ECB invites merchants to 2027 digital euro pilot
The ECB invites online and mobile merchants in the euro area to join a 12-month digital euro pilot starting in H2 2027 to test beta payments at remote checkouts.
The European Central Bank has invited online and mobile merchants across the euro area to join a 12-month digital euro pilot scheduled to start in the second half of 2027. Selected e-commerce and mobile-commerce businesses will enable beta digital-euro payments in remote checkout environments.
The ECB set an application deadline of Oct. 27 for merchants that want to take part. Successful applicants will accept digital-euro payments at their remote checkouts so the pilot can assess how the digital currency fits into online and mobile payment flows.
The trial will evaluate user experience, technical functionality and the operational processes needed to accept and process digital-euro transactions. Participation is voluntary and unpaid.
Applicants will be judged on market reach, operational readiness and suitability for the tests. Selected merchants must establish or adapt a relationship with one of the payment service providers participating in the trial.
In July the ECB selected 36 payment service providers from more than 50 applicants to support the pilot. The group includes Revolut, Stripe, Deutsche Bank and UniCredit. Providers have been assigned roles to support user access, merchant acceptance or both.
The pilot will use a beta version described by the ECB as close to the currency outlined in draft legislation but without legal tender status. Merchant feedback collected during the 12-month trial will inform future design choices.
The pilot focuses on remote commerce rather than in-person payments, testing integration at online checkouts, mobile apps and other remote payment interfaces. The trial will examine technical and operational issues such as settlement flows, customer authentication and the merchant checkout experience.
Any decision to issue a digital euro will follow adoption of the relevant European Union legislation.
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