When European local payments champions go cross-border

Europe’s payments ecosystem is changing pretty fast. Over the past decade, domestic account-to-account (A2A) payments champions Bizum, MB WAY, and BLIK have reached scale in their home markets. Next step is harder: making their solutions work across borders.

In March 2026, The Paypers attended EMPSA’s 2nd Annual Conference in Brussels, where we had a conversation with Fernando Rodríguez Ferrer (Deputy Managing Director of Internationalization at Bizum), Teresa Mesquita (Chief Operating Officer at SIBS), and Dariusz Mazurkiewicz (Chief Executive Officer at BLIK). Together with these three industry leaders, we explored what it takes to scale beyond borders, compete with global players, and align political ambitions with consumer realities.

From fragmentation to urgency, why interoperability matters now

Europe’s payments market has long been defined by fragmentation. National schemes evolved independently, designed to meet local user needs, banking structures, and regulatory environments. This localisation proved to be a strength in driving adoption, but it is lately becoming a limitation.

As banking groups expand across borders and digital experiences become more centralised, inconsistent payment capabilities are increasingly difficult to justify.

Mazurkiewicz highlights how this transformation is playing out at the banking level:

‘Banks are more and more unified within their groups. They are platformising and optimising their mobile solutions at group level. Having different solutions in different countries that are not interoperable is becoming problematic.’

This growing internal pressure is now aligning with external expectations. Customers who travel, shop cross-border, or interact digitally across markets increasingly expect the same seamless experience everywhere.

Competition is also changing, and fast. European payment schemes are no longer just competing with each other, but with global technology players that already offer frictionless, cross-border experiences.

Mesquita captures this dynamic clearly:

‘The biggest competitor is not even a payment actor. Our biggest competitor is big tech companies that have wallets… they are the gatekeepers of the consumer experience.’

These platforms are not only shaping user expectations but also influencing the direction of the ecosystem by integrating non-European payment methods and controlling the interface through which consumers interact with financial services.

 

 

The sovereignty paradox, policy versus user reality

A central theme in the European payments debate is sovereignty, the desire to ensure that Europe retains control over its financial infrastructure and reduces dependence on non-European players.

However, as Ferrer points out, this objective does not resonate at the consumer level:

‘Consumers don’t care about sovereignty. They will use Apple Pay or their preferred solution, and they don’t question if it’s European or not.’

This disconnect creates a problem. While policymakers focus on strategic autonomy, consumers prioritise convenience, trust, and usability.

Ferrer continues:

‘We are trying to solve a political goal here that, in the end, is not very relevant for the user.’

Yet, dismissing sovereignty entirely would be short-sighted. From a systemic perspective, maintaining control over payments infrastructure has clear implications for financial stability, innovation, and competition.

Ferrer acknowledges this duality:

‘We need to ensure we keep this sovereignty in Europe… but this is relevant at the policy level, not so much  for the consumer.’

This tension between policy ambition and market reality is likely to shape the evolution of European payments in the years ahead.

Local champions are the foundation of a European ecosystem

Despite the challenges, Europe starts from a position of strength. Domestic payment solutions have achieved impressive levels of adoption by focusing on local relevance and user-centric design.

Mesquita emphasises the importance of this approach:

‘Payments is something you do every day. It’s very intuitive, and it’s very difficult to change consumer habits.’

Because of this, success has depended on addressing specific use cases and gradually building trust:

‘You need to address very specific needs that make the consumer notice that they can do it differently. That’s what drives adoption.’

This local-first strategy required time and sustained investment, but it created a solid foundation:

‘It took time to build and to consolidate usage. But now we have the trust of consumers, and that is a huge accelerator for whatever comes next.’

These established user bases now represent a critical asset. Rather than starting from scratch, Europe can build interoperability on top of solutions that are already embedded in daily life.

The hidden complexity of instant payments

While instant payments are often presented as a simple alternative to cards, the reality is far more complex.

Ferrer explains that the technical act of transferring money is only one part of the equation:

‘Sending money from one account to another is easy. But when you need to include refunds, disputes, or exemptions, it’s not easy at all.’

Building a full payment ecosystem requires replicating, and in some cases rethinking, decades of functionality developed in card systems.

‘Cards have had 60 or 70 years to evolve. Instant payments are still very young.’

This immaturity is particularly evident in areas such as recurring payments, merchant acceptance, and user protection. For example, enabling subscription payments in an A2A environment introduces new challenges around authorisation, security, and flexibility.

