In Europe, payments don’t work the same way as in the US or UK. Traditional card schemes like Visa, Mastercard, and AMEX aren’t the default—Local Payment Methods (LPMs) are king.

And for good reason:

🔸 **Cultural familiarity** – Consumers in the Netherlands, Germany, and Sweden prefer trusted local rails like iDEAL, SEPA, SOFORT, and Swish.
🔸 **Trust & reliability** – LPMs are often backed by domestic banks or governments, giving them an edge over global card networks.
🔸 **Cost efficiency** – Merchants benefit from lower transaction fees compared to cards.
🔸 **Higher conversion rates** – Localized payment flows mean smoother checkouts and fewer abandoned carts.

_________________________

🚀 **Enter Wero – Europe’s Answer for the Digital Wallet Age**

Backed by the **European Payments Initiative (EPI)**, Wero is a new **pan-European digital wallet** designed to unify the fragmented payments landscape.

It promises:
✔️ Seamless **account-to-account payments**
✔️ Instant **P2P transfers**
✔️ True **cross-border functionality**
✔️ A **homegrown alternative** to non-EU wallets like PayPal or Apple Pay

If successful, Wero could **strengthen European payment sovereignty** and reduce reliance on non-EU card networks—a win for merchants, banks, and consumers.

As we look ahead to 2025, enabling **local payment methods** isn’t just an option—it’s a **must** for merchants expanding in the EU.

I’ll be watching Wero’s rollout closely this year.

➡️ **Do you think Wero will gain traction?**
➡️ **Or will it struggle against established players?**