ECB confirms payment providers for digital euro trial

The European Central Bank has selected 36 payment service providers from across the euro area to take part in a digital euro pilot.

The pilot is due to start in the second half of 2027 and will run for 12 months.

It will test the digital euro’s technical functionality, operational processes and user experience as part of preparatory work for possible future issuance.

The ECB said it received more than 50 applications after opening expressions of interest in March 2026.

Selected participants include banks and non-bank payment service providers, covering a range of business models, sizes and euro area countries.

The pilot will use a beta version of the digital euro that is close to the design foreseen in draft legislation, but it will not have legal tender status.

Some providers will act as distributing PSPs, allowing Eurosystem staff to set up beta digital euro accounts and make payments. Others will act as acquiring PSPs, enabling selected merchants to receive beta digital euro payments.

Testing will take place at the ECB and 19 national central banks across the euro area.

The pilot will include person-to-person and person-to-business payments, both online and offline, as well as in-store and e-commerce transactions.

The ECB said the exercise will help refine the digital euro’s design and user experience before any decision on issuance.

Why does it matter?

The pilot is a significant step in testing how a digital euro could work in practice, especially through banks, payment providers and merchants. It will help the ECB assess technical performance, operational readiness and user experience before any launch decision. The exercise also matters for Europe’s payments sovereignty, as the digital euro is being developed as a public digital payment option alongside private payment services.

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