Can A2A Go Mainstream?

Its prospects look brighter, but formidable hurdles remain.

For years, account-to-account (A2A) providers have been eyeing the holy grail of in-store payments—true contactless convenience—but have been held back by closed ecosystems and technical limitations. Now, the Apple Inc. decision opens the door for widespread rollout of A2A tap-to-pay across Europe.

The European Commission finalized a historic deal with Apple in July 2024 to grant third parties access to the NFC technology on iOS devices, enabling them to provide a smooth, tap-to-pay functionality for account-to-account wallets (A2A) that has previously only been available to conventional card-based mobile wallets.

A2A in-store payments have been possible, though the experience has often fallen short—hampered by clunky QR codes, multi-step screens, and cumbersome authentication. These make it hard to rival contactless transactions. That’s why, despite the initial buzz, mainstream adoption has been slow.

Now, with NFC access finally open on both Android and Apple devices, A2A wallets are stepping into a new era, one where they can truly compete on an equal footing with traditional card payments. For the first time, consumers can enjoy the same effortless tap-to-pay convenience, while merchants and providers benefit from lower transaction costs and direct-to-bank transfers. The longstanding technology gap is rapidly closing. And if the momentum continues, the competitive gap could be next.

Clearly, contactless payments have quickly become the cornerstone of in-store transactions, and consumers are all in. In the United Kingdom, a staggering 93% of all card payments are now contactless. This goes beyond convenience. It has redefined consumers’ payment expectations, setting a new standard in everyday purchases.

Just the Start

If all smart-phone users, not just those with Android devices, can use contactless A2A payments, the momentum could shift dramatically for merchants, too. The first to seize this opportunity was Vipps MobilePay. In December 2024, it became the world’s first Apple Pay alternative for iPhone users. Now, in Norway, Vipps users can “tap with Vipps” in-store, with plans to expand into Denmark, Finland, and Sweden by 2025, potentially reaching an additional 7.1 million consumers.

This breakthrough in the Nordic region is just the beginning. A2A wallets have the perfect storm: demand for simpler payment methods, a shift toward contactless, and, now, access to NFC tech on all devices. It’s not just about convenience any more. It’s about providing a genuine alternative to cards.

As the A2A payments ecosystem continues to change, more wallets are following in Vipps MobilePay’s footsteps, shifting away from cards as the default method for in-store transactions.

Swish, Sweden’s leading A2A payment app, has upgraded its tap-to-pay solution, moving from Bluetooth to NFC for Android users, further enhancing the user experience. Similarly, Bizum, which is used by 55% of Spain’s population, is preparing to launch Bizum Pay in mid-2025. This new service will offer users the flexibility to pay via Bizum’s A2A network or linked debit/credit cards.

Meanwhile, in Poland, Blik—dominant in the country’s e-commerce sector with 45% market share—is set to introduce iOS tap-to-pay in 2025, expanding its footprint in both online and in-store payments.

These players are not waiting around. They are positioning themselves as serious contenders to replace cards. If these apps can execute well, we could see a mass consumer exodus from cards toward A2A wallets.

While Nordic, Spanish, and Polish markets are making clear A2A in-store payments, Europe’s largest economies are moving more cautiously. Wero—the pan-European A2A initiative—has delayed its in-store launch until 2026. In the U.K., progress has been even slower. Here, no A2A wallet has yet achieved meaningful consumer traction, with activity limited to early-stage proofs of concept and limited pilots.

This is the point where Europe’s big economies are running the risk of being left behind. Smaller nations are proving that A2A payments are an emerging standard. Meanwhile, giants like the U.K., Germany, and France are still grappling with integration issues.

Building Blocks

While domestic adoption of A2A wallets is accelerating, the bigger test lies in enabling seamless cross-border payments. True scale and convenience will depend on solving interoperability challenges, an area where progress is still uneven.

Wero’s cross-border ambitions remain unclear. However, EuroPA—a partnership between Bizum (Spain), Bancomat Pay (Italy), and MB Way (Portugal)—completed its first cross-border transaction in late 2024. Meanwhile, the EMPSA

Alliance, which includes Bancomat Pay, Twint (Switzerland), and Bluecode (Austria), is working toward a shared A2A network that spans national borders.

These efforts suggest that, while a pan-European solution is still on the horizon, building blocks are steadily falling into place. It’s clear that regional alliances are forming, but will they be enough? The cross-border challenge is huge, and while progress is being made, the real question is whether A2A can scale across borders without the headache of fragmented solutions.

Questions remain about the long-term sustainability of interoperability through bilateral or regional partnerships, or about whether an initiative such as Wero—with ambitions to become a unified European solution—would offer greater scalability, foster more consistent innovation, and streamline operations more effectively than a fragmented network of overlapping agreements.

Now that NFC access is unlocked, A2A wallets are technically ready to compete head-to-head with cards at the point of sale. But their ability to move beyond niche status and truly challenge the dominant card model will hinge on how effectively they address the needs of both consumers and merchants.

But let’s be real. This is the year when A2A wallets either prove their worth or fall by the wayside.

—Nick Saywell is a senior manager at PSE Consulting