Wero, a payment application operated by the European Payments Initiative (EPI), is now available in Luxembourg and supported by 42 banks across Europe, according to the EPI website.
To get started, users should search for "Wero" in their phone’s app store. However, the app may not always appear at the top of search results, especially on the Apple App Store, and several similarly named applications might be listed. To avoid confusion, look for the official app with a yellow icon and the Wero logo.
Once downloaded, the app prompts users to select the bank account they wish to link. The app provides a list of participating banks, allowing users to choose their institution. It is also possible to connect multiple accounts from different banks to the same Wero app.
After selecting a bank, users are redirected to their bank’s official online banking app or website to approve the connection.
In a test with a Banque Internationale à Luxembourg (BIL) account on Android, the Wero app redirected the user to the BIL app, where authentication was required. Users must then confirm their intention to link their account with Wero. In this process, LuxTrust identification is mandatory. However, further testing with Spuerkeess (BCEE) accounts revealed that the LuxTrust authentication step was required for some users but not for others.
If several accounts are connected, users can select which account to use for each payment. To send money to someone, Wero requests access to the user’s contacts, but payments or requests can only be made to contacts who already have the Wero app activated. There is no compatibility with users who remain on Payconiq; interactions are only possible between Wero users. Payconiq is scheduled to be discontinued in Luxembourg at the end of September.
RTL asked several banks in Luxembourg about how they are integrating Wero into their services. For example, Spuerkeess was asked why LuxTrust authentication is only required for certain users and whether Wero will be integrated into the S-Net Mobile app, similar to Payconiq. The bank referred to the upcoming press conference by the European Payments Initiative on Wednesday, where all such questions are expected to be addressed.
