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News at a glance

The latest insights from the Bluecode world – concise and directly from our LinkedIn feed.

Aug 19, 2026
Payment & Banking Podcast with Christian Pirkner
Interview

A global payment network is only as strong as its real-world acceptance 🌍 Every payment made with Bluecode adds a data point to our acceptance map: a merchant name, a location, a roaming transaction routed end-to-end across connected networks. And that map gets clearer every day. Green dots spreading across Europe and beyond – each one proof that the network doesn't just work on paper, it works at the point of sale. With more than 60 schemes now connected, we are building an increasingly dense global coverage – powered by real-world usage. In the latest Payment & Banking Podcast, Christian Pirkner shares his perspective with Jochen Siegert and Julian Prüfer. The full conversation more insights about interoperability, Bluecode’s approach, and current developments in the European payment landscape.

#Bluecode #Interoperability #PaymentRoaming #EuropeanPayments

Aug 13, 2026
Behind the scenes of ARD videoshoot with Bluecode
Behind the scenes of ARD videoshoot with Bluecode
Behind the scenes of ARD videoshoot with Bluecode
Behind the scenes of ARD videoshoot with Bluecode
Media

🎬 When a major national broadcaster sends a film crew to your office, you know the story has outgrown the industry bubble. European payment sovereignty has become front-page material: a question of infrastructure, of economic sovereignty, of who controls the checkout of the future. And that is exactly what we got to show – live at the point of sale, a look inside our technology, and honest conversations about why Europe needs its own sovereign and resilient payment infrastructure. This is what Bluecode was built for: We connect local payment networks around the world, making mobile payments accepted at checkouts everywhere. For our partners, that means access to infrastructure that is resilient by design – built for the next decade, not the last one. The cameras captured a snapshot. The mission continues every day. When and where will it air? 👀 Stay tuned!

#Bluecode #MobilePayment #PaymentNetwork #POS #Fintech #EuropeanPayments #DigitalSovereignty

Aug 6, 2026
Christian Pirkner in the Retail Payment Podcast
Interview

“No politician in the world should be able to push a button and stop people from paying.” For Christian Pirkner, this is the benchmark for payment systems. On the Retail Payment Podcast with Rainer L. Zettl, he explains why – and how Bluecode was built around it. Resilience in payments doesn't come from a single system, no matter how strong. It comes from connection. That's why Bluecode works with a growing number of network partners worldwide – payment schemes that roam with each other instead of depending on one another. The result: a system with no single point of failure. And no single point of control. 👇 Watch the clip – conversation in German, English subtitles included.

#Bluecode #PaymentRoaming #EuropeanPayments #PaymentSovereignty

Jul 30, 2026
Travelholics Podcast with Bluecode
Interview

In many Asian markets, QR code payments play a much bigger role than they do in Europe. Cards are far less relevant, making QR-based payment ecosystems the standard for everyday transactions. For European travellers, these local systems have largely remained out of reach. This is where Payment Roaming comes in. Following the same principle as mobile roaming, Bluecode gives European users access to local QR payment infrastructure worldwide. And thanks to Payment Roaming, every transaction remains a European transaction – combining the convenience of local acceptance with European standards for trust, security and control. Mario Linzbauer and Daniel Koenen discussed all of this on the Travelholics podcast at the VIR Innovation Days in Berlin: how payment became part of the digital infrastructure of travel, and why Europe needs its own answer.

#Bluecode #PaymentRoaming #Interoperability #EuropeanPayments

Jul 21, 2026
Christian Pirkner in a video podcast with the paypers
Interview

How do you build a sovereign European payment system? 🇪🇺💡 🔹 Option one: build everything from scratch. Create one entirely new solution for all of Europe. It's an ambitious vision – but one that could take roughly a decade to become reality, with no guarantee of success. 🔹 Option two: build on what Europe already has. Connect existing sovereign payment solutions, proven infrastructures, and established acceptance networks into one seamless European payment ecosystem. So, does Europe really need to start from scratch to achieve payment sovereignty? We don’t think so. The opportunity is to connect existing solutions – faster, more efficiently, and without reinventing the wheel. It's the approach we've been driving for years – and one we believe is the best path towards a sovereign European payment ecosystem. 👇 Take a minute to watch how Christian Pirkner sees it.

#Bluecode #Payments #PaymentSovereignty #EuropeanPayments

Jul 14, 2026
Preview of The Paypers Video Interview with Christian Pirkner
Interview

"Entrepreneurs [...], they disrupt, they invent, they build a better way - and we Europeans consume." In the latest interview with The Paypers, Christian Pirkner shares a simple observation: throughout our daily lives, we rely on products and platforms built outside Europe - from searching and streaming to communicating and charging our cars. At Bluecode, we believe payments are one area where Europe should build and retain its own value chain. Strengthening European payment infrastructure isn't about closing doors – it's about creating resilience, fostering innovation, and ensuring that more value stays in Europe. In the full conversation, Chris talks about: 🔹 Why European payment sovereignty matters 🔹 How Payment Roaming makes cross-border payments as seamless as mobile roaming 🔹 Bluecode's vision for a truly interoperable European payment ecosystem

#Bluecode #Payments #PaymentRoaming #EuropeanPayments #Interoperability #EuropeanSovereignty

Jul 2, 2026
Christian Pirkner on stage of Frankfurt Digital Finance
European Payments

What does sovereignty actually mean? In the context of payments, according to Christian Pirkner, sovereignty is a set of clearly defined criteria. A payment system can only be considered sovereign if the critical elements that govern and enable it – from ownership and governance to the SDK, token service and payment kernel – are under European control. Watch this clip from Chris’ keynote at Frankfurt Digital Finance, where he shares his perspective on what true payment sovereignty means – and why every single building block matters. 👇

