Key points

  • The ECB opened a call on September 15 for e-commerce and mobile-commerce merchants to participate in its digital euro pilot.
  • Applications close at 17:00 CET on October 27, and selected merchants must work with an acquiring payment service provider.
  • The 12-month pilot is expected to start in the second half of 2027 and does not mean the ECB has decided to issue a digital euro.

The European Central Bank has opened applications for online and mobile merchants to participate in a controlled digital euro pilot expected to begin in the second half of 2027. The September 15 call targets businesses that can test beta digital euro payments at e-commerce or mobile-commerce checkouts and report how the process works for merchants and users.

Applications are due by 17:00 CET on October 27, 2026. Participation is voluntary and unpaid. The ECB says it will assess applicants for eligibility, market reach, operational readiness and suitability for the pilot. Selected merchants will sign a participation agreement with the ECB and will also need a contractual relationship with an acquiring payment service provider involved in the exercise.

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A checkout test, not a currency launch

The distinction between a pilot and an issuance decision is central. The beta digital euro will be technically close to the design contemplated in draft EU legislation, but it will not have legal-tender status. The ECB says it will decide whether to issue a digital euro only after EU lawmakers adopt the relevant regulation. It aims to be ready for a possible first issuance during 2029 if legislation is adopted in 2026.

The pilot is scheduled to run for 12 months. It will use a limited group of central-bank staff as individual users, alongside selected merchants and 36 euro-area payment service providers chosen earlier this year. Reuters reported in July that more than 50 providers had applied before the ECB selected the 36 participants, underscoring that the project is moving into development and integration rather than public circulation.

What merchants would test

The new merchant call covers the remote person-to-business use case. A participating shopper would select the beta digital euro at an online or in-app checkout, authenticate the payment through a connected payment application and receive confirmation. Merchants would test how that journey fits their existing checkout systems, how integration works with an acquiring provider and where users encounter friction.

The wider pilot also includes online and offline person-to-person transfers and in-store payments using near-field communication. The ECB says the exercise is intended to test technical functionality, operational processes, usability, robustness and scalability. It is limited to controlled settings at the ECB and 19 participating national central banks across the euro area, rather than being offered to the general public.

Why merchant participation matters

For payment providers and retailers, acceptance can be as consequential as the central ledger. A digital currency that works technically may still fail commercially if checkout integration is cumbersome, refund handling is unclear or merchants face excessive operational costs. The pilot gives the ECB a way to collect evidence on those practical issues before any decision on a broader rollout.

The process also leaves important questions unresolved. Pilot payment service providers will bear their own costs and cannot charge participating end users for pilot services, but that rule does not establish the economics of any eventual public system. The legislative timetable, final design, privacy framework and merchant obligations remain subject to political and technical decisions. For now, the September call widens the group helping test the proposed payment method; it does not create a digital euro for consumers or guarantee a 2029 launch.

Sources

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