European Network for Payments: How ENP Plans to Link Five Systems

The European Network for Payments (ENP) is designed to connect existing payment services across borders, not replace them with one new app. Its five founding providers announced the Madrid-based joint venture on September 30, 2026, and set a 2027 goal for interoperable payments. The network’s planned reach is substantial, but broad cross-border availability has not yet been established. 123

How the shared payment hub is meant to work

ENP will operate a common interoperability hub to link participating services. The plan is to connect their existing systems through a shared technical and operational layer, using European standards and instant account-to-account payments. In principle, that would let participating services work beyond their home markets without requiring users to switch to a single new ENP-branded consumer service. 3520

The partners have also reported a proof of concept for QR-code payments to merchants abroad using participating mobile payment apps. That test demonstrates a use case, but it does not mean cross-border retail payments are generally available through ENP. 6

Founders, ownership and current reach

The five founders are Italy’s Bancomat, Spain’s Bizum, EPI Company, which operates Wero, Portugal’s SIBS-MB WAY and Vipps MobilePay. They announced the creation of the Madrid-based joint entity in September 2026, following an earlier agreement to build a shared hub. 234

The founding partners are reported to hold equal stakes in ENP. Their payment systems together serve about 130 million users across 13 European countries—more than 70% of the combined EU and Norwegian population, according to reports. These figures describe the existing services’ overall reach; they should not be read as the number of people who can already make an ENP cross-border payment. 457

Rollout: person-to-person first, then more payment types

The partners’ stated target is to enable interoperable cross-border payments by 2027. Reporting describes a phased rollout, starting with person-to-person transfers and then extending to e-commerce and in-store payments. The timetable is a plan, not confirmation that all these services are live. 258

The QR-based merchant proof of concept is a separate milestone from a general retail launch. It indicates that a cross-border merchant-payment scenario has been tested, while the broader rollout is still planned in stages. 56

Could other European payment networks join?

The initiative has been described as open to other European payment schemes, and the founders have discussed expanding the participating solutions. The available reports do not specify admission criteria or the ownership terms for any future members. 247

What ENP could mean for Europe’s payment independence

ENP is part of an effort to strengthen European alternatives and reduce reliance on payment infrastructure associated with Visa, Mastercard and other U.S.-based providers. By linking systems that already have users in several national markets, the network aims to make more cross-border payments possible through European payment services. 13

That ambition should not be confused with replacing existing card networks or with a fully operational pan-European service. ENP’s announced user reach is a measure of the founding systems; whether the shared hub can deliver broad, convenient cross-border use will depend on its rollout and on how far additional payment providers participate. 145