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Free instant payments between Spain and much of Europe are set to become a reality from 2026, after Bizum agreed to make its system compatible with several major European mobile payment platforms.

 

The Spanish payment solution, which many people now simply call when they want to “make a Bizum”, has partnered with Germany’s Wero, Portugal’s MB Way, Italy’s Bancomat and the Nordic platform Vipps MobilePay. Together, the alliance connects more than 130 million users in 13 countries, covering around 72% of the population of the EU and Norway.

 

Bizum, which launched in 2016 and has since become Spain’s go-to tool for sending small sums between friends and family, and more recently has expanded into physical shops with its tap-to-pay feature, is now taking what it describes as a decisive step towards becoming part of a wider European payments network.

 

In practical terms, nothing will change for users inside Spain. Bizum will keep its name, app and functions. The difference is that from 2026, people will be able to send instant peer-to-peer payments to users of the other participating European platforms. Payments in online shops and physical stores are expected to follow in 2027.

 

There has already been a smaller-scale test of cross-border payments. Platforms within the EuroPA Alliance, including Spain, Italy, Portugal and Andorra, began operating together in March 2025 and closed that year with €6 million in cross-border transactions.

 

Jordi Nebot, CEO and founder of PaynoPain, says the agreement effectively turns national systems into part of a broader ecosystem. “It’s no longer enough to lead in a national market,” he explains. “These platforms must integrate into a reliable and competitive European system, offering users and businesses the ability to pay and receive payments instantly in any country within the network.”

 

For consumers, the goal is simplicity. Nebot says users will be able to “make peer-to-peer transfers, pay in physical stores, or complete online purchases using the same app they already know, without worrying about exchange rates, hidden fees, or complicated verification processes.”

 

In the short term, Visa and Mastercard will continue to operate alongside these systems. However, Nebot believes the longer-term significance lies in “financial sovereignty”, allowing Europe to depend less on US payment networks while operating within a regulated and transparent framework.

 

For Spain’s millions of regular Bizum users, the message is straightforward. The app will work as it always has, but from next year, its reach will extend far beyond Spain’s borders.

 

 

 

Image: Archive