ECB seeks online merchants for 2027 digital euro pilot
The ECB is recruiting e-commerce and mobile-commerce merchants in the euro area for a 12-month digital euro pilot slated for the second half of 2027. Merchants can apply until Oct. 27. Selected businesses will test beta digital euro payments in remote checkout settings and help evaluate user experience, technical performance and operational processes. The pilot version will closely resemble the draft-legislation design but will not yet be legal tender. Participation is voluntary and unpaid, and applicants will be judged on market reach, operational readiness and fit. Successful merchants must work with a participating payment service provider. In July, the ECB picked 36 payment providers, including Revolut, Stripe, Deutsche Bank and UniCredit. Merchant feedback will help shape design choices, while any final decision on issuance depends on EU legislation.
