ECB Opens Merchant Applications for Digital Euro Pilot Ahead of 2027 Launch #

The European Central Bank has formally invited e-commerce and mobile commerce merchants to apply for its upcoming digital euro pilot programme, the second major recruitment phase after the earlier selection of payment service providers.

Under the ECB’s terms, participating merchants must be established in the European Union and operate across at least two designated pilot locations. Accepted applicants will enter contracts with both the ECB and one of the already-selected acquiring payment service providers, covering integration, technical testing, and operational feedback during the trial.

Participation carries no financial reward and is entirely voluntary. Merchants will test a beta version of the digital euro, which the ECB describes as a pre-release instrument that closely mirrors the characteristics set out in draft EU legislation but does not yet hold legal tender status. Their role centers on the remote person-to-business use case, testing how the digital euro performs in online and mobile payment scenarios.

The ECB will host an online information session on 6 October 2026 for merchants preparing applications. The application window closes on 27 October 2026 at 17:00 CET.

The broader pilot is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2027 and run for roughly twelve months. It will include staff from the ECB and 19 of the 21 euro area national central banks, as well as merchants providing everyday on-premises services at central bank locations such as cafeterias. Eurosystem staff will make beta digital euro payments between individuals and from individuals to businesses, covering online, offline, and point-of-sale scenarios.

The merchant applications follow the ECB’s earlier selection of 36 payment service providers for the pilot. The central bank has noted that a final decision on whether to formally issue a digital euro depends on adoption of the relevant EU legislative framework.

Source: KuCoin News