A landmark stride in European payments infrastructure has been achieved as Italy’s Bancomat, Spain’s Bizum, and Portugal’s MB WAY initiate cross-border mobile transfers under the EuroPA (European Payments Alliance) umbrella.
EuroPA launch cross-border instant payments
This marks a pivotal moment for interoperability across domestic mobile payment systems in Europe, enabling instant peer-to-peer transactions between users in Italy, Portugal, Spain and Andorra – simply by using mobile phone numbers.
With the launch now underway, users of the participating schemes can seamlessly send and receive money across borders using their familiar domestic apps.
Whether it’s a student in Madrid reimbursing a friend in Milan, or a family member in Lisbon supporting relatives in Andorra, payments are processed instantly and securely, mirroring the user experience of domestic transfers.
By June 2025, all participating banks across the four countries are expected to be fully interconnected.
This strategic collaboration links more than 50 million users and 186 financial institutions, offering scale and reach that rivals many global payment platforms.
In 2024 alone, Bancomat, Bizum and MB WAY collectively processed over 2 billion payments – capturing over 65% of all instant payments in their respective markets.
At its core, EuroPA aligns with the European Union’s ambition for payments sovereignty, aiming to reduce reliance on US-based card networks and promote euro-denominated solutions.
By adhering to SEPA Instant Credit Transfer (SCT Inst) standards, the alliance champions a pan-European infrastructure rooted in interoperability, trust and technological cohesion.
Much like the European Payments Initiative (EPI), EuroPA represents a regional push to assert control over critical financial rails.
However, where EPI has faced structural and political headwinds, EuroPA is carving a pragmatic path by leveraging existing domestic champions rather than creating a new scheme from scratch.
Looking ahead, the alliance signals intent to broaden its scope—both geographically and functionally. Future phases are expected to incorporate new use cases, from merchant payments to request-to-pay services, and extend beyond the euro area, inviting participation from additional European countries.
By anchoring innovation in trusted domestic solutions, EuroPA is redefining the future of real-time payments in Europe – not through disruption, but through smart integration.
The result: a step toward a unified European payment landscape that places user convenience, sovereignty and seamless interoperability at its core.
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