DECATHLON INTEGRATES EUROPEAN PAYMENT SYSTEM ‘WERO’ INTO GERMAN E-COMMERCE STORE
Global sports retailer Decathlon has officially expanded its digital checkout options by integrating Wero, the new European payment service, into its German online store. Since July 20, 2026, customers ordering online in Germany have been able to complete their transactions using the real-time account-to-account platform.
According to Decathlon, Germany serves as the pioneer market for the international retail group, making it the first within the global company to roll out the sovereign European payment method.
Wero was developed by the European Payments Initiative (EPI), a consortium backed by major European banks and payment service providers aiming to offer a unified, European alternative to international card networks and digital wallets.
Key features of the system include:
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Account-to-Account Transfers: Enables direct, real-time transfers straight from the buyer’s bank account to the merchant.
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Seamless Authentication: Transactions are authorized directlyecurity methods like biometrics or PINs
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Enhanced Privacy: Eliminates the need to store sensitive credit card details or personal financial credentials on third-party merchant servers.
First Wave Retailer with In-Store Ambitions
With this online deployment, Decathlon position itself among the early major retail adopters of Wero in the German e-commerce sector.
However, the brand’s roadmap extends beyond online shopping. Decathlon plans to progressively introduce Wero across all of its more than 110 brick-and-mortar stores nationwide. Technical integration at physical checkout registers and point-of-sale systems is currently underway, setting the stage for nationwide, in-store contactless payments in the near future.
For insights on Wero’s broader technology roadmap and merchant rollout across Europe, watch The Future of European Payments I Wero 2026 Roadmap, which offers an overview of how the European Payments Initiative is expanding instant bank transfers across online and physical retail channels.
