Five European Payment Apps Join ENP to Connect Wero, Bizum, MB WAY and Others Across Borders

The formation of a new European Payment Network (ENP) by five leading payment apps marks a significant step toward a truly border‑less digital wallet experience for consumers and merchants across the continent.

The ENP is designed to sit alongside existing schemes such as SEPA and the Single Euro Payments Area, but it focuses on instant, app‑based transactions that can move seamlessly between national borders. By pooling the technical infrastructure of each participant, the network aims to reduce friction, lower transaction costs, and provide a unified user experience without the need for multiple accounts.

Wero, a Dutch‑origin fintech that has built a reputation for fast peer‑to‑peer transfers, is one of the founding members. Its platform already supports a range of European currencies and integrates with local banking APIs, making it a natural fit for a cross‑border initiative. Alongside Wero, the network includes Spain's Bizum, Portugal's MB WAY, and two other regional players, each bringing a sizable user base and established compliance frameworks.

How the ENP will operate

Under the ENP, each app will retain its brand and user interface, but transactions that involve a different member will be routed through a shared clearing layer. This layer handles currency conversion, fraud monitoring, and regulatory reporting in a standardized way. The architecture relies on existing payment rails and leverages open‑banking standards, which means that the network can be launched without waiting for new legislation.

To facilitate seamless currency conversion, the network will make use of services such as Wise, which already offers competitive exchange rates and real‑time settlement. Card issuance and tokenisation will be supported by partners like Cardentity, ensuring that users can link physical cards to their digital wallets without additional onboarding steps.

Implications for users and businesses

For consumers, the ENP promises the ability to send money to a friend in another EU country with the same speed and cost as a domestic transfer. The user experience remains familiar – the same app, the same contact list – but the backend handles the cross‑border complexities. Merchants, especially small and medium‑sized enterprises, will gain access to a broader customer base without having to integrate multiple payment providers, as the ENP aggregates the acceptance of all member apps.

Regulators have welcomed the collaborative approach, noting that a shared compliance layer can improve oversight and reduce the risk of money‑laundering. While the network is still in its early rollout phase, the participating firms have committed to a phased launch, starting with the Eurozone and later expanding to include additional currencies and markets.

Looking ahead, the ENP could serve as a template for further consolidation in the European payments landscape. If the pilot proves successful, other fintechs may be invited to join, potentially creating a pan‑European payment fabric that rivals global card schemes. For now, the partnership signals a clear intent: to make cross‑border digital payments as effortless as sending a text message.