- Bancomat (Italy), Bizum (Spain and Andorra), and MB WAY/SIBS (Portugal) have enabled cross-border instant payments among their services.
- The initiative, named EuroPA, aims to facilitate seamless transactions for over 45 million users across these countries.
What happened: A step towards unified European payments
In a significant move towards pan-European payment integration, leading mobile payment providers Bancomat, Bizum, and MB WAY/SIBS have launched EuroPA, a project designed to enable cross-border instant payments among Italy, Spain, and Portugal. This collaboration was showcased with live demonstrations at the Web Summit, highlighting real-time transactions between users of the three services.
The interoperability is facilitated through SEPA instant transfers, in partnership with financial institutions from the respective countries. EuroPA represents an initial step towards connecting over 45 million users and more than 182 financial institutions, with plans to expand availability from 2025, starting in Italy, Portugal, and Spain, and aiming to extend across Europe.
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Why it is important
The introduction of EuroPA holds significant implications for the European payment ecosystem. By enabling interoperability among Bancomat, Bizum, and MB WAY/SIBS, the initiative addresses the longstanding fragmentation in Europe’s payment market. This collaboration aligns with the Eurosystem’s objectives to promote the adoption of pan-European instant transfers using existing infrastructures. The combined user base of over 45 million individuals, who conducted approximately 1.5 billion payments in 2023, underscores the potential impact of this initiative.
Furthermore, EuroPA sets a precedent for future collaborations, with ongoing discussions to include additional payment solutions, thereby fostering a more integrated and efficient European payment network.
