Digital Euro Enters Real-World Testing as ECB Calls on Merchants

The Eurosystem has opened a call for interest inviting e-commerce and mobile-commerce merchants across the euro area to participate in its digital euro pilot, bringing businesses into the testing phase alongside selected payment service providers (PSPs).

Following the selection of the participating PSPs, the initiative will allow selected merchants to work directly with the European Central Bank (ECB) and euro area national central banks to test digital euro payments and provide feedback on how the system could work in real-world commercial settings.

Participating merchants will gain hands-on experience with a simulated digital euro environment, while their feedback will help inform technical specifications and refine the user experience ahead of any potential launch.

Digital Euro Pilot Moves Into Practical Testing

The pilot will examine the digital euro’s technical capabilities, operational processes and overall user experience through a beta version of the digital currency.

The beta version is intended to match the digital euro described in the draft legislation from both a functional and technical perspective. It will not, however, have legal-tender status.

Employees of Eurosystem central banks, participating PSPs and selected merchants will take part in the pilot. Testing will include everyday payment scenarios at ECB and national central bank premises, including canteens and restaurants.

The current call specifically targets merchants operating in e-commerce and mobile commerce. National central banks may also recruit additional local merchants through separate calls.

What Merchants Will Test

Participating merchants will be able to test digital euro payments across e-commerce and mobile-commerce environments while working alongside other participants and observing the customer experience under practical conditions.

The testing will cover customer payment journeys, potential ways to integrate digital euro payments into existing checkout and payment processes, as well as merchants’ technical integration requirements and customer-experience needs.

The role of merchants will extend beyond testing technical functionality. Their participation will create a direct feedback channel between businesses, PSPs and the Eurosystem, allowing observations from the pilot to feed into the design of the system and its user journeys.

The process is also intended to ensure that business requirements are considered as the digital euro continues through development.

ECB Prepares for Potential Digital Euro Launch

The pilot forms part of the Eurosystem’s preparations for a possible future issuance of the digital euro. However, no final decision on issuing the currency will be taken until the relevant European legislation has been adopted.

The Eurosystem will therefore continue its preparations while remaining adaptable to developments in the European legislative process.

For merchants, the pilot provides an opportunity to test how a digital euro could function within everyday payment flows rather than limiting the exercise to technical infrastructure. This includes examining how the system could fit into existing commerce and checkout environments.

Participation Requirements for Merchants

Participation in the pilot is voluntary and unpaid. Merchants selected for the initiative will be required to sign a participation agreement with the ECB.

They will also need to establish or amend a contractual relationship with one of the participating PSPs, which will act as the acquiring entity for the purposes of the pilot.

Selected merchants will participate as business end-users. They will facilitate simulated digital euro payments in remote-commerce environments and contribute to testing the payment experience, operational processes and core functionality of the system.

How Merchants Will Be Selected

The ECB will assess applications against eligibility requirements and weighted evaluation criteria. These will include applicants’ market reach, operational readiness and suitability for supporting the objectives of the pilot.

The selection process is designed to create a diverse group of merchants capable of testing the digital euro across different scenarios and generating practical feedback for the system’s development.

To support applicants, the ECB has published a new set of frequently asked questions. It will also hold an information session on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at 15:00 Central European Time (CET).

The session will provide an overview of the pilot and the application process. Merchants will also be able to submit questions in writing through a dedicated form, with questions required to be submitted at least two weeks before the application deadline.

Digital Euro Pilot Application Deadline

Interested merchants must complete the application form and submit it to the dedicated project email address by 17:00 CET on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.

The call comes as the Eurosystem continues testing the practical infrastructure surrounding the digital euro while the European legislative process that will determine its eventual framework remains underway.

Digital Euro Moves From Design to Real-World Testing

Bringing merchants into the pilot marks a shift toward testing how the digital euro could function within everyday payment environments.

Testing the currency across e-commerce and mobile commerce gives the ECB an opportunity to examine elements that cannot be fully assessed through technical testing alone, including the ease of completing payments and how the system fits into existing purchasing processes.

With PSPs and merchants participating alongside the Eurosystem, the pilot can also provide a broader view of the operational requirements that a future digital euro ecosystem could face.

Ultimately, any potential rollout would depend not only on the readiness of its technical and legislative framework, but also on how smoothly the system can integrate into payment infrastructure already used by merchants and consumers.