EPI and Unzer have joined forces in a collaboration
**Unzer and Wero Partner to Boost Digital Payments for Small Businesses**
In a move set to revolutionize digital payments across Europe, Unzer, a leading payment service provider, has partnered with Wero, a mobile payment system developed by the European Payments Initiative (EPI). The partnership, set to kick off in September, aims to increase the reach of Wero on the merchant side, particularly focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that form the bulk of Unzer's clientele.
Wero, launched in July 2024, is a seamless and efficient payment solution designed to streamline transactions across Europe. It has already replaced several national payment systems, including Paylib in France, Giropay in Germany, and Payconiq in Belgium and Luxembourg. The system offers real-time account-to-account payments using SEPA rails and is available as a standalone app or integrated into partner banking apps.
Wero's features include peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers, which are already live, and plans to roll out merchant payments throughout 2025. The service is set to introduce e-commerce payments in the second half of 2025, followed by in-store payments, buy-now-pay-later options, and loyalty services starting from 2026. The service is currently available in France, Germany, and Belgium, with plans to extend to the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
Robert Bueninck, former Klarna manager, plays a significant role at Unzer. He expressed optimism about Wero, stating that he hopes many customers will adopt the solution. The demand from merchants for Wero will depend on its popularity among customers. Unzer aims to offer all relevant payment methods from a single source, which could potentially attract more merchants to adopt Wero.
The availability of Wero as a payment option for customers depends on their bank offering it. From September, Wero should appear as a payment option for merchants in e-commerce at checkout. Unzer has expanded its services, offering a new pay-by-bank option with Mastercard and Click to Pay for credit card payments.
It's worth noting that Unzer has previously faced issues with anti-money laundering measures, but these have since been resolved. The company offers integrated payment solutions for online and in-store retail, covering 85,000 merchants in eight European countries. The European Payments Initiative (EPI) is likely to welcome the news of increased interest in Wero from merchants, as it aims to increase the reach of Wero on the merchant side.
This partnership between Unzer and Wero is expected to streamline payment processes, reduce costs, and increase the adoption of digital payment solutions among smaller businesses. For precise details on the specifics of Unzer's involvement with Wero, further information would be needed.
The partnership between Unzer and Wero, focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), is expected to revolutionize business financial transactions by streamlining digital payments, while the integration of Wero into Unzer's payment services could potentially attract more businesses due to the offering of all relevant payment methods from a single source. Furthermore, as technology advances, Wero plans to expand its features, including e-commerce and in-store payments, buy-now-pay-later options, and loyalty services, all aimed at boosting business efficiency and finance.