and trust," summarized Rune Garborg, CEO of Vipps MobilePay.