Nuvei now processes Wero’s instant A2A payments, giving EU merchants faster, cheaper checkout options and boosting conversion with Europe’s preferred digital wallet.
Nuvei, the global payment technology firm, announced on Wednesday that it has begun processing transactions via Wero, the digital wallet developed by the European Payments Initiative (EPI). The integration marks a significant operational step in Europe’s ambitious, long-term project to challenge the dominance of American card networks and digital wallets.
Designed to deliver instant, secure account-to-account (A2A) payments, Wero utilizes the SEPA Instant Credit Transfer infrastructure. This allows consumers to transfer funds directly from their bank accounts to merchants in seconds, effectively bypassing traditional credit card networks and the associated fees.
A Push for Sovereignty
The adoption of Wero is more than a technical upgrade; it is part of a broader geopolitical strategy. European regulators and financial institutions have long sought a homegrown alternative to Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal to ensure the continent’s “financial sovereignty.”
Martina Weimert, the chief executive of EPI, framed the partnership as a critical milestone for this vision.
“Nuvei will bring an important contribution in driving the adoption of a truly European payment solution that strengthens the continent’s financial sovereignty,” Ms. Weimert said in a statement. She noted that Wero offers merchants a “cost-efficient alternative” to traditional payment methods.
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The Business Case
For merchants, the integration promises reduced processing costs and accelerated settlement times. Phil Fayer, the chair and chief executive of Nuvei, emphasized that the move addresses consumer demand for local flexibility.
“Going live with Wero is another example of how Nuvei enables merchants to offer the most advanced and locally relevant payment methods through a single integration,” Mr. Fayer said.
Data supports the pivot toward localization. According to research from Deloitte and the Baymard Institute, offering preferred local payment methods can reduce cart abandonment rates—currently a sticking point for 9% of shoppers—and improve conversion rates by up to 20%.
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Early Adoption
Nuvei was among the first processors to test the Wero system earlier this year. The platform has already gained traction on the consumer side, boasting over 46 million users in Europe and processing more than €5 billion in peer-to-peer transactions.
CamperDays, a leading online campervan rental platform, is among the first merchants to accept Wero payments via Nuvei’s integration. Max Schmidt, the managing director of CamperDays, highlighted the need to cater to “diverse preferences” and offer a trusted, direct-bank payment option for travelers.
