Wero initially allows individuals to send and receive money between themselves, via instant account-to-account transfers, using a phone number, a QR code generated by the application or an email address. email.
The service, already available in Germany, will be deployed by the end of the year in Belgium, before Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
In France, Wero has already been available since September for customers of a few banks (BPCE and Crédit Mutuel) and its deployment will extend throughout the month of October (for BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole, Société Générale and Banque Postale ).
These customers have access mainly via their banking applications. Only the Postal Bank in France will direct its customers to the dedicated Wero application, which is scheduled for release during the second half of October.
This payment solution is in line with the Paylib interbank service, which is due to disappear at the start of next year.
A less ambitious project than expected
This project, initially more ambitious, with a development cost estimated in billions of euros, has faced headwinds since its creation and has experienced several successive delays.
Imagined as a European competitor to the American giants Visa and Mastercard, its scope was largely revised downwards at the start of 2022 with a refocusing on a sort of dematerialized wallet, accessible on mobile, and the abandonment of the physical card project, against a backdrop of dissension between its members.
In the years to come, Wero will also have to be gradually expanded to payments to internet merchants (e-commerce), professionals and finally to local businesses.