At the same time, regulatory frameworks have not always kept pace with innovation. Ferrer notes that existing rules have historically favoured card-based models:

‘There was not a level playing field between cards and account-to-account transactions.’

Looking ahead, regulatory evolution will be essential to unlocking the full potential of instant payments across Europe.

 

 

Expansion strategies for growth without fragmentation

As domestic solutions mature, international expansion becomes a natural next step. However, the approach to expansion varies significantly from traditional models.

For BLIK, the focus is not on exporting a one-size-fits-all solution, but on identifying strategic opportunities while preserving interoperability.

Mazurkiewicz explains:

‘We need to manage two horizons: expansion and interoperability.’

In practice, this means targeting markets where there is no dominant local solution, particularly in parts of Central and Eastern Europe:

‘We see regions where there is no single leading payment solution yet… this is where global players like PayPal or Apple Pay are gaining market share.’

At the same time, entering markets with strong domestic players is not seen as viable:

‘We would never imagine bringing our own solution to Portugal or Spain. That would be unreasonable.’

Instead, collaboration becomes the preferred path. The long-term vision is a network of interoperable systems that allow users to transact seamlessly across borders.

Mazurkiewicz paints a clear picture of this future:

‘A user could be in Madrid, see ‘Bizum accepted’, and think: great, I can pay with BLIK. And it works instantly.’

Achieving this vision requires not only technical integration but also alignment on governance, standards, and strategic priorities.

The risk of intermediaries and the need for speed

One of the key risks identified by the speakers is the emergence of intermediaries that could position themselves between existing payment schemes.

Mazurkiewicz warns:

‘There are global fintechs that would like to be in the middle between us… offering interoperability as a service.’

While such solutions could accelerate integration, they also risk adding complexity and shifting control away from banks and domestic schemes.

‘Why should we do it through them? We can do it on our own.’

This underscores the importance of speed. Delays in achieving interoperability could create opportunities for external players to capture value within the ecosystem.

Users are moving faster than banks expected

Despite strategic considerations, the success of any payment solution ultimately depends on user behaviour.

Across all three markets, one of the most striking trends has been the rapid shift from traditional payment methods to digital alternatives.

Mazurkiewicz reflects on BLIK’s growth:

‘We are still astonished how quickly customers are switching from traditional card payments to digital payment instruments.’

In Poland, this shift has been particularly pronounced in ecommerce, where BLIK has achieved a leading position.

At the same time, digital payments are reshaping the role of cash:

‘People don’t really need cash anymore… it’s easier and faster to use instant transfers.’

This transition is also visible in the decline of ATM usage, which is becoming less economically viable.

Network effects and acceleration moments

Adoption is not always linear. External events and network effects can dramatically accelerate growth.

For MB WAY, the COVID-19 pandemic was a turning point:

‘During COVID, our in-store payments just went through the roof… you didn’t have to touch anything.’

The shift towards contactless and QR-based payments created a powerful momentum that continues today.

‘Our regular users make more than 10 or 12 payments per month. It becomes part of their daily routine.’

This level of engagement highlights the importance of frequency in driving long-term adoption.

New behaviours, new markets

One of the most interesting outcomes of A2A solutions is that they are replacing existing payment methods while creating entirely new behaviours.

Mesquita explains:

‘More than replacing transfers, A2A created new use cases, like splitting bills or sending money instead of using cash.’

Similarly, Bizum uncovered unexpected patterns in how users interact with the service.

Ferrer notes:

‘At the beginning of the project, we thought the average user would be very young, but it turned out to be between 35 and 45.’

Usage also varies depending on timing:

‘At the end of the month, the average transaction increases because people use it to pay rent.’

These insights show why assumptions about users don’t always hold up.

Why user experience is key

Across all markets, one factor consistently drives adoption: user experience.

For MB WAY, simplicity and trust have been key:

‘If a user sees MB WAY at checkout, 80% of the time they will select it.’

This preference is driven by a combination of ease of use and strong authentication mechanisms.

Similarly, Bizum has achieved high transaction success rates by minimising friction:

‘You just type the phone number, receive a notification, and you’re done.’

These examples demonstrate that convenience is both a prerequisite for adoption and a competitive advantage.

Payments as the front line of banking

Beyond transactions, payments are the main daily touchpiint in the relationship between banks and customers.

Mazurkiewicz emphasises:

‘Payments are the daily contact point between the bank and the customer. This relationship is critical.’

This makes payments a key battleground in the broader competition between banks and bigtech.

‘Bigtech is saying: we have a better interface… banks will just be money providers.’

