Global Payments: Will Offering Wero Boost European Trade?

Worldpay, now a Global Payments company, announces it has joined the European Payments Initiative (EPI) to begin offering clients the pan-European instant payment solution, Wero. 

The new offering will allow clients to offer consumers more choice and flexibility at checkout as it allows Wero payments to be accepted across Europe. 

Taking place over the coming months, the move bolsters Global Payments’ growth strategy to bring more innovative solutions to global clients. 

The announcement also signals a step forward for the business as it expands its European payment acceptance capabilities. 

Wero, launched in 2024, serves as an account-to-account payment solution for Europe. The solution focuses on mobile-first payments, using phone numbers, in-app flows and QR codes.

The integration arrives as the industry prepares for a significant shift in consumer habits. Commenting on the partnership, James Fry, Head of Enterprise Product, Global Payments, notes:  “Consumers increasingly expect flexibility at checkout. 

“By 2030, we expect mobile’s share of e-commerce will be nearly 65%. Our collaboration with Wero gives European clients another secure way to meet those expectations – complementing existing payment options and enhancing the experience they are able to offer their customers.”

Providing secure alternatives is essential for merchants looking to keep pace with the forecasted $3.8tn global Account-to-Account (A2A) payment volume by 2030.

A sovereign European alternative

The system is built on the SEPA Instant Credit Transfer rails, ensuring high-speed settlement and security.

Since its launch in mid-2024 across Germany, France and Belgium, Wero has helped over 52 million consumers streamline their everyday payments. While the solution initially focused on peer-to-peer transactions, it is progressively rolling out support for online retail transactions throughout 2026.

This allows both consumers and merchants across Europe to benefit from a competitive alternative to international payment solutions.

For merchants, the collaboration provides a frictionless integration path. Businesses can add Wero as a checkout option without requiring additional hardware or complex new interfaces. By offering Wero alongside existing payment methods, merchants can better support preferred ways to pay, which is expected to boost conversion rates and overall satisfaction.

Martina Weimert, CEO of EPI Company, explains: ”Wero’s rapid growth and adoption demonstrates demand for a truly European payment ecosystem that combines instant payments, a wallet with broad merchant reach. 

“By teaming up with Global Payments, we’re enabling new merchants to unlock further opportunities to an extended base of potential customers, instantly, securely, and cost-efficiently.”

The cost-efficiency and security of the wallet system are key drivers for the initiative's expansion. This European-native solution represents a notable development for the EU market, and Global Payments – which completed its acquisition of Worldpay in January 2026 – remains focused on supporting its widespread adoption as a lead commerce solutions provider.

Global Payments Inc finalised its landmark acquisition of Worldpay from FIS and GTCR, a strategic pivot that transforms the Atlanta-based firm into a "pure-play" commerce solutions leader in early 2026. 

By simultaneously divesting its Issuer Solutions business, Global Payments sharpened its focus on integrated technology, serving a spectrum from micro-merchants to multinational enterprises.

The scale of the combined entity is formidable: it now supports over 6 million merchant locations across 175 countries, processing 94 billion transactions and a staggering US$3.7tn in annual volume.

Innovation, central to the merger, remains the highlight with the addition to EPI.