The Spanish instant payments platform Bizum has reached an agreement with several of its European counterparts So that sending money to another country will be as easy as sending it to a contact in Spain today. The initiative will allow users to make cross-border personal payments almost instantly, using the same banking app they already use every day.
The project, driven by several European mobile payment solutions, It expects to have peer-to-peer payments operational throughout 2026 And, in a second phase, this interoperability will be extended to purchases at online stores and point-of-sale terminals. The idea is that crossing borders will no longer be an obstacle when sending money or paying with a mobile phone.
A European alliance to connect mobile payments
The agreement involves Bizum (Spain), Bancomat (Italy), SIBS-MB Way (Portugal), the European Payments Initiative (EPI) through its Wero solution (active in France, Germany and Belgium) and Vipps MobilePay (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden)All these platforms are part of a coalition that seeks to strengthen mobile payments within the continent.
On the whole, These payment solutions already serve approximately 130 million users spread across 13 European countries. Once fully deployed, the interoperability network will cover approximately 72% of the population of the European Union and Norway, connecting a large portion of the citizens who already use their mobile phones for daily payments.
The agreement is part of broader cooperation among European payment systems, which also includes partnerships such as the European Mobile Payment Systems Association (EMPSA)The goal is to move towards a network that transcends national borders, leveraging common infrastructures and standards to enable mobile payments to function in a coordinated manner.
Furthermore, the coalition maintains a open to other European marketsThis includes countries outside the eurozone, such as Switzerland. States that already have a national mobile payment solution can join directly, while those without their own tool will have the option of implementing one of the existing platforms within the initiative.
Central entity and technical interoperability
To make this system a reality, the signatory platforms have agreed create a central entity or organization which will act as a core interoperability hub between all the services involved. This body will function as a technological hub, connecting the various national solutions without replacing or absorbing them.
The task of that entity will be manage the routing and execution of cross-border paymentsLeveraging existing European payment rules and infrastructure, including instant account-to-account payments, users will continue to conduct transactions through their bank's app, providing a very similar experience to what they are already familiar with.
Technical work will begin in the coming months, with teams from all partners. developing and testing the necessary mechanisms for the platforms to "talk" to each otherProof-of-concept tests and pilot programs will be conducted before making the system available to the general public, with the aim of ensuring that operations are fast, reliable, and consistent across all countries.
As Bizum explained, Existing payment solutions in each market will not undergo changes to their branding, interface, or basic functionalities.In other words, Bizum users will continue using Bizum as before, and the same will apply to the other apps. The difference will be that, when they want to send money to someone in another participating country, they will be able to do so without resorting to traditional bank transfers or new services.
How will cross-border personal payments work?
The central idea is that Sending money to a contact in another country should be as quick and easy as a domestic Bizum.Users will still be able to identify the recipient using their mobile phone number, without needing to know their IBAN, BIC code or any other complex banking details, which greatly simplifies the process compared to traditional international transfers.
The various platforms involved will function in a compatible manner, so that A Bizum user in Spain will be able to send money to a Bancomat user in Italy or a SIBS-MB Way user in Portugal without changing applications. The same principle will apply to other country combinations within the network, facilitating everyday payments between family, friends, or small purchase-sale agreements between individuals.
Currently, this type of interoperability is already a reality between Bizum, Bancomat and MB WayUsers of these three solutions can make payments or personal transfers between them. Spain, Italy, Portugal and AndorraThe new project extends that reach to the rest of the territories covered by Wero and Vipps MobilePay, integrated into the EuroPA alliance and European mobile payment initiatives.
This advance is interpreted as a significant step within the digitization of financial services in EuropeBy making everyday payments between countries easier, it responds to a growing demand for agile solutions on a continent where travel, teleworking and transnational relationships are becoming increasingly common.
Schedule: first P2P payments, then purchases in stores
The planned rollout will be done in phases. First, The priority will be to enable peer-to-peer (P2P) payments between different countries. The goal set by the participating platforms is for these cross-border payments to be fully operational by 2026, once the necessary technical tests and regulatory adjustments have been completed.
In a second stage, the initiative contemplates Extend interoperability to purchases in e-commerce stores and point-of-sale terminals in participating countries. The plan is to roll out this commercial functionality progressively starting in 2027, so that users can pay in physical and online stores abroad with the same mobile payment solution they use in their home country.
