N26 Adds Wero Payments to App Bringing Instant IBAN-Free Transfers to Germany and France

N26 has launched Wero, the European digital wallet and instant payment solution developed by the European Payments Initiative, within its banking app. As a result, customers in Germany and France can send and receive money in seconds using only a phone number or email address.

The new feature eliminates the need to enter or share an IBAN. It also allows users to make instant transfers to people outside the N26 customer network. This marks a significant expansion of the bank’s real-time payment capabilities.

Powered by SEPA Instant and the Wero network, payments reach the recipient’s bank account in under 10 seconds. Moreover, the service works during evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Wero expands N26’s instant payment ecosystem

Instant, IBAN-free transfers have long been part of the N26 experience for transfers between N26 customers.

With the integration of Wero, the bank is extending that convenience beyond its ecosystem. Customers can now send money instantly to individuals who do not hold an N26 account.

The service is embedded directly into the app’s native transfer flow. Therefore, users do not need to download a payment application or exchange bank account details.

Instead, they can initiate transfers using a recipient’s phone number or email address. This makes the payment experience faster and simpler.

A European alternative for payments

The launch strengthens N26’s participation in a broader European effort to build a unified digital payment infrastructure.

Wero was developed by the European Payments Initiative as a pan-European payment solution. It is designed to provide a secure and independent alternative to global digital payment platforms.

By connecting banks through the Wero network and the SEPA Instant payment infrastructure, the system enables real-time account-to-account payments across participating financial institutions.

For consumers, this creates a more seamless way to make everyday digital payments. In addition, it reduces reliance on fragmented domestic payment systems.

Faster payments without bank details

One of the most significant changes is the removal of traditional bank account information from the payment process.

Users can send money to contacts linked to a phone number or email address. As a result, the process reduces friction and makes person-to-person transfers feel similar to messaging-based payment apps.

Because transfers are processed through SEPA Instant, recipients receive funds almost immediately regardless of the time or day.

This makes the feature useful for splitting bills, repaying friends, family transfers, and other everyday payment needs.

Strengthening N26’s payments strategy

The Wero integration reflects N26’s strategy of expanding digital banking and instant payment services across Europe.

The bank has continued investing in payment innovation, mobile-first banking, and cross-border financial services. Meanwhile, competition is intensifying among European digital banks and payment providers.

Adding Wero allows N26 to offer a broader payment network while keeping the experience fully integrated within its app.

It also positions the bank to benefit from the continued expansion of Wero across European markets and payment use cases.

Why the launch matters

Instant payments are becoming a major competitive factor in European banking.

Consumers increasingly expect real-time money transfers, simplified payment experiences, and seamless mobile banking integration.

By adding Wero, N26 is extending instant payments beyond its own customer base. At the same time, it is connecting users to a growing European payment network.

The launch also supports wider adoption of SEPA Instant. This infrastructure is becoming increasingly important across Europe’s real-time payments ecosystem.

The bottom line

N26’s integration of Wero brings instant IBAN-free payments to customers in Germany and France. It also significantly expands the bank’s real-time payment network.

By enabling transfers through phone numbers and email addresses, the service makes cross-bank payments faster and easier. It also supports a broader European payment standard.

As Wero continues expanding across Europe, the integration could play an important role in the next phase of European digital payment and mobile banking innovation.

N26 expands instant payment offer with introduction of European digital payment solution Wero

banking innovationCross-border paymentsdigital paymentsdigital walletEuropean bankingEuropean fintechEuropean Payments Initiativefinancial technologyfintechFrance fintechGermany fintechIBAN-free paymentsinstant paymentsMobile BankingN26payment technologyPayments Newsreal-time transfersSEPA InstantWero