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European payment systems cooperate and launch “Payment Roaming” in Germany, Austria and Italy Copy
Bluecode and Bancomat, both members of EMPSA (European Mobile Payment Systems Association), are enabling users of their payment systems to pay seamlessly within each other’s acceptance network. This is made possible by a technical, commercial, and legal standard defined by EMPSA, which creates the prerequisites for cross-border interoperability of various payment systems.
“We are very pleased to announce our cooperation with Bancomat, which allows users of both payment systems to have the widest possible acceptance in their respective countries,” says Christian Pirkner, CEO of Bluecode and Chairman of EMPSA. “Our collaboration provides users of both systems with a seamless and secure way to pay with their home mobile payment solution in the partner’s merchant network. This is a milestone towards a pan-European acceptance network that respects national systems and becomes internationally usable through interoperability,” Pirkner continues.
The cooperation already began during the 2024 UEFA European Championship, where the interoperability of the two payment systems allowed selected users to make payments with their familiar solution in the fan zones of the tournament. Now, the cooperation is being further expanded and will be available to all users of Bluecode and Bancomat in the coming months. This underscores the commitment of both companies and EMPSA to promote the integration of European payment systems without compromising their national identities.
In the so-called Payment Roaming, users of different participating solutions can use their familiar mobile payment system in other countries, similar to roaming in mobile communications. “The concept of interoperability is comparable to mobile phone roaming: users pay in other networks just as they do in their own. The network switch is completely smooth, and the user roams in the respective other network, just like cross-border calling and surfing,” explains Pirkner. On the acceptance side, no additional efforts are necessary either, particularly not technically, commercially, or legally.
Numerous European solutions, currently 11 in total, have joined forces in the EMPSA association and created the necessary prerequisites. With the partnership between Bluecode and Bancomat, mobile payment methods are now interoperable for the first time, and further expansion with other EMPSA members – and beyond – is being implemented to establish a European acceptance network.
“The partnership with Bluecode is an important step for Bancomat, but especially for the development of a comprehensive European standard,” adds Fabrizio Burlando, CEO of Bancomat. “We are proud to be able to offer our users a seamless user experience outside of Italy, in Germany and Austria, as a first step, while also enabling Bluecode users to make payments at our merchants and restaurants in Italy – and this is just the beginning.”