The European Central Bank has opened applications for e-commerce and mobile-commerce merchants to participate in its upcoming digital euro pilot. The controlled 12-month exercise is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2027 and will test a beta version of the digital euro across real-world payment scenarios, ahead of any decision on whether the currency should ultimately be issued.
According to the ECB’s official call for merchants, selected businesses will test remote digital euro payments through their existing e-commerce websites or mobile applications and provide feedback on integration, operations and customer experience. Applications are open until 17:00 CET on October 27, while an information session for prospective participants is scheduled for October 6.
Merchants Will Test Digital Euro Checkout Flows
Eligibility is narrower than simply operating within Europe. Applicants must be legally established in the EU, operate suitable e-commerce or mobile-commerce services and be capable of serving customers in at least two of the 19 pilot locations. Successful applicants must sign a participation agreement with the ECB and establish or modify a commercial relationship with one of the acquiring payment service providers selected for the pilot.
The ECB has already selected 36 PSPs from more than 50 applicants across the euro area. The pilot will involve the ECB, 19 national central banks, selected merchants and Eurosystem staff acting as end users, with testing covering person-to-person and person-to-business payments in both proximity and remote environments. Some PSPs will provide digital euro accounts and payment services, while others will enable merchants to accept the beta currency.
For participating online merchants, development work will run through 2027 before the operational phase begins. Businesses will integrate the beta digital euro into checkout environments with support from acquiring PSPs and then report on areas including transaction performance, payment completion times, reconciliation, cancellations, technical defects and implementation burden. Merchants will receive the value of beta digital euro transactions into designated non-digital-euro payment accounts.
Pilot Precedes Any Digital Euro Issuance
The exercise should not be confused with a commercial launch. The beta digital euro will closely replicate the functionality envisioned in draft legislation but will not have legal tender status, and the ECB has reiterated that a final issuance decision can only be taken after the relevant EU legislation is adopted. The Eurosystem currently aims to be technically prepared for a potential first issuance during 2029, assuming the regulation advances as expected.
The financial commitment is also broader than the pilot itself. The ECB estimates total digital euro development costs at approximately €1.3 billion through potential first issuance, followed by around €320 million in annual operating costs from issuance onward. The Eurosystem would bear those infrastructure costs, similar to its role in financing the production and issuance of euro banknotes.
For payment providers and merchants, the next concrete milestones are therefore selection, contracting and technical integration rather than a decision on issuance. The 2027 pilot will provide operational evidence on whether the proposed infrastructure can work reliably at checkout and across existing payment systems, with those results feeding into subsequent design work and any eventual decision to launch the digital euro.
