Do I need Bancontact to sell in Belgium?

Yes, in practice. Bancontact handles more than 2.5 billion payments a year and reported 393 million online payments via mobile solutions in 2025. Most Belgian cards carry the brand. Wero for e-commerce has been live in Belgium since March 2026 and is a useful addition.

Payment by card in the Benelux

Belgium keeps its own domestic scheme. Bancontact counts nearly 18 million cards and 1.9 billion in-store card payments in 2025, 1.4 billion of them contactless. New Belgian debit cards carry Visa Debit or Debit Mastercard next to Bancontact, and when both brands are accepted, the payment runs on Bancontact.

Bancontact online and on mobile

Bancontact is the national brand for card, mobile and online payments in Belgium, with more than 2.5 billion payments a year. The Payconiq by Bancontact app became Bancontact Pay on March 16, 2026, with 2 million users, and Bancontact counted 526 million mobile payments in 2025, up 11.6%. In Belgium, BNPL plays a smaller role and Bancontact or Wero remain the default at checkout. Wero for e-commerce went live in March 2026 at ING, KBC and BNP Paribas Fortis, next to Bancontact, and a PSP entering Belgium should check Bancontact acquiring.

More detail in our #PayWorldTour guide Payment methods in the Benelux.