N26 has integrated Wero, the digital wallet developed by the European Payments Initiative, into its app.
According to the official press release, the integration allows eligible customers in Germany and France to send and receive money using only a phone number or email address, without entering or sharing an IBAN.
Instant, IBAN-free transfers between N26 customers have been part of the bank's offering for more than ten years, allowing users across Europe to move funds without relying on domestic bank details. The addition of Wero extends this functionality beyond N26's own customer base for the first time, enabling transfers to and from recipients who do not hold an N26 account and do not use a separate payment app.
Moreover, the Wero feature is embedded within N26's existing transfer flow in the app. Transactions are processed through SEPA Instant and the Wero network, with funds arriving in the recipient's bank account in under ten seconds, at any time of day. N26 has offered other instant transfer options in past years, and the company describes the Wero integration as a further step in this area rather than a standalone new capability.
Pan-European standard and rollout plans
Wero is the pan-European instant payment and digital wallet scheme developed by EPI, an initiative backed by a group of European banks and payment providers to establish a common transfer standard across the region. For N26, incorporating Wero provides customers with an option for daily transactions that operates independently of the recipient's banking provider or app choice.
The feature is currently available to eligible N26 customers in Germany and France only. N26 has stated that a progressive rollout to additional markets is planned, though no further timeline or list of countries has been specified.
Commenting on the update, Daniel Lappas, Chief Product and Business Officer at N26, said instant payments without an IBAN have been a core N26 feature since the company's inception, and that the addition of Wero extends this functionality to the wider European banking ecosystem.
The move reflects a broader trend among European banks and fintechs to adopt Wero as a shared instant payment standard, as EPI continues to expand the scheme's reach across the SEPA area.
