Airwallex has added direct support for Wero, the instant account-to-account payment scheme developed by the European Payments Initiative (EPI), allowing merchants to accept the payment method without requiring a European entity.
What Wero consolidates
Wero brings together several existing local payment methods used across Europe, including Giropay in Germany and Payconiq in Belgium and Luxembourg, with Paylib in France and iDEAL in the Netherlands expected to follow. The scheme was launched in 2024 by EPI, a consortium of major European banks and payment providers, as an instant account-to-account (A2A) payment method. Under Wero, shoppers pay directly from their bank account, with funds moving instantly rather than through card networks.
Wero is currently live for shoppers in Germany and Belgium, with France set to follow in October 2026. As of June 2026, the scheme had 55 million registered users across Europe.
To use Wero, shoppers link their bank account once and subsequently authenticate through their own banking app or the standalone Wero app. Each transaction is routed to the shopper's bank for real-time approval, without the need for card details or manual IBAN entry.
Airwallex's role as an integration partner
Airwallex has stated it is a Principal Member of EPI and one of a limited number of payment service providers with a direct partnership for Wero. Through the integration, merchants using Airwallex can activate Wero within their existing setup and accept payments from European shoppers globally, without establishing a European entity. Airwallex has also introduced a Wero plugin for Shopify merchants, removing the need for redirect-based checkout flows. Wero payments processed through Airwallex can be settled in EUR, avoiding currency conversion between the transaction and settlement currencies.
According to figures published by Airwallex, Wero carries a processing fee of 0.8%, compared with 3.30% to 3.60% for card payments, and settles on the same calendar day (T+0), compared with an average of around three days for card transactions.
Product roadmap and functionality
Wero's roadmap extends beyond one-off payments. The scheme supports one-click payments, under which shoppers can pre-consent to transactions of up to EUR 800 over a rolling four-week period, with Airwallex citing a conversion uplift of 7% to 9% linked to reduced checkout friction and fewer failed transactions from redirects. Wero also supports recurring billing for subscriptions, payment-on-delivery models, real-time fraud scoring intended to flag suspicious transactions before authorisation, and point-of-sale acceptance through payment terminals.
Market context
EPI has indicated plans for broader interoperability between Wero and other local payment methods by 2027. Airwallex has said its support for Wero forms part of a wider investment of over USD 1 billion across the EMEA region, covering new product launches and the expansion of its regional teams. The move reflects a broader shift among European banks and payment providers toward instant, bank-backed payment infrastructure as an alternative to card-based processing.