For European payment schemes, maintaining control over the customer interface is essential to preserving their role in the value chain.

 

 

Is the digital euro a catalyst or a complication?

No conversation about the future of European payments is complete without addressing the role of the digital euro. While still under development, the initiative is already influencing how market players think about interoperability, sovereignty, and the balance between public and private solutions.

From a policy perspective, the digital euro is closely tied to Europe’s ambition to strengthen its strategic autonomy. It represents an effort to ensure that a core layer of the payments ecosystem remains under European control, particularly in a context where global players increasingly dominate the user interface.

However, as highlighted throughout the discussion, the success of any payment solution ultimately depends on user adoption, and that raises familiar questions.

As Ferrer pointed out earlier in the conversation, consumers don't have a preference in terms of sovereignty, they only care for the best user experience. 

This reality applies equally to the digital euro. For end users, the value proposition will need to go beyond policy objectives and deliver tangible benefits in terms of convenience, usability, and acceptance.

At the same time, the digital euro could play an important role as a unifying layer across Europe’s fragmented payments landscape. By providing a common infrastructure or standard, it has the potential to facilitate interoperability between existing solutions such as Bizum, MB WAY, and BLIK.

This aligns with Ferrer’s broader view on integration:

‘We need to find a common piece for all the solutions in Europe. Payments is a good starting point.’

In this sense, the digital euro could act as an enabler rather than a competitor by supporting cross-border use cases while allowing domestic schemes to continue innovating at the user experience level.

Yet, this balance will be critical. If positioned incorrectly, the digital euro risks adding complexity to an already crowded ecosystem or competing directly with well-established private solutions that have spent years building user trust.

For market players, the key question is not whether the digital euro will exist, but how it will coexist with existing systems.

Mesquita’s perspective on interoperability offers a useful lens:

‘In the end, it’s about creating value for the user… giving them the same experience abroad that they have at home.’

If the digital euro can contribute to that goal by simplifying cross-border payments and reinforcing trust, it could accelerate Europe’s integration journey.

If not, it may struggle to gain traction in a market where user expectations are already shaped by highly efficient private solutions.

Towards a truly European experience

While the challenges are significant, there is a shared sense that Europe is closer than ever to achieving interoperability.

The building blocks are already in place: strong domestic solutions, high user adoption, and increasing alignment among stakeholders.

Ferrer offers a pragmatic perspective on the path forward:

‘We need to start somewhere. When consumers can send money across borders as easily as domestically, they will feel that integration is already happening.’

This approach may ultimately prove better than attempting to impose a single, unified solution.

Conclusion

There is no single winner in the future of European payments. Instead, it will emerge from collaboration, competition, and gradual integration.

Local champions will continue to play a central role, but their success will depend on their ability to connect, adapt, and scale.

At the same time, external pressures (i.e. bigtech, regulators, changing user expectations and behaviours) will continue to shape the landscape.

What is clear is that Europe stopped building from scratch. It is evolving from a position of strength, leveraging proven solutions to create a more connected and competitive ecosystem.

The journey towards a unified European payments experience is already underway. Interoperability went from being a question of vision to one of execution, and Europe is running out of time to get it right.

About Teresa Mesquita

Teresa Mesquita is Chief Operating Officer at SIBS, where she oversees the company’s payment and digital business operations. She plays a key role in the development and expansion of MB WAY, one of Europe’s leading account-to-account payment solutions, and is actively involved in shaping the evolution of digital payments and interoperability across Europe.

 

 

About Fernando Rodríguez Ferrer

Fernando Rodríguez is Deputy Managing Director of International Expansion at Bizum. He is also a member of the Digital Euro Market Advisory Group, advising the Eurosystem on the design and distribution of a potential digital Euro and is a board member of EMPSA. Before joining Bizum in 2017, Fernando led key initiatives in commercial strategy, international expansion, and digital transformation.

 

 

About Dariusz Mazurkiewicz

Since 2017, Dariusz Mazurkiewicz has been CEO of Polish Payment Standard, operator of BLIK. Previously, he served as BLIK Vice President (2015–2017) and CEO of SkyCash Poland (2010–2014), building a leading mobile payments startup. He also held executive roles in e-commerce and media, and began his career at Michelin. 

 

 

About the author

Vlad is a Senior Writer at The Paypers. He uses his research, content, and people skills for all activities revolving around payments, Open Banking, and Open Finance. Vlad has a degree in Biology and Molecular Genetics and an extensive background in creative writing. You can reach out to him on LinkedIn or email.