Two of Austria’s largest banking groups have become shareholders in the European Payments Initiative (EPI). The move will bring the Wero digital wallet — a secure, instant account-to-account (A2A) payment solution — to customers in Austria, significantly broadening its geographic reach.
The announcement, issued on June 22, 2026, confirms that Erste Bank Oesterreich and the Raiffeisen banking group — including Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) and three regional Raiffeisen Landesbanken — are joining EPI as shareholders.
Austria, home to roughly 9 million people, represents a strategic growth market.
These institutions, which together serve a majority of Austrian banking customers, are expected to accelerate adoption of the wallet among both consumers and merchants.
EPI was established to create a sovereign European alternative for retail payments.
Its flagship offering, Wero, operates on instant SEPA credit transfers and enables direct bank-to-bank transactions.
By removing intermediaries, the solution aims to lower costs while delivering greater transparency and user control.
The wallet already supports peer-to-peer transfers and is expanding into retail payments, with point-of-sale capabilities and additional features such as loyalty program integration and subscription management planned for rollout.
Wero has been available for person-to-person payments in Belgium, France, and Germany since 2024, currently serving more than 55 million users.
Retail (e-commerce) functionality launched in Germany toward the end of 2025 and is progressing in France and Belgium during 2026. Further expansion includes planned migrations of national systems in Luxembourg and the Netherlands in the coming years.
The addition of the Austrian banks strengthens EPI’s pan-European ambitions. Erste Bank Oesterreich, the central institution of the Austrian Sparkassen group, brings extensive experience in customer-centric financial services.
The Raiffeisen entities add complementary regional strength and a cooperative banking model.
Together, they provide a foundation for integrating Wero into local banking apps and merchant networks.
Executives from the participating organizations highlighted the strategic value of the partnership.
Gerda Holzinger-Burgstaller, CEO of Erste Bank Oesterreich, noted the bank’s track record of delivering secure and convenient payment innovations and expressed enthusiasm about both offering Wero to clients and actively shaping its development as a shareholder.
Johann Strobl, CEO of Raiffeisen Bank International, emphasized the importance of providing European alternatives that increase choice and efficiency for customers and merchants across the continent.
Martina Weimert, CEO of EPI, welcomed the new shareholders, stating that their commitment reinforces momentum at a time when Wero is expanding rapidly.
She pointed to the existing user base and upcoming growth in additional markets as evidence of the solution’s accelerating progress toward becoming a leading pan-European payment network.
This development marks another milestone in EPI’s evolution from a founding group of banks into a broader coalition now supported by 18 shareholders and more than 50 additional member institutions.
For Austrian consumers, it promises access to fast, direct payments straight from their bank accounts, enhancing financial sovereignty and reducing reliance on non-European payment providers. As Wero continues its phased rollout across more use cases and countries, the participation of Austria’s major banking groups signals strong institutional backing for a truly European digital wallet ecosystem.