February 16, 2026
Europe* (*terms apply)
Wero – Digital payment wallet, Made in Europe
EU’s Wero wallet drops; cheers vs. jeers over Apple/Google lock-in and ‘only 3 countries’
TLDR: Wero, a fast, 24/7 cross‑border payment app “made in Europe,” launched in Belgium, France, and Germany. Commenters are split between cheering a break from Visa/Mastercard and blasting the Apple/Google phone requirement and limited rollout, with some pushing alternatives like Taler and asking why more countries aren’t in.
Europe’s new money app Wero just landed with bold promises: send cash between bank accounts in under 10 seconds, across borders, 24/7—even at 3 a.m. And it’s proudly “Made in Europe,” starting with Belgium, France, and Germany. Cue the confetti… and then the comment section lit up.
On one side, hype. Some see Wero as Europe’s long-awaited break from American payment giants. One commenter linked a tracker and cheered a bigger story: Europe trying to peel away from Visa and Mastercard’s grip, calling it a “$24T breakup” werotracker.eu. It’s David vs. Goliath, but with debit cards.
On the other side, heat. The loudest groans? Wero appears to require a Google- or Apple-approved smartphone, which critics say hands power right back to Big Tech gatekeepers. One user blasted it as “completely unusable” without those phones, adding they wanted a real PayPal alternative—not another app-store hostage. Accessibility and privacy alarms went off.
Then came the geography jokes. “Europe* (*terms apply),” quipped several, noting it’s only live in three countries so far. Another asked why many nations sat out—politics, banks, or just not ready yet? Meanwhile, open-source fans waved the flag for Taler: “There’s already a privacy-friendly option!”
Verdict today: fast and flashy, sure. But the crowd is split between “finally!” and “not like this.”
Key Points
- •Wero is a European digital payment wallet.
- •Transfers between bank accounts are advertised to complete in under 10 seconds.
- •The service supports cross-border online payments.
- •Payments can be sent and received 24/7, including nights and weekends.
- •It is available to most bank customers in Belgium, France, and Germany.