Two years after its launch, 70 percent of French men and women have heard of Wero, a digital payment platform developed by the EPI consortium. France is a unique market for Wero, as it benefits from the existing user base of Paylib, a similar service that Wero has largely replaced. A recent study by EPI and Kantar, which surveyed 5199 people across five countries, found that 40 percent of those who currently don’t use payment apps are open to trying them in the future. In a country known for being cautious about new technologies, 74 percent of adults aged 16 to 64 now prefer contactless payments, and 33 percent use payment apps regularly. Wero initially focused on peer-to-peer payments, aiming to compete with services like Lydia, PayPal, and traditional bank transfers using IBAN. However, it has since expanded its reach by introducing the "Pay with Wero" button on e-commerce platforms. For example, Orange began offering this feature in September 2026, allowing customers to pay their subscriptions via automatic Wero transfers. By the end of 2026, EPI expects that 100 percent of the French population will have access to Wero. The arrival of new banks like N26 and Boursorama has made Wero a more common option, as it is becoming a standard integrated into most French banks. However, not all functions will be universally supported; only peer-to-peer payments will be compatible with all banks by the end of 2026. European banks are working to make the "Pay with Wero" button a standard feature on most e-commerce sites. This yellow button would replace traditional bank cards by enabling instant transfers directly to users' bank accounts, bypassing intermediaries like Visa, Mastercard, or CB and their associated fees. Merchants would pay a commission to EPI, calculated based on the purchase amount, but the consortium promises lower costs than traditional card payments. By late November or early December, around twenty major European e-commerce companies, including Orange, Air France, Décathlon, and Lidl, are expected to join the Wero network. On the banking side, the rollout of Wero will be gradual. Some major banks, like La Banque Postale, Société Générale, and Revolut, are already compatible with the service from the start. Fabrice Le Gall, EPI’s representative in France, humorously noted that by 2027, the company might be competing with Apple Pay. Wero’s long-term goal is to replace traditional payment cards entirely, allowing users to pay in stores using their Wero wallet instead of a Visa or Mastercard. This would eliminate the need for intermediaries and streamline the payment process. For the 2026 back-to-school season, Wero has introduced NFC payments, reversing its earlier focus on QR codes, which are easier to implement. This change was driven by the European Commission’s pressure on Apple to open its NFC technology on iOS devices. In the long run, the Wero app could replace Apple Wallet as the default payment solution on iPhones. A double press on the side button would open the Wero app, allowing users to pay with their preferred card. EPI aims to unify all banks into a single app, offering features like store and online payments, financial management, identity documents, loyalty cards, and transport tickets. However, this would require cooperation from banks, many of which prefer to maintain control over their own user experiences. While EPI believes a unified app would offer a better experience, it acknowledges the challenge of competing with Apple Pay on iPhones, where Apple is unlikely to make concessions. For now, Wero remains an alternative for European financial independence, with QR code payments still being promoted as a viable option for merchants. NFC payments, while possible, are expected to become widespread in about four years.