EPI Payments Barometer: Belgian consumers trust their banks most to lead the digital payments shift
September 6, 2026
EPI Payments Barometer: Belgian consumers trust their banks most to lead the digital payments shift
EPI's third European Payment Barometer surveys consumers in five EU countries, including Belgium, on the shift to digital payments
Brussels, 7 September - Belgian consumers are ready for the next phase of digital payments, and trust is the foundation making that shift possible. According to the third edition of the European Payment Barometer, published today by the European Payments Initiative (EPI), Belgians trust their own bank most, well ahead of global card networks, tech companies or public institutions. The data reveals clear trends in Belgian payment behavior: accelerating comfort with combining payment methods, a steady shift from physical cards to digital devices, and rising Wero familiarity while Belgium's support for European payment strategic autonomy is strong.
Payment habits are evolving
Three trends stood out this year. First, growing convenience with combining payment methods: 84% of Belgians who intend to use Wero say they would use it alongside their existing payment methods up sharply from 76% just a year ago.1 Second, weekly contactless card use declined slightly, from 70% in 2025 to 66% in 20262. Third, awareness of Wero is rising.3
Consumers are not moving away from contactless: they are moving away from the physical card. Contactless experience remains the preferred way to pay, but the device enabling it is increasingly a smartphone or a wearable. The future battle is therefore less about replacing cards than about owning the consumer interface. As digital wallets become embedded in everyday behavior, the smartphone, and increasingly the smartwatch, is emerging as the preferred payment champion.
Mobile payments are becoming an everyday habit
This momentum is already visible in everyday habits: 72% of Belgians now use a digital method for payments to friends and family, and 44% do so specifically via mobile payment apps.4 More than nine in ten consumers believe mobile payment apps will either become the norm or coexist alongside existing payment methods. Most expect the latter, suggesting that consumers see mobile payment apps not as a replacement for existing payment methods, but as an additional option that can be used depending on the situation.5
Wero familiarity is rising, trust in banks is powering the shift to digital payments
Of those aware of Wero, 28% are already active users, with a further 39% aware but not yet using it.6 And there is further potential for adoption: among consumers who do not currently use Wero, more than half say they would be willing to use it in the future.
Trust is the foundation making this shift possible. Belgians place the greatest trust in their own bank (78%) well ahead of international card networks, global technology companies and even public institutions.7 This is particularly striking given that international card networks, have been part of consumers' everyday payment lives for more than 60 years: Despite their long-established presence, in Wero’s markets European consumers continue to place significantly greater trust in their own bank. This trust is critical: it gives Belgian consumers the confidence to extend familiar payment habits into new digital formats such as Wero.
Europeans want European payment options, without abandoning national solutions
The appetite for European solutions runs deep. 83% of Belgians believe it is important for Europe to develop its own payment solution.8 This sentiment extends beyond Wero: it echoes similar public interest in European payment independence more broadly. This is consistent across all five Wero markets, reinforcing that this is a shared European expectation rather than a country-specific view. At the same time, 54% of Belgians express a preference for national payment solutions.
European payment sovereignty is not about asking consumers to choose between national and European solutions. It is about giving them more choice, while ensuring that Europe has the infrastructure and capabilities to shape its own payment future. The fact that 83% of Belgians see value in developing a European payment solution shows that this is not simply an industry ambition, it is something consumers increasingly expect from a strong and competitive Europe.
About the Barometer
The European Payment Barometer 3rd edition surveyed 5,199 consumers across five European markets between April 30 and May 12, 2026, with 1,018 respondents in Belgium. Comparative 2025 figures are drawn from EPI's prior Belgium-specific Barometer (Kantar, n=1,000).
About EPI
EPI (or European Payments Initiative) is supported by 18 European banks and payment service providers. Beyond the shareholders, over 50 institutions in Europe are now members of EPI. They have joined forces with a common goal: to offer a unified mobile payment service, to all European companies and citizens, Wero. EPI intends to enable European consumers and merchants and to carry out all types of retail transactions simply, via a resolutely sovereign digital wallet.
Find out more at epicompany.eu and follow us on LinkedIn
About Wero
Based on instant account-to-account (A2A) payments, Wero further streamlines payments in Europe by eliminating intermediaries in the payment chain and the associated additional costs. Wero already supports payments between individuals, and will shortly unveil payments to professionals (P2Pro). Wero has been live for P2P payments in Belgium, France, and Germany since 2024, currently serving 59 million users. For retail payments, Wero is live in Germany since the end of 2025 with progressive roll-out in France and Belgium throughout 2026. Major migrations of at least 15 million consumers are also planned for Payconiq in Luxembourg (by 2026) and iDEAL in the Netherlands (by 2027). Point-of-sale payments will also be offered in 2026, as well as value-added services such as integration of merchant loyalty programs and recurring payments and subscription management.
Find out more at wero-wallet.eu and follow us on Instagram , Facebook and Wero’s LinkedIn
EPI/Wero media contact: media@epicompany.eu