Mercatel & Wero

Working together to help shape the future of payments in France

When Mercatel speaks about payments, it speaks on behalf of the French merchant community.

As an association bringing together retailers, banks, payment providers and fintechs, its role is to ensure that new payment solutions solve real business problems and meet genuine customer needs. That is what led Mercatel to support Wero. For Myriam Bourgeot, Mercatel’s Director General, the starting point is not the technology behind Wero, but its ability to bring the right people together to build something meaningful.

That spirit of collaboration has been central to Mercatel’s relationship with EPI, the company coordinating the Wero project. Through its merchant forums, workshops and direct engagement with retailers, EPI’s focus has been on building a solution that reflects the realities of the market, rather than designing one in isolation.

“I haven't spoken to a merchant where Wero is not either already a project or a very serious question.”

Myriam Bourgeot, Mercatel’s Director General

Focus on merchant priorities

From a merchant perspective, EPI’s priorities are clear: to deliver a seamless customer experience, earn trust and operate efficiently across European markets, while keeping costs under control. 

Though innovation is at the heart of the project, Bourgeot believes merchants want innovation to solve problems rather than simply add complexity. “As retailers, first and foremost, we want to address our customers’ needs and experience, with appropriate features depending on the use case," she said.  

Cost matters just as much. After years of payment innovation bringing seemingly ever-higher fees, merchants are looking for a different outcome. “We're really hopeful that innovation in this case can come from disrupting the market, by offering lower costs.”  

What makes the current moment particularly significant is the growing interest in European alternatives. While sovereignty in payments has been discussed for years, Bourgeot says it has now become a genuine priority for many merchants. 

“When we talk to various merchants at the moment, it has become a top-of-mind topic: How do we build alternatives, European autonomous alternatives?”  

All these key points were supported by a survey conducted during the recent Wero Merchant forum. It found that merchants want innovation within the context of being a European solution that delivers lower costs, works with existing infrastructure and creates a fair ecosystem that works for everyone.

French market growth

Interest in Wero is already evident across the French market, with big names like Air France, Veepee and Orange already working on integrating the solution. 

While France already has a strong domestic payments ecosystem, Bourgeot says Wero is firmly on merchants’ agendas: “I haven't spoken to a merchant where Wero is not either already a project or a very serious question.” 

Looking ahead, Mercatel sees Wero’s future extending far beyond e-commerce. A successful European solution will need to offer a consistent experience across markets and channels, including point of sale. At the same time, it must continue balancing the needs of merchants, consumers, issuers and acquirers while maintaining a clear value proposition. 

For Mercatel, that is the opportunity Wero represents: not just another payment method, but a collaborative effort to build a trusted, competitive, and genuinely European payments ecosystem for the future.