Commerzbank joins European payment app Wero

Germany's second-largest private bank strengthens the European payment system Wero, which is positioned as a counterweight to US services such as PayPal and Google Pay. Wero is an initiative of the EPI (European Payments Initiative) with the goal of establishing a pan-European instant-payment solution. Commerzbank's participation considerably expands Wero's reach.

Wero was launched in 2024 by several European banks (including Deutsche Bank, DZ Bank and the Sparkassen group). Commerzbank was initially not part of the consortium and is now changing course. Wero is meant to become a genuine European counterpart to US payment services. The app enables real-time payments between private individuals and, increasingly, in retail. The goal is a European payments infrastructure independent of US corporations (Visa, Mastercard, PayPal).