Bluecode Introduces Payment Interoperability Hub to Advance Pan-European Sovereign Retail Payments

As digital payments rapidly expand, Europe faces a defining moment in shaping its digital sovereignty — ensuring that payment infrastructure, data, and value flows are governed by European principles of privacy, sovereignty, resilience, competition, and innovation. Bluecode’s new Payment Interoperability Hub directly addresses this challenge by offering the technical, legal, and commercial infrastructure, enabling seamless interoperability between national and international payment systems. The platform is connected to European and international roaming partners, already enabling European payments worldwide.

The Payment Interoperability Hub can fulfill the requirements of the recently published draft of the Digital Euro legislation and represents a pan-European sovereign retail payment solution operated by the private sector. Furthermore, it has the potential to serve as infrastructure for the Digital Euro, becoming interoperable with existing domestic networks connected to the platform. The hub is accessible across Europe and supports person-to-person, point-of-sale, and e-commerce payments within its framework.

"We have been working on payment interoperability for more than five years, analyzing the legal, technical, and commercial foundations of dozens of European and international payment systems. The analogy is similar to SIM card roaming in the telecommunications sector. The user stays connected to their domestic system, which leverages the networks of its roaming partners. We are now live with processing P2P payments and transacting P2M, including NFC and QR Code payments across 20 European countries and at millions of merchant acceptance points around the world," said Christian Pirkner, CEO of Bluecode.

Key Elements of the Payment Interoperability Hub:

• Built on EMPSA standards: Adheres to the EMPSA specifications for cross-scheme and cross-border mobile payments, allowing scheme participants to “connect once, reach all.”
• Open to all schemes: Welcomes card networks, alternative payment schemes and other payment ecosystem stakeholders from Europe and around the world.
• Multi-technology approach: Supports P2P, and P2M payments using NFC, QR-, and barcode technologies within a unified operational framework
• Scalable and secure: Designed for high-volume, real-time cross-border transactions, compliant with European data protection and regulatory requirements.
• European sovereignty: Promotes interoperability and scale across European payment infrastructures, reducing reliance on non-European providers.
• For issuing banks: Enables European banks to integrate directly with the bridge to offer branded mobile payment solutions within their banking apps.

The Interoperability Hub is already operational, with individual partner announcements planned as public go-lives progress. Bluecode invites banks and payment schemes to join the platform: "We welcome European banks directly and all domestic and international networks to collaborate strategically and technically with us in order to create European ways to pay that are accepted around the world," added Pirkner.

About Bluecode:

Bluecode is a European payment system that enables cashless payments via mobile phone. The system uses a one-time payment token, represented as either a barcode or QR code, which can be scanned or transmitted via NFC (Near Field Communication). Bluecode is either directly linked to the user’s bank account or used as a prepaid solution. Accepted by a wide network of merchants, Bluecode is accessible through apps from banks, merchants, and other providers, as well as through the Bluecode app. Furthermore, Bluecode can be used with existing customer loyalty programs. Bluecode collaborates with international networks such as Alipay+, Discover Network, and EMPSA (European Mobile Payment Systems Association) to support international payment interoperability. Consequently, Bluecode is accepted worldwide. More information: www.bluecode.com

Press contact:

Claudio Wilhelmer
press@bluecode.com