Nuvei, the Canadian fintech company, announces its membership in the European Payments Initiative (EPI), reportedly becoming one of the payment services providers to enable ecommerce businesses to accept Wero, EPI’s digital wallet, in their online checkouts.
Wero facilitates instant account-to-account (A2A) transfers using SEPA Instant Credit Transfer protocols, “enabling users to send money within 10 seconds via mobile numbers, email addresses, or QR codes.”
Created to unify Europe’s payment landscape and enhance financial sovereignty, Wero has seen adoption, “attracting over 40 million users since its initial launch in Germany, France, and Belgium in late 2024.”
Expansion into the Netherlands and Luxembourg is set to begin shortly, alongside “planned enhancements, such as Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) and customer loyalty programs, further increasing Wero’s appeal to European consumers.”
Nuvei’s merchant clients will gain early “access to this expanding European payment solution through their existing single integration with Nuvei’s core payments platform.”
While pilot programs begin in May 2025, general availability “for merchants is scheduled for September 2025.”
Philip Fayer, Nuvei Chair and CEO, commented on the announcement:
“Europe is actively seeking greater payment sovereignty and consumer-centric solutions, and Wero directly addresses these strategic imperatives. By integrating Wero into our platform early, we are empowering our merchant partners to capitalize on emerging payment trends and deliver preferred local payment experiences at scale. This positions Nuvei uniquely as a leader in supporting European merchants with forward-thinking payment innovations.”
Martina Weimert, CEO of EPI, added:
“Our partnership with Nuvei is a new key step towards Wero’s expansion to the e-commerce sector. By making Wero available to Nuvei’s extensive merchant network, we’re accelerating the adoption of a truly European payment solution that enhances financial sovereignty while delivering a seamless, easy and innovative experience for consumers and businesses alike. This collaboration aligns perfectly with our vision of creating a unified payment ecosystem that serves the unique needs of the European market.”
This partnership underscores Nuvei’s ongoing commitment to “building the comprehensive and agile alternative payment method (APM) portfolio.”
Through a single, flexible integration, Nuvei enables merchants globally “to customize their payment offerings, ensuring alignment with local consumer preferences and market trends.”
EPI (or European Payments Initiative) is supported “by 16 European banks and payment service providers.”
They have joined forces with “a common goal: to offer a unified mobile payment service, to all European companies and citizens, Wero.”
EPI intends to enable European consumers and merchants and “to carry out all types of retail transactions simply, via a resolutely sovereign digital wallet.”
Based on instant account-to-account (A2A) payments, Wero further streamlines payments in Europe by eliminating “intermediaries in the payment chain and the associated additional costs.”
Wero supports payments between individuals, and will “unveil payments to professionals (P2Pro) and those for online and mobile purchases.”
Point-of-sale payments will also be provided, as well as “value-added services such as merchant loyalty programs and recurring subscription management.”