2026 marks a turning point in European payments: With Wero, the European Payments Initiative (EPI) launches in e-commerce, A2A payments are moving to the fore and SEPA Instant becomes the new standard: in the second half of 2025, 25 percent of all credit transfers in euro area retail payment systems were instant transfers (ECB). For e-commerce merchants, this means: lower fees, faster settlement and more independence from US payment providers.
Wero: Europe's New Payment Solution
Wero is the flagship of the European Payments Initiative (EPI) – a consortium of 18 banks and financial service companies (EPI). After the launch for peer-to-peer payments in July 2024, the e-commerce solution has been available in Germany since November 2025; Wero also works for payments in France and Belgium (Wero). More countries will follow.
Wero will gradually replace Giropay (Germany), Paylib (France), Payconiq (Belgium/Luxembourg) and iDEAL (Netherlands) – a consolidation of the fragmented European payment market.
Wero E-Commerce Timeline
- July 2024: Wero launch for P2P payments in Germany, France, Belgium
- November 2025: E-commerce launch in Germany (Sparkassen, Volksbanken)
- Q1 2026: Deutsche Bank, Postbank, ING Germany, Revolut follow
- 2026: E-commerce launch in Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands
- 2026: NFC payments at Point of Sale (in-store)
- H2 2026: N26 integrates Wero for customers in DE, FR, NL
Wero Integration for Online Stores
Integration of Wero into your Shopware or WooCommerce store is done through established Payment Service Providers. Acquirers and partners like Mollie, Stripe, Adyen, PAYONE, Unzer and Worldline are actively preparing Wero integration.
# Wero via Mollie in Shopware 6
# Plugin: Mollie Payments App
mollie:
payment_methods:
- credit_card
- paypal
- ideal
- wero # Available from 2026
checkout:
express_checkout: true
one_click_payments: trueWero offers lower transaction costs than credit cards because interchange and scheme fees do not apply, instant payment confirmation via SEPA Instant, no chargebacks like credit cards and European data sovereignty without US dependency.
A2A Payments: The Global Trend
Account-to-Account (A2A) Payments – also known as "Pay by Bank" – are direct transfers from customer account to merchant account without credit card networks as intermediaries. The basis for this is growing measurably: in euro area retail payment systems, the share of instant transfers among all credit transfers rose from 16 percent in the second half of 2024 to 25 percent in the second half of 2025 (ECB).
| Feature | Credit Card | A2A Payment | Wero |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost model | Interchange and scheme fee, turnover-based | Bank fee per transfer | Bank fee per transfer |
| Settlement | 2-5 days | Instant | Instant |
| Chargebacks | Yes (risk) | No | No |
| Authentication | 3D Secure | Bank login | Bank app |
| Data privacy | US providers | Local | EU (EPI) |
| Availability DE | Universal | Growing | Since 2025 |
Why A2A Payments Take Off in 2026
Cost Savings
Without interchange and scheme fees, more of the revenue stays in the business. How much depends on the bank fee model.
Instant Liquidity
Money is immediately in your account – no waiting for credit card settlement (2-5 days).
No Chargeback Risk
A2A payments cannot be reversed like credit card payments.
Open Banking APIs
PSD2/PSD3 enable secure bank connections. Integration expertise.
Regulatory Support
EU Instant Payments Regulation (IPR) 2024 makes SEPA Instant mandatory for banks.
Customer Acceptance
Familiar bank authentication instead of card data entry increases conversion.
SEPA Instant: The New Standard
With the EU Instant Payments Regulation (IPR), SEPA Instant Credit Transfer becomes the standard in European payments. Since January 2025, all banks in the eurozone must be able to receive instant transfers, since October 2025 also send them. In 2026, SEPA Instant will be available across the board.
From 2026, Verification of Payee (VoP) will be visible in banking apps. VoP checks before the transfer whether IBAN and recipient name match – an important protection against fraud and typos.
SEPA Request-to-Pay (SRTP)
SEPA Request-to-Pay is a messaging framework by the European Payments Council that enables merchants to send payment requests directly to customers – via SMS, WhatsApp or email. The customer confirms payment in their banking app. For e-commerce and B2B business, SRTP opens new possibilities:
- Checkout simplification: No card data entry, just banking app confirmation
- Recurring Payments: Variable Recurring Payments (VRPs) for subscriptions
- B2B invoices: Direct payment request via SRTP instead of classic transfer
- Dunning: Automated payment reminders with one-click payment
Checkout Optimization 2026
Checkout is the most critical point in the e-commerce funnel. Checkout times under 10 seconds become the baseline standard in 2026. 17 percent of US online shoppers have abandoned an order because the checkout was too long or too complicated (Baymard Institute). With PageSpeed optimization and modern payment methods, you achieve optimal performance.
One-Click Checkout
Saved payment methods + biometric authentication = under 10 seconds checkout.
Multi-Currency Wallets
Displaying local currencies saves the customer the conversion maths. For international Shopware shops.
