WERO vs. PayPal: Here are the differences

by Pramith November 23, 2025

written by Pramith November 23, 2025

Wero vs. PayPal. The EU’s new payment service aims to establish itself as an alternative to the classic US service. Not even a

WERO vs. PayPal: Bank-based payment alternative instead of a new account

WERO is a payment service from the European Payments Initiative (EPI) and is intended to offer people in Europe an alternative to PayPal.

The biggest difference to PayPal is its automatic availability. If your bank supports WERO, there is no need to use a third-party payment service such as PayPal.
Simply download the WERO app and then link your bank account. Currently (as of November 2025), only banks in Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium are supported.
Full coverage of the European payment area is planned by the end of 2027. If you live in another German-speaking country or an EU country not listed, you will have to wait a little longer.
Payments are transferred as real-time transfers within a few seconds. It doesn’t matter whether you make a transfer in euros on weekends, public holidays, or at night.
Compared to PayPal, no further account authentication is required after the one-time authentication for use. In addition, WERO does not function as a typical e-wallet; instead, the money is transferred directly from and to your bank account.

PayPal is known for its numerous payment options, both online and in stores. WERO is introducing more and more of these.

Once you have linked your bank account, you can send and receive money as a real-time transfer. All you need is the other person’s phone number or email address, and vice versa.
Not only can you carry out private transactions, you can also pay online at selected online stores and a wide range of providers. These include Eventim and Lidl, for example.
The number of available online stores is set to grow steadily. More and more options for using the online payment service are to be made available.
Use in stores is also planned for the future. This will allow you to pay for your purchases with a single click.
By the end of 2027, WERO is set to develop into a competitive alternative to PayPal. The fees for payments in online shops will not be higher than those charged by the US service.