#Bluecode #PaymentSovereignty #DigitalSovereignty #EuropeanPayments #Fintech

Jun 25, 2026
Two Smartphones showing Bluecode Screens. One shows a QR code and available partner networks in South Korea, the other one shows the success screen after a payment.
News

Bluecode Payment Roaming with Alipay+ is now live on all 5 continents! 🌍 We are expanding global payment acceptance through our interoperability with Alipay+, enabling users of participating #Bluecode issuing members to make secure cross-border mobile payments in 60 destinations worldwide at millions of merchants, including some of the most popular travel destinations for Europeans beyond Europe, such as: 🇰🇭 Cambodia 🇭🇰 Hong Kong 🇯🇵 Japan 🇲🇾 Malaysia 🇸🇬 Singapore 🇰🇷 South Korea What started with cross-border acceptance across Europe has now expanded across the globe, giving European travellers a seamless alternative to traditional card payments and allowing them to truly "pay like a local" abroad. Just as mobile phone users can stay connected abroad through roaming agreements between telecom operators, Payment Roaming allows consumers to use Bluecode seamlessly across borders. With further expansion planned, coverage is set to grow to even more markets worldwide, continuing to build a truly global acceptance grid for European payments.

#Bluecode #Europe #Sovereignty #Interoperability #PaymentRoaming #DigitalPayments #Payment #Fintech

Jun 23, 2026
Two Smartphones with Screens of the Bluecode App. One shows the payment screen with the NFC card, the other one shows the success screen after the payment.
News

📣 European payment sovereignty meets global interoperability With the launch of NFC payments on both iOS and Android, Bluecode is taking a major step forward: scaling acceptance globally while keeping the transaction rooted in Europe. This is what “sovereignty by design” looks like in payments: a European scheme that doesn’t isolate itself, but connects intelligently, on European terms. Through its “Payment Roaming” approach and collaboration with Discover Network, Bluecode enables European banks to offer NFC payments that work across millions of merchants worldwide, starting with Eurozone coverage. What makes this different is the architecture: 🔹 European scheme transaction for the payer and the bank 🔹 European SDK and token infrastructure 🔹 Allows transaction processing to remain in Europe 🔹 Pan-European and global acceptance via interoperability, not dependency 🔹 Data stays in Europe according to GDPR A practical path forward for a truly European payment system: built in Europe, governed in Europe, and accepted beyond borders.

#Bluecode #Interoperability #PaymentRoaming #EuropeanPayments

Jun 10, 2026
Screenshot of an Article from Süddeutsche Zeitung with the title "The european payment network already exists"
Photo of the Süddeutsche Zeitung with an article about Bluecode. Next to the newspaper, the bill and a phone with the success screen of the Bluecode app.
Zoom on the bill of the newspaper. The bill says "Payment Contactless Bluecode"
Blue screen with text "Read more. Süddeutsche Zeitung."
Article

Süddeutsche Zeitung says: “The European payment network already exists.” And that’s Bluecode. So we did the only logical thing: bought the newspaper at a local newsstand – and paid with Bluecode, of course. 😊 There’s something satisfying about buying a newspaper covering the topic of European payment sovereignty using a European payment network that already works in everyday life. Not in theory. Not in a concept deck. Not in a future rollout. In practice. Because while the discussion continues, the reality is already here. Europe doesn’t need to start from scratch – a lot of what’s being talked about can already be done today by connecting and using existing infrastructure. The time is now. What are we waiting for? It’s here. Pay with Bluecode. 👉🏻Read the full article by Nils Heck (German, subscription required): https://lnkd.in/eUQREQFA

#Bluecode #EuropeanPayments #EuropeanSovereignty #Payments #Interoperability

From the Newsroom

What drives Bluecode

Press releases and company news.

In brief

About Bluecode

Bluecode is a European mobile payment system enabling cashless payments via barcode, QR code, and NFC directly out of digital wallets, bank and partner apps into the largest point-of-sale payment network in the world. Bluecode is either directly linked to the user’s bank account, digital wallet or used as a prepaid solution.

Bluecode collaborates with international networks such as Discover Network, Alipay+, and EMPSA (European Mobile Payment Systems Association) and implemented legal, technical and commercial interoperability with over 50 payment schemes around the world, building a global acceptance network of over 200 million merchants.

The Bluecode payment technology is available in the Bluecode app and can be integrated into any digital wallet, bank or partner app enabling payments globally at point of sale. One connection to the Bluecode scheme gives global payment reach.

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Made in Europe

Developed in Europe with a focus on independent payment infrastructure.

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Usable globally

Can be used worldwide through international partnerships.

Rocket

Seamlessly integrated

Can be integrated directly into digital wallets, banking apps, merchant apps, and other apps.

Deep Dive

European payments from the ground up

Christian Pirkner founded Bluecode with a clear conviction: Europe needs its own independent payment system.

As CEO, he drives the connection of payment systems in Europe and worldwide and speaks openly about what this means strategically – for banks, merchants, and Europe’s digital sovereignty. In podcasts, on stage, and in interviews – always with substance.

Christian Pirkner on the stage at Frankfurt Digital Finance. Text overlay "3 Steps to European Payment Sovereignty. Christian Pirkner at Frankfurt Digital Finance 2026"

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CEO

Photos of Christian Pirkner (CEO)

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Personal contact

First-hand information

Whether you have an interview request, need background information, or require press materials – we are happy to help and look forward to speaking with you.

Claudio Wilhelmer | Press
press@bluecode.com
0043 (0)676 4959890

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