Express Checkout
Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal Express: 9 percent of abandoners name too few payment methods as their reason (Baymard Institute).
Local Payment Methods
Wero, iDEAL, Klarna, SOFORT – country-specific methods are conversion boosters.
$260 billion worth of lost orders in the US and EU is recoverable through better checkout design alone (Baymard Institute). The most common reasons for abandonment: extra costs too high (40 percent), a checkout that is too long or too complicated (17 percent) and too few payment methods (9 percent). Contact us for a checkout analysis.
Payment Trends Overview
In addition to Wero, A2A and SEPA Instant, other trends shape the payment market in 2026:
Digital Wallets Dominate
Digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal) bundle card, account and balance in one interface and are widely used at checkout. The trend is toward "wallet-first" checkouts where wallet options are displayed prominently.
Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL)
BNPL providers like Klarna, PayPal Pay Later and Riverty defer the payment. For merchants, BNPL means higher average order values and improved conversion for high-priced products.
European Digital Identity (eIDAS 2.0)
By November 2026, all EU member states must provide the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW). This government-backed identity solution will impact payment authentication, KYC processes and checkout simplification.
Payment Integration in Shopware & WooCommerce
Integration of modern payment methods is done through Payment Service Providers (PSPs) like Mollie, Stripe, Adyen or PAYONE. These offer plugins for all common shop systems and bundle various payment methods in one integration.
// Example: Sort payment methods by priority
const paymentMethods = [
{ id: 'apple_pay', priority: 1, type: 'express' },
{ id: 'google_pay', priority: 2, type: 'express' },
{ id: 'paypal', priority: 3, type: 'wallet' },
{ id: 'wero', priority: 4, type: 'a2a' }, // 2026
{ id: 'klarna', priority: 5, type: 'bnpl' },
{ id: 'credit_card', priority: 6, type: 'card' },
{ id: 'sepa_direct', priority: 7, type: 'bank' }
];
// Show express checkout buttons at top
const expressPayments = paymentMethods
.filter(m => m.type === 'express')
.sort((a, b) => a.priority - b.priority);Mollie
Wero integration in preparation. Plugins for Shopware, WooCommerce, Magento.
Stripe
40+ payment methods, 135+ currencies. Wero support announced for 2026.
Adyen
Enterprise PSP with Wero partnership. Ideal for international e-commerce projects.
Action Items for Merchants
- Review PSP strategy: Does your Payment Service Provider support Wero? If not, evaluate switching.
- Activate express checkout: Place Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal Express prominently.
- Prepare for A2A payments: Plan Wero and other A2A methods for 2026.
- Measure checkout performance: Aim for checkout time under 10 seconds.
- International expansion: Integrate local payment methods for target markets.
- Use SEPA Instant: For B2B payments and payouts to customers.
This article is based on data from: European Central Bank (payments statistics on the share of instant credit transfers), European Payments Initiative (founding members and Wero), European Payments Council (SEPA Instant) and Baymard Institute (checkout abandonment). The figures reflect the state of each linked publication.
Frequently Asked Questions About Payment Trends 2026
Wero is a European payment solution by the European Payments Initiative (EPI), backed by 18 banks and financial service companies (EPI). For e-commerce, Wero has been available in Germany since November 2025, with more EU countries following in 2026. Wero will gradually replace Giropay, Paylib, Payconiq and iDEAL.
A2A (Account-to-Account) Payments are direct transfers from customer to merchant account without credit card networks. This eliminates interchange fees and scheme fees; the fee follows the bank model instead of the order value.
Wero is integrated via Payment Service Providers like Mollie, Stripe, Adyen or PAYONE. These offer plugins for Shopware, WooCommerce and other shop systems. The Wero method appears automatically in checkout once activated with the PSP.
SEPA Instant transfers money in seconds (24/7/365), classic SEPA transfers take 1-2 business days. Since 2025, all EU banks must offer SEPA Instant, which enables A2A payments and Wero.
An optimal selection includes: Express checkout (Apple Pay, Google Pay), Wallet (PayPal), A2A/Wero, BNPL (Klarna), credit card and SEPA direct debit. The weighting depends on your target audience and markets. Contact us for individual advice.
In 2026, checkout times under 10 seconds become standard. One-click checkout with saved payment methods and biometric authentication (Face ID, fingerprint) enables this. Longer checkouts lead to significantly higher abandonment rates.
European Payment Revolution
2026 is a pivotal year for European payments. With Wero, a genuine European alternative to US dominance in credit cards and PayPal emerges for the first time. A2A payments offer merchants massive cost advantages, and SEPA Instant makes real-time transfers the standard. Those who adapt their payment strategy now will secure competitive advantages through lower costs and better conversion. What the instant payments obligation means for shops is covered in our article on SEPA instant payments.
As an e-commerce agency with over 15 years of industry experience, we support you in integrating modern payment solutions – from selecting the right PSP to technical implementation and checkout optimization. Contact us for a free consultation. Our article on express checkout covers the payment step itself.