European banks to build mobile payment network

Bloomberg

Seven providers of mobile payment services owned in large part by banks are building a pan-European network, as traditional lenders seek to counter the growing competition from fintechs and global technology giants like Apple Inc.
Danske Bank A/S’s MobilePay, which operates in Denmark and Finland, said the association is designed to pave the way for cross-border transactions for as many as 25 million users.
The other companies involved are Belgium’s Banccontact Payconiq, Germany and Austria’s Bluecode, Portugal’s SIBS, Sweden’s Swish, Norway’s VIPPS and Switzerland’s TWINT.
“The rapid growth in mobile payments will lead to an increasing user demand of being able to pay everywhere in Europe with your mobile payment solution, leaving cards and physical wallets behind,” MobilePay chief executive officer Mark Wraa-Hansen said.
“We will see more mobile payment systems joining in the time to come.”