Bancomat, SIBS-MB WAY, and EPI Company have reached a significant milestone by successfully completing a joint proof of concept (PoC) that showcases the interoperability between their respective mobile payment solutions for cross-border in-store transactions.
This PoC demonstrated that users from Bancomat’s platform in Italy, EPI’s Wero in various markets, and MB WAY in Portugal can conduct QR-code-based person-to-merchant payments at merchants across different networks.
The exercise received operational support from La Banque Postale, Intesa Sanpaolo, and the 28 financial institutions that are part of MB WAY’s membership. This supports the technical and operational viability of a common central interoperability model that would enable mobile payment applications from different European countries to operate seamlessly across borders without displacing existing national brands.
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Framework and Roadmap
The PoC is a tangible result of the Memorandum of Understanding signed on February 2, 2026, between Bancomat, Bizum, EPI, SIBS-MB WAY, and Vipps MobilePay. Together, these solutions serve approximately 130 million users in 13 European countries, accounting for roughly 72% of the EU and Norway’s combined population.
The MoU outlines plans to implement cross-border peer-to-peer payments in 2026 and expand to e-commerce and point-of-sale (POS) payments by 2027, which will include completing NFC-based POS payment interoperability. The initiative aims to build pan-European payment coverage using existing national solutions via a central interoperability hub instead of creating a new pan-European brand or displacing established domestic schemes.
On the significance of this move, Fabrizio Burlando, CEO of Bancomat, stated that the PoC illustrates Europe’s potential for achieving genuine interoperability by leveraging its own strengths. Martina Weimert, CEO of EPI, elaborated that cross-border payments using local schemes will gradually become a standard practice across Europe. Teresa Mesquita, an Executive Board Member and COO of SIBS, reinforced the PoC’s role in laying the groundwork for a truly interoperable European ecosystem that is independent and resilient.
