Independent mobile payment systems form European association with headquarters in Zurich

TWINT is focusing on compatibility within Europe. As the provider of the synonymous payment app reported, it has joined forces with similar providers in other European countries to found the European Mobile Payment Systems Association (EMPSA). Alongside TWINT, EMPSA’s members include the nationally launched payment systems Bancontact Payconiq Company in Belgium, Bluecode in Germany and Austria, MobilePay in Finland and Denmark, SIBS/MB Way in Portugal, Swish in Sweden and VIPPS in Norway. Cumulatively, the seven companies have around 25 million registered users and their payment solutions are accepted at over one million points.

EMPSA’s headquarters and offices will be based in Zurich. EMPSA will be chaired by Søren Mose, Chairman of the TWINT Board of Directors, while TWINT's CFO Anton Stadelmann will be acting as General Secretary.

EMPSA wants to enable users of these seven mobile payment systems to pay with their respective apps in other countries as well. The association has set up a working group to review the technical issues surrounding interoperability. “With this international cooperation, we want to accommodate our users’ wishes of also being able to use the tried-and-tested systems internationally,” explained Søren Mose in the press release. TWINT CEO Markus Kilb is confident that it will be successful in establishing “a genuine European alternative means of payment”.

With 1.7 million users and four million transactions each month, TWINT is Switzerland’s leading mobile payment app. Various banks are on board with the company, including Switzerland’s biggest UBS, Credit Suisse, Raiffeisen, PostFinance, Banque cantonale vaudoise and Zürcher Kantonalbank.