The Payments Group (TPG), has become the first pan-European issuer of the Bluecode scheme, giving people across the continent access to a prepaid-based mobile payment alternative to Visa and Mastercard.
The prepaid service is available via the Bluecode app, can be activated in just a few minutes, and funded via Sepa transfers, credit and debit cards, or cash at more than 550,000 retail locations.
Once topped up, users can make transactions worldwide thanks to collaborations with international networks such as Alipay+, Discover Global Network, and EMPSA (European Mobile Payment Systems Association).
There has been a growing movement in Europe to reduce reliance on American payments providers: the continent's leaders have cited geopolitical and economic challenges as a reason to push ahead with a digital euro, while the European Payments Initiative has developed its Wero digital wallet as an explicit alternative to the US card schemes.
“With this launch, we’re proud to offer a payment solution that reflects Europe’s commitment to privacy, security, and user empowerment,” says Jens Bader, CEO, The Payments Group. “Our prepaid offering gives people across the EEA access to a European way to pay - built on European infrastructure, governed by European regulation, and aligned with the values that matter most to European users.”