BNP Paribas Expands Wero Online Payments with Air France and Decathlon Partnerships

BNP Paribas has expanded the rollout of the Wero digital wallet to include online merchant payments, moving beyond its initial person-to-person focus. By onboarding major retailers like Air France and Decathlon, the bank is positioning Wero as a viable European alternative to global card schemes, offering fintech professionals a glimpse into the continent's unified payment future.

What was announced

BNP Paribas is transitioning Wero from a peer-to-person (P2P) service into a comprehensive e-commerce payment method. Retail customers in France can now use the wallet to make online purchases at participating merchants without the need to enter card details. The rollout covers five key European markets: France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. This expansion allows BNP Paribas merchant customers to accept Wero payments while providing retail users with a unified checkout experience.

Several high-profile merchants have already committed to the platform. Orange, through its Sosh brand, began offering Wero as a payment method on September 2, 2026. Decathlon previously launched the service in Germany and Belgium on July 20, 2026, and is now extending its reach. Other major partners preparing for launch include Air France—the first airline to adopt the solution—and Fnac Darty. The system is designed for "bank-grade trust," requiring payment validation within the user's existing banking environment through strong authentication and providing immediate confirmation.

For merchants, the value proposition lies in a single integration approach that works across multiple countries and integrates with existing payment infrastructure. The solution is intended to complement existing card and wallet mixes. Beyond e-commerce, the development roadmap for Wero includes expanding into new use cases, notably in-store payments, recurring payments, and subscriptions, with the goal of providing a consistent experience across different payment moments.

"Wero is reaching a major milestone in its development with the rollout of online payments. This significant step is designed to accelerate adoption by both consumers and merchants, who will benefit from a simple, efficient and useful everyday experience. Merchants will play a key role in turning this innovative European ambition, complementary to cards, into a genuine everyday payment solution."

Thierry Laborde, Chief Operating Officer of BNP Paribas.

The companies involved

BNP Paribas is one of the largest banking groups in the world and a founding member of the Wero initiative. Headquartered in France, the bank has a significant retail and commercial presence across Europe, which it is leveraging to drive merchant adoption of new payment technologies. The bank’s involvement is central to the project's goal of providing a sovereign European payment alternative that reduces reliance on international card networks.

The technology behind Wero is managed by EPI Company (European Payments Initiative). EPI was formed by a consortium of major European banks and payment service providers to create a unified payment system for the continent. By developing a digital wallet that bypasses traditional international card networks for certain transactions, EPI Company aims to foster European financial sovereignty. The company has been steadily expanding its ecosystem, recently integrating various national payment schemes and onboarding new principal members to scale the Wero brand across the Eurozone. Martina Weimert serves as the CEO of EPI Company, overseeing the strategic direction of the wallet's rollout.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has closely followed the evolution of the European Payments Initiative and the scaling of its flagship product. Recently, we reported that HiPay Joins European Payments Initiative to Scale Wero Payment Method Across Europe, a move that strengthened the technical and commercial reach of the wallet. This expansion of the partner ecosystem is a critical component of the project's strategy to achieve the necessary network effects for a pan-European payment system. The integration of payment service providers like HiPay alongside major retail banks like BNP Paribas illustrates the multi-pronged approach being taken to challenge established global payment giants in the e-commerce space.

What this means

The move into e-commerce is the critical test for Wero’s long-term viability. While person-to-person payments establish a user base, high-volume merchant acceptance is required to challenge the dominance of global card schemes. By onboarding heavyweights like Air France and Decathlon, BNP Paribas is attempting to solve the "chicken and egg" problem inherent in two-sided payment networks. The industry is watching to see if bank-grade security and the promise of European sovereignty can overcome the entrenched convenience of established digital wallets. This rollout puts pressure on traditional processors to justify their fees as direct bank-to-account payments become a seamless reality for European consumers.