Lisbon, April 16, 2026 (Lusa) - SIBS (an interbank services firm) said on Thursday it would be possible to make transfers via MB Way (Portugal's mobile payment app) to 13 European countries by the end of 2026, and it would permit physical and online store purchases in those countries in 2027.
SIBS manager Teresa Mesquita, Bancomat (an Italian payment provider) manager Massimo Itta, and EPI (European Payments Initiative, owner of Wero) manager Alfred Baroulier demonstrated the interoperability of the payment solution at an event in Lisbon on Thursday, when they showed that payment systems from different European countries work together in physical stores. While the demonstration was a test, the companies aim for full availability in 2027.
At the start of 2026, SIBS/MB Way (Portugal), Bancomat (Italy), Vipps MobilePay (Nordic countries) and EPI, signed a protocol to accelerate European use of these mostly local payment platforms that represent 130 million users.
Since mid-2025, MB Way users have been able to send and receive money from customers in Spain and Italy using mobile numbers, provided those customers use the Bizum (Spain’s mobile payment solutions) or Bancomat systems.
Teresa Mesquita told journalists on Thursday that the goal is to enable transfers between customers in 13 European countries by the year's end.
These countries include Andorra, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
She said the service aimed to make payments in European stores using MB Way (via QR code or NFC) available in 2027.
If plans move forward, customers using payment solutions from SIBS, Bancomat, Vipps MobilePay and EPI will be able to shop in physical or online stores across 13 countries in 2027.
The operators want customers to use their home payment solutions in other European countries.
For instance, an MB Way user could pay merchants in Spain or Belgium if the vendor is part of a local system partnered with SIBS.
SIBS did not disclose investment amounts for these interoperability projects or specific business goals.
IM/LYT // ADB.
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