Payments
What is Wero? How Europe's new payment method works in Germany
Wero is a European payment method that moves money straight from one bank account to another, approved in the customer's banking app. In Germany it follows on from giropay and paydirekt, which stopped at the end of 2024, and more and more webshops now accept it. This guide explains what Wero is, how paying with it works, where it stands in Germany and what it means and costs for your webshop.
In short
- Wero is an account-to-account payment method from the European Payments Initiative, a group of European banks and payment providers.
- In Germany Wero started for payments between people in 2024 and follows on from giropay and paydirekt, which ended at the end of 2024.
- Savings banks and cooperative banks were the first to offer Wero for online payments; more banks have announced they will follow.
- Customers approve a Wero payment in their banking app or the Wero app, and the money is transferred instantly.
- On SitePack a Wero payment up to 50 euro costs 0.25 euro on Starter, excluding VAT.
What Wero is
Wero is a payment method built by the European Payments Initiative (EPI), a group of European banks and payment providers. It is based on instant transfers: the money goes straight from the customer's bank account to the receiver, without a card network in between. The customer approves the payment in their own banking app or in the Wero app.
Wero started with payments between people, for example splitting a bill using a phone number. Online shopping followed, and paying in physical shops is planned. According to iDEAL, more than 45 million Europeans already used Wero by late 2025.
Wero in Germany: the successor to giropay
In Germany Wero launched for payments between people in the summer of 2024. At the end of 2024 the German online payment methods giropay and paydirekt stopped, and Wero is the European method that follows on from them.
For online payments, the savings banks (Sparkassen) and the cooperative banks (Volks- und Raiffeisenbanken) were the first to offer Wero to their customers. Large German online retailers began to accept it from late 2025, and other banks, including Postbank, Deutsche Bank and ING Germany, have announced that they will follow. Check with your bank or payment provider for the current status.
Good to know
The dates in this section come from EPI announcements and German press reports. The rollout continues bank by bank, so details can change.
How paying with Wero works
For the customer, paying with Wero takes only a few steps, and there are no card details to type in.
- The customer chooses Wero at the checkout
- They confirm the payment in their banking app or the Wero app, for example with a QR code on a computer
- The money is transferred instantly from their bank account
- The webshop sees right away that the order is paid
What Wero means for your webshop
Customers who used giropay or paydirekt now look for a new way to pay straight from their bank account. Offering Wero gives them that option, next to PayPal, cards and SEPA direct debit.
Because Wero moves money between bank accounts without a card network, it is usually cheaper per payment than a card or PayPal, especially for smaller orders. And because it is a European method, the same payment works for customers in other countries that use Wero.
- A familiar option for former giropay and paydirekt users
- Instant confirmation that the order is paid
- No card details at the checkout
- Usually lower costs per payment than cards or PayPal
Wero outside Germany
Wero is meant to become one way to pay across Europe. It already works for payments between people in Germany, France and Belgium. In the Netherlands, iDEAL is moving to Wero step by step, and in Belgium and Luxembourg Payconiq is being replaced. If you sell to customers in neighbouring countries, Wero lets more of them pay the way they are used to. Our guide on Wero and iDEAL explains the Dutch timeline.
What Wero costs on SitePack
Wero is built into SitePack Payments, next to PayPal, cards, SEPA direct debit, iDEAL and Bancontact. You pay a fixed rate per successful payment, depending on your package. All rates exclude VAT.
- Up to 50 euro: 0.25 euro on Starter, 0.22 euro on Grow
- Above 50 euro: 0.22 euro plus 0.60% on Starter, 0.20 euro plus 0.55% on Grow
- Above 1,000 euro: 2.95 euro plus 0.12% on Starter, 2.80 euro plus 0.10% on Grow
Checklist: get your webshop ready for Wero
You do not need to rebuild your shop. A few steps are enough.
- Remove any old giropay or paydirekt logos and texts
- Switch on Wero next to PayPal, cards and SEPA direct debit
- Show the Wero logo in your checkout and payment information
- Check how your provider prices Wero compared with other methods
- Follow updates from your bank or payment provider
Keep reading
- Accept Wero in your webshop Wero built into your checkout, at a clear rate.
- Wero and iDEAL: the Dutch timeline When iDEAL becomes Wero and what changes.
- PayPal fees for merchants What PayPal costs per order.
- Payment methods for your webshop All the methods you can accept.
- Payment rates per method Every method, on Starter and on Grow.
- Try a webshop free for 14 days Build your shop before you pay anything.
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