Two of Austria’s largest banking groups became shareholders European Payments Initiative (EPI). This move will bring secure, instant account-to-account (A2A) Wero digital wallet payment solution — significantly expanding its geographic reach to customers in Austria.
The announcement, published on June 22, 2026, stated that Erste Bank Oesterreich and Raiffeisen banking The group, which also includes Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) and the three regional Raiffeisen Landesbanken, joins EPI as shareholders.
Home to approximately 9 million people, Austria represents a strategic growth market.
These institutions, which together serve the majority of Austrian banking customers, are expected to accelerate the adoption of the new regulation. purse Among both consumers and merchants.
EPI was founded to create an independent European alternative for retail payments.
Flagship offering Wero is working on instant SEPA credit transfers, enabling direct bank-to-bank transactions.
The solution aims to reduce costs while providing greater transparency and user control by eliminating intermediaries.
The wallet already supports peer-to-peer transfers and is expanding to include retail payments, with additional features such as point-of-sale features and loyalty program integration and subscription management planned to be rolled out.
Wero has been available for peer-to-peer payments in Belgium, France and Germany since 2024 and currently serves more than 55 million users.
The retail (e-commerce) function launched in Germany towards the end of 2025 and continues to roll out in February: France and Belgium in 2026. Further expansion includes the planned transition of national systems to Luxembourg and the Netherlands in the coming years.
The addition of Austrian banks strengthens EPI’s pan-European ambitions. Erste Bank Oesterreich, the headquarters of the Austrian Sparkassen group, has extensive experience in customer-oriented financial services.
Raiffeisen assets add complementary regional strength and cooperative banking model.
Together they form a foundation integrated We tapped into local banking apps and merchant networks.
Executives from participating organizations emphasized the strategic value of the partnership.
Gerda Holzinger-BurgstallerErste Bank Oesterreich CEO noted: bank‘s track record in delivering secure and convenient payment innovations and expressed his excitement about both bringing Wero to customers and actively shaping its development as a shareholder.
Johann StroblThe CEO of Raiffeisen Bank International emphasized the importance of offering European alternatives that increase choice and efficiency for customers and traders across the continent.
Martina WeimertEPI’s CEO welcomed the new shareholders and noted that their commitment strengthens the momentum at a time when Wero is expanding rapidly.
He pointed to the existing user base and upcoming growth in additional markets as evidence of the solution’s increasing progress towards becoming a leading pan-European. payment network.
This development marks another milestone in EPI’s evolution from a founding group. banks has now grown into a broader coalition supported by 18 shareholders and more than 50 member institutions.
For Austria promises consumers access to fast, direct payments directly from their bank accounts, increasing financial independence and reducing dependence on non-Europeans payment providers. As Wero continues to roll out more use cases and phases in the country, participation from Austria’s major banking groups is also increasing. signals Strong corporate support for a truly European digital wallet ecosystem.
