Europe has just taken another step toward building its own payments infrastructure, one capable of connecting the solutions already used by millions of citizens. Bizum, Bancomat, EPI Company/Wero, SIBS-MB WAY, and Vipps MobilePay have announced the creation of the European Network for Payments (ENP), a new entity that will be responsible for managing and expanding interoperability among their respective payment systems.
Together, the solutions involved in this initiative already serve around 130 million users across 13 European countries, a reach equivalent to more than 70% of the population of the European Union and Norway. The ultimate goal is for those people to make cross-border payments using the solutions they already know, both between individuals and in eCommerce and physical stores.
Fernando Rodríguez, Deputy General Manager of International Expansion at Bizum, said: “The creation of the European Network for Payments demonstrates the European banking sector’s ability to join forces and build a sovereign, efficient, and innovative payments system for citizens.
At Bizum, we are proud to contribute, together with our European partners, to an interoperable infrastructure that enables simple, instant, and secure cross-border payments, while preserving the trust and user experience of each local solution. This initiative strengthens Europe’s strategic autonomy and paves the way for a new generation of connected digital payments, designed to meet the needs of consumers and merchants across the continent.”
The main task of the European Network for Payments will be to manage the shared interoperability core that will connect the different solutions without requiring them to give up their own brands, apps, or user experiences.
In other words, the aim is not to create a new “European payment solution” to replace existing systems, but to build a common technical and operational layer that makes them work together. To do this, it will rely on European standards, including instant account-to-account (A2A) payments. This means that, once the system is fully rolled out, a user will be able to use Bizum in Spain to send or receive a payment from a user or merchant using, for example, MB WAY in Portugal.
This new European interoperability entity will be headquartered in Madrid, and the founding partners will be equal shareholders, with the ability to oversee technical coordination and the future expansion of both functionalities and participating solutions.
This last detail leaves the door open for ENP to grow. In fact, the European Network for Payments may incorporate other well-established European payment solutions in the future, provided there is agreement among the founding partners and those solutions meet the technical and operational requirements set by the network.
The participating solutions and ENP are currently preparing the technical implementation. According to the announcement, the gradual rollout is expected to begin with cross-border peer-to-peer payments, followed by eCommerce payments and point-of-sale (POS) payments in later phases.
Fabrizio Burlando, CEO of Bancomat, stated: “The creation of this interoperability entity represents a significant step forward in building a sovereign and integrated European payments ecosystem. By connecting strong national solutions through a shared framework, we are enabling seamless cross-border experiences while preserving the diversity, trust, and closeness that each system has developed in its own market. For BANCOMAT, this initiative reflects a clear strategic priority: to actively contribute to a scalable European model that combines innovation, interoperability, and resilience, strengthening the central role of European banks and infrastructures in the future of digital payments.”
For her part, Martina Weimert, CEO of EPI Company S.E, said: “Europeans should be able to use the payment solutions they already trust when traveling, shopping, or conducting cross-border business. Our vision for Wero is that every payment should be fast and simple, whether it is sending money, shopping online, or paying in a store. By connecting European payment solutions, we can bring that convenience beyond borders, offer consumers more choice, and help merchants serve customers across Europe without requiring major investments. This is how we build a sovereign European alternative that works in everyday life.”
“This is a decisive step toward a truly European payments ecosystem. By joining forces with BANCOMAT, Bizum, EPI, and Vipps MobilePay, we are building the infrastructure that will allow MB WAY users to pay seamlessly across borders, while preserving the sovereignty, trust, and closeness that define national payment solutions. Interoperability is not just a technical achievement. It is a statement about Europe’s ability to shape its own future in payments,” commented João Mello Franco, Chief Executive Officer of SIBS.
Finally, Kim Fuglsang Kristoffersen, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Vipps MobilePay, emphasized that: “Europe must move quickly to build strong, independent European payment solutions. That is why, at Vipps MobilePay, we are proud to join forces with leading payment solutions from across Europe that are already strong in their home markets. We are now connecting what we have built, turning ambition into action, and creating a strong European alternative that is easy for Europeans to use across borders.”
The creation of ENP is, in reality, the materialization of a project that has been advancing in phases for several years. In March 2025, Bizum began rolling out its interoperability with Bancomat and MB WAY, enabling mobile transfers between Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Andorra. That first network connected more than 50 million users.
A few months later, EPI (the company behind Wero) and the EuroPA alliance (made up of Bancomat, Bizum, SIBS-MB WAY, and Vipps MobilePay) announced their intention to expand this connection to the rest of the continent, with the goal of covering not only peer-to-peer payments, but also online and in-person commercial transactions.
The most concrete step came in February 2026, when the companies signed a memorandum of understanding and announced the future creation of a shared interoperability entity. The European Network for Payments is that entity, now moving from an agreement on paper to a joint structure tasked with coordinating its implementation.
Photo: generated with ChatGPT Images 2.5
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