Wero - the new European payment method
Wero is a European payment method that enables merchants to offer secure, real-time payments – both locally and cross-border within five European countries. As a strong alternative to card payments and international payment networks, Wero plays a key role in the future of European payments. Through Buckaroo, merchants can easily integrate Wero into their checkout and payment strategy, fully aligned with their growth ambitions.
What is Wero and why is it important for merchants?
Wero is a future-proof payment solution for merchants, suitable for both online payments and (in the future) in-store transactions. This European payment method responds to the growing need for fast, secure, and European alternatives to card payments and international payment networks.
What is Wero?
Wero is an initiative by leading European banks and payment service providers, aimed at creating one unified European payment method. Payments are made directly from the consumer to the merchant’s Buckaroo account, after which Buckaroo handles the payout.
Why is Wero important for merchants?
Wero expands merchants’ payment portfolios with a European, bank-driven payment solution alongside card payments. Payments are processed without the involvement of international card networks. The platform will be gradually expanded with features such as subscriptions, buy now, pay later, and QR codes on invoices, enabling merchants to future-proof their payment strategy.
What are the benefits for webshops?
For webshops, Wero offers fast and reliable payments. Consumers authorize the payment within their own trusted and secure banking app. In the future, consumers from multiple European countries will be able to easily and directly pay in your webshop using Wero.
Would you like to learn more about other payment methods and how to optimize them alongside Wero? Take a look at our overview of payment methods or read how you can also offer Pay by Bank.
From iDEAL to Wero
In the Netherlands, almost everyone uses iDEAL for online purchases. This trusted and popular payment method is gradually disappearing from the payments landscape and will be replaced by Wero. Both iDEAL and Wero are committed to making this transition as smooth as possible for consumers. The visible transition began in early 2026 and is expected to be fully completed by the end of 2027.
Why is iDEAL changing to Wero?
The owner of Wero - the European Payment Initiative (EPI) - acquired iDEAL from Currence in 2023. As a result, iDEAL has become part of a European initiative. What has long been standard for Dutch consumers - fast and secure direct online payments - will now become available to consumers in other European countries through Wero.
That said, for Dutch consumers, iDEAL is not the same as Wero. In the future, Wero will offer many more features, including subscriptions (recurring monthly payments), buy now, pay later, and peer-to-peer (person-to-person) payments. In addition, Wero will enable payments in France, Germany, Belgium, and Luxembourg.
iDEAL and Wero introduce a combined logo
To help consumers adjust to the gradual transition from iDEAL to Wero, Dutch merchants are required to update the iDEAL logo to the combined iDEAL | Wero logo by March 31, 2026. This combined logo will remain visible throughout the transition period, which is expected to last until the end of 2027.
In this news article, we explain what this means, whether your organization needs to take action, and where you can find the correct logos.
Below, you will find a ZIP file containing all iDEAL | Wero logos in various formats, including JPG, PNG, AI, EPS, PDF and SVG.
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What does Buckaroo do for you in the introduction of Wero?
Buckaroo supports merchants in the introduction and adoption of Wero. We are in close contact with the organization behind this European payment method and closely monitor its rollout and ongoing development.
We ensure that technical changes are implemented in a timely and careful manner, so you can offer Wero without unnecessary impact on your existing payment processes. In addition, we proactively inform merchants about what is changing and when action is required through our website, social media channels, and newsletters.
In which countries is Wero being rolled out?
Wero is being rolled out gradually across several European countries. Availability and functionality differ by country and by phase of the rollout. In some countries, Wero initially launches with peer-to-peer (person-to-person) payments, with e-commerce payments added at a later stage. This phased approach also applies to other functionalities, which will become available gradually in each country.
Wero in the Netherlands
The introduction of Wero to the general public will become visible in the Netherlands from early 2026. As iDEAL is gradually being replaced by Wero, the combined iDEAL | Wero logo will increasingly appear in the checkout. For Dutch webshops, this phase mainly involves a visual change for consumers; behind the scenes, these transactions will still be processed as iDEAL payments.
In subsequent phases, Wero will take a more prominent role and additional functionalities for e-commerce payments will be introduced, such as chargebacks, subscription payments, and buy now, pay later.
Wero in Belgium
The introduction of Wero to the general public in Belgium is becoming visible in phases. In the initial phases, the focus is on the use of the new peer-to-peer payment method (person-to-person payments). In spring or early summer 2026, Wero is expected to become available for e-commerce payments as well. This means that, over time, consumers from Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands will all be able to pay via the same Wero button in the checkout.
