Five major banks in Belgium have joined the European Payments Initiative (EPI) to launch the Wero digital wallet and instant account-to-account (A2A) payment application for customers in the first half of next year.
Argenta, Bank Van Breda, Beobank, Crelan, and vdk bank are preparing to implement Wero within their existing banking apps or as a standalone application for peer-to-peer (P2P) payments, expanding the initiative’s presence in Belgium.
Koen Spinoy, a member of the executive committee at Beobank, stated: “In line with our strong digital journey, mobile app usage at Beobank has grown by over 300% in just five years. Integrating payment solutions like Wero is a logical next step in our digital evolution. Wero aligns perfectly with our commitment to providing innovative, secure, and convenient payment experiences that meet our customers’ everyday needs.”
Wero will be available starting Summer 2024 for person-to-person transactions in Belgium, France, and Germany, and has already amassed over 40 million registered users. Future enhancements will include e-commerce payments later this year, followed by in-store payments, subscription management, and loyalty services starting in 2026.
The new Belgian members come after the recent onboarding of five banks from Luxembourg and the fintech super app Revolut.
Martina Weimert, CEO of the EPI Company, remarked, “I’m particularly proud to see the number of members trusting us is growing. These new members’ local presence and close relationship with their customers will be essential to making Wero a trusted part of everyday payments across the continent.”