Skip to main content
Bluecode Background
For a more open, resilient, and sovereign payment world

Global Payment Roaming – Made Real by Bluecode

Payments are the lifeblood of any economy, yet most people – especially in Europe – lack a resilient and sovereign way to pay that works all over the world. Dependence on a US card duopoly has worked globally but recent geopolitical risks have exposed its fragility. The answer is broad collaboration and interoperability among all payment networks: Global Payment Roaming.

2017: The magic starts

Payment sovereignty started here

Bluecode was built as an open payment scheme to connect banks, merchants, and domestic/international partners - securing European payment sovereignty long before it became a political priority.

2019: CO-FOUNDING EMPSA

From vision to action

Bluecode co-founded the European Mobile Payment Systems Association (EMPSA) with a vision to link national systems into a pan-European network that is open, resilient, and sovereign.

📸 Visual: Founding Team of EMPSA in 2019
2022: PROOF WITH A POC

Proof of Concept: Interoperability Works!

A successful POC connected Italy (Bancomat), Switzerland (TWINT), and Germany/Austria (Bluecode) via a central hub. Real users paid seamlessly across networks.

2024: LIVE AT UEFA EURO IN GERMANY

QR Payment Interoperability with Alipay+ in production

Bluecode connected Alipay+ for QR payments at the UEFA Euro in Germany, enabling European fans to pay in the Alipay+ network – interoperability in production.

2025: Expanding into NFC/contactless interoperability

NFC payment interoperability with Discover® Network

Partnership with Discover® Network brought Bluecode NFC payments worldwide. Transactions remain Bluecode for European users while merchants accept local schemes (Diners®, Discover®, RuPay, Troy, etc.).

Bluecode works with Discover Network
2026: EUROPEAN PAYMENT SOVEREIGNTY GOING GLOBAL

Bluecode accepted at more merchants than any other payment scheme

Leveraging Alipay+, Bluecode reaches over 150 million QR merchants (KakaoPay, GCash, PayPay, and more) from China to Argentina. The partnership with Discover® Network adds another 115 million merchants spread across various domestic networks worldwide. Bluecode Issuing expands across all EUR countries, letting all Europeans pay “European” at home and abroad.

Video of an Interoperable Bluecode Transaction in South Korea

Bluecode Payment Roaming in South Korea

Video of an Interoperable Bluecode Transaction in Tokyo, Japan

Bluecode Payment Roaming in Tokyo, Japan

Video of an Interoperable Bluecode Transaction in San Francisco, USA

Bluecode Payment Roaming in San Francisco, USA

Video of an Interoperable Bluecode Transaction in Andalusia, Spain

Bluecode Payment Roaming in Andalusia, Spain

Video of an Interoperable Bluecode Transaction in Vienna, Austria

Bluecode Payment Roaming in Vienna, Austria

Video of an interoperable Bluecode Transaction in Düsseldorf, Germany

Bluecode Payment Roaming in Düsseldorf, Germany

Bluecode Background
Next: More partnerships for even more resilience and sovereignty

Our vision – an open global payment roaming alliance

More partnerships are underway. Each new connection strengthens the ecosystem, giving banks, merchants, and consumers real alternatives. The goal: an open global payment roaming alliance where no geopolitical event can shut off the ability to pay.