This means that, in the medium term, a Spanish user could Pay in a shop in France, Germany or Belgium using Bizumprovided the establishment accepts the common network created by these platforms. The same would apply to online purchases on websites in participating countries, where users would see a badge indicating the compatibility of their payment method.
This phased approach allows entities to adjust timelines to the technical and regulatory complexity of connecting multiple national systems under a single common framework. This aims to ensure that, when the service is launched across the board, it offers a level of security and reliability comparable to that of current national payments.
New brand identifier to recognize payments abroad
One of the elements foreseen in the agreement is the creation of a new common brand mark This seal will be displayed alongside the usual visual identity of each national solution. It will allow consumers to quickly identify where their payment methods are accepted when traveling or shopping in other European countries.
In practice, this means that users will be able to recognize which online stores or services can use Bizum or another equivalent solution Simply by looking at this shared logo. In the case of Spain, the logo will indicate where Bizum is a valid payment method outside of national borders, both in physical stores and on digital platforms.
Maintaining the unique brand identity of each service is a key aspect of the project. The platforms will retain their name, design and user experiencewhile the new emblem will act solely as an indicator of international acceptance within the network of connected countries.
With this strategy, the entities seek to take advantage of the strength and recognition of already established brands in each market, while also providing a simple visual guideline so the customer knows when they can use their usual app beyond their home country.
Security, data protection and the role of the financial industry
Bizum and its partners have insisted that the agreement aims to guarantee that More European citizens and merchants gain access to reliable payment solutions that protect their dataThe CEO of Bizum, Ángel Nigorra, has emphasized that these types of projects are only possible through a collective commitment among the various participating entities.
Spanish banking employers' associations AEB, CECA and Unacc They have also expressed their support for the interconnection of European mobile payment systems. In their statements, they emphasized that this is a significant step towards modernizing payments in the European Union and strengthening the continent's strategic autonomy in such a sensitive area as finance.
These associations, which are in turn integrated into European organizations in the sector such as EBF, ESBG and EACBThey argue that industry-led initiatives are essential to boosting innovation and efficiency, leveraging the banking infrastructure already deployed in Europe and its expertise in risk management.
The project is designed to run on European infrastructures and standardsThe aim is to strengthen the region's technological and financial sovereignty and reduce dependence on external providers. At the same time, the focus is on maintaining high levels of security, privacy, and data protection in all cross-border transactions.
Bizum in Spain: internal consolidation and international expansion
In the Spanish context, Bizum has become the go-to tool It facilitates instant payments between individuals and has been gaining traction in both physical and online commerce. Driven by Spanish banks, the platform maintains sustained growth in both the number of users and transaction volume.
In the latest available exercise, More than 30 million people used Bizum in Spainwith a double-digit increase compared to the previous year. Around 3,4 million payments were made daily through the platform, with a cumulative volume exceeding €67.000 billion for the year.
The use of Bizum is no longer limited to transfers between friends or family. Nearly 111.000 businesses and online stores accept Bizum as a payment method, which has extended its presence to a large part of everyday purchases and has made it easier for many businesses to integrate fast mobile payments into their sales channels.
Alongside this internal growth, Bizum has begun to take steps towards the outside world. Since March 2025, it has been possible to make cross-border payments with users in Italy, Portugal, and Andorra.Thanks to interoperability with Bancomat and SIBS-MB Way, the new European alliance reinforces and expands this initial step, paving the way for this functionality to reach the other countries participating in the agreement.
Impact on citizens, businesses and the European single market
For end users, the main advantage will be the ability to send and receive money smoothly to other countries Without having to switch apps, learn how new services work, or deal with the complexities of traditional international transfers. The experience will closely resemble the current use of domestic mobile payments, with immediate and intuitive transactions.
Businesses, especially those with an online presence, will be able to expand its potential customer base in other European countries who prefer to pay with tools they already know. Interoperability will make it easier for a foreign buyer to feel more comfortable using their usual app, which can boost sales and reduce checkout abandonment.
From the perspective of the single market, the interconnection of these platforms is interpreted as a step towards a greater economic and financial integration within the European UnionIf cross-border payments become as simple as domestic ones, frictions that still act as a barrier to trade and economic relations between citizens of different countries are eliminated.
Overall, the initiative places Bizum and the other European partners in a prominent position within the evolution of mobile payments on the continent. bringing us closer to a scenario where paying or sending money in another European country is not very different from doing so in one's own.neither in speed nor in ease of use.