In subsequent phases, the European payment method will be further expanded with additional e-commerce functionalities, such as subscription payments and buy now, pay later. The availability of these features will be rolled out gradually. As a result, Wero will become more comprehensive than the popular Bancontact, partly because the payment method works for consumers across multiple European countries.
Wero in Germany
Wero is an interesting addition to the payments landscape in Germany. When shopping online, German consumers traditionally rely heavily on payment methods such as PayPal and invoice payments. Direct payments are less common there, which makes Wero a new proposition for the German market.
Currently, the new European payment method is available in Germany for peer-to-peer (person-to-person) payments, and the number of banks supporting Wero continues to grow. E-commerce payments are already possible for customers of some banks, and by spring 2026 this is expected to apply to most other banks as well.
In subsequent phases, the European payment method will be further expanded with additional functionalities such as recurring payments and buy now, pay later.
Points of attention when offering Wero
Wero is a standalone payment method with its own characteristics on a technical, operational, and financial level. This means that Wero must be activated separately within your checkout: buyer protection is mandatory and transactions can be disputed. It is therefore important to carefully review the technical implementation, the internal dispute handling process, and the financial implications in advance. We will go through these three topics one by one.
How do I activate Wero as a payment method?
Wero is a standalone payment method that you add separately to your checkout. This also applies to merchants in the Netherlands who offer iDEAL.
- Are you using a plugin? Then you can easily activate Wero via your plugin settings. Are you using a custom checkout via our API? Then you implement Wero as a separate payment method.
Want to learn more about the technical steps? Visit our support page. Here you will find all instructions and implementation details.
How does Wero’s purchase protection work?
Wero offers mandatory buyer protection to consumers. This means that a payer can dispute a transaction. This can be done up to 120 days after the transaction by clicking on the transaction in their banking app. As a merchant, you are required to respond to a dispute notification within 7 days.
If you fail to do so in time, the payer will automatically win the case, and you as a business risk losing valuable revenue.
In the case of a dispute, there is a disagreement between the buyer and the seller regarding a delivered service or product. Initially, the buyer and seller attempt to resolve the issue together.
If they are unable to reach a resolution, a chargeback process can be initiated. The Consumer PSP (the payer’s bank) will then assess the dispute and make a decision. If the consumer is found to be in the right, the funds will be refunded to the consumer. It is therefore important to properly set up the dispute handling process within your organization.
If the Acceptor PSP (Buckaroo) does not agree with the chargeback, it can engage with the Consumer PSP to have the chargeback reversed.
If Buckaroo and the bank cannot reach an agreement, the dispute can be escalated to Wero.
EPI is considering excluding certain sectors from the dispute/chargeback process and will provide an update on this at the end of April.
How does Wero handle disputes?
Unlike iDEAL, Wero is not a guaranteed payment method. Transactions can be disputed, which in some cases may lead to a chargeback.
Because funds can be refunded to the consumer in the event of a chargeback, the Acceptor PSP (Buckaroo) may hold a reserve to process these transactions. Based on the Wero scheme rules, the Acceptor PSP is required to execute chargebacks when a consumer is found to be in the right.
To manage this risk, a reserve or payout threshold may be applied (depending on the number of disputes).
If the merchant and the consumer cannot reach a resolution and the dispute is escalated to the Consumer PSP, Wero will charge fees for this process. Buckaroo will pass these costs on to the merchant. In addition, Buckaroo, as the Acceptor PSP, charges an additional fee for processing the transaction and handling the dispute.
EPI is considering excluding certain sectors from the dispute/chargeback process and will provide an update on this at the end of April.
Wero and subscription payments (recurring payments)
Some merchants use iDEAL to validate a consumer’s name and IBAN before accepting a SEPA Direct Debit (SDD). This is, for example, done to reduce the number of chargebacks.
With Wero, this is not possible. According to Wero’s rules, name and IBAN details shared during a payment may not be used for purposes other than executing the Wero payment itself.
An alternative payment method for this is Pay by Bank. Wero has announced that it will introduce its own subscription solution around mid-2027.
What does Wero cost?
Wero pricing varies by country. EPI (the European Payment Initiative, owner of Wero) determines these rates.
Different rates apply for the Netherlands and Belgium, as pricing is aligned with the local payment market (such as iDEAL and Bancontact). The rate for the Netherlands is fixed until the end of 2028.
Visit our payment methods page for a complete overview of the current pricing.
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