Bizum: how Spain's mobile bank payment works for online merchants

What is Bizum and who uses it?

This page is for merchants outside Spain, for example in Germany or Poland, who sell to Spanish customers and want to know whether Bizum belongs in their checkout, how a Bizum payment works, and what to check before going live.

Bizum is a mobile payment service owned by Spanish banks. It started as a way to send money between friends by phone number and is now also used to pay online shops, all from inside the shopper's own banking app (source: bizum.com).

In German, Bizum is best described as a Spanish mobile payment method linked to the bank account ("spanisches Mobile-Payment-Verfahren der Banken"). It is not a separate wallet with its own balance: money moves directly from the shopper's Spanish bank account.

For a merchant, Bizum sits in the same group as iDEAL in the Netherlands, Bancontact in Belgium or BLIK in Poland: a domestic method that local shoppers recognise and often look for at checkout.

• Shoppers with an account at a participating Spanish bank who have activated Bizum in their banking app.
• Merchants that sell to Spain and offer Bizum through a payment provider or acquirer that supports it.

How does a Bizum online payment work?

A Bizum online payment is confirmed by the shopper in their banking app, and the merchant receives the result in real time. The flow:

Most problems appear at the handover between the browser and the banking app, so test the steps below on Android and iOS, in the browsers your Spanish customers use, before launch.

1. Select Bizum The shopper chooses Bizum at checkout. The payment is created in euro with your order reference.
2. Enter the phone number The shopper types the mobile number linked to Bizum.
3. Receive the request The shopper's bank sends a payment request to the banking app.
4. Approve in the banking app The shopper confirms in the app using the method set by their bank, such as a PIN or biometrics.
5. Confirmation The bank confirms the payment and your payment provider notifies your system, typically by webhook.
6. Return to shop The shopper is sent back to your order confirmation page.

What are Bizum limits and fees for merchants?

Bizum limits are set by the shopper's bank and by the payment provider, and fees are set by the provider or acquirer. There is no single Bizum price list for merchants.

Limits. For person-to-person payments, the Banco de España describes limits per transaction and per day set within the Bizum service; banks can apply their own (source: Banco de España, Portal del Cliente Bancario). For online purchases, ask your provider for its minimum and maximum amount per payment, and expect individual banks to apply their own limits on top.

Fees. Providers price Bizum in different ways. Two published examples, checked 23 October 2026:

Both entries show a common pattern: the merchant or provider needs a Bizum acquiring arrangement in Spain, and the provider adds its own fee. Ask for a written quote that shows every component.

Is Bizum like PayPal? Bizum vs cards, PayPal and Wero

Bizum is like PayPal in that shoppers pay without typing card details, but unlike PayPal it pays directly from a Spanish bank account and holds no balance of its own. The comparison below shows how Bizum differs from methods Spanish shoppers also see at checkout.

For a checkout that sells to Spain, the usual set is cards, Bizum and PayPal. See PayPal alternatives for business and the Wero page for more context.

Is Bizum available in Germany or outside Spain?

For shoppers, no: Bizum only works for people with an account at a Spanish bank, so a German bank customer cannot pay with Bizum. For merchants, yes: a business based in Germany, Poland or elsewhere can offer Bizum to Spanish shoppers through a payment provider that supports it.

Cross-border plans. In February 2026, Bancomat, Bizum, EPI, SIBS and Vipps MobilePay signed a memorandum of understanding on interoperability between their services, announced through EMPSA (source: empsa.org, 2 February 2026). An MoU is a statement of intent; it does not mean that a Spanish shopper can pay with Bizum at a Wero merchant today. Check announcements from Bizum and EPI for concrete dates.

Can a foreign company accept Bizum?

Yes. A company outside Spain can offer Bizum through a payment provider, and there are two common models:

Before you choose, ask:

• The provider acquires Bizum itself. The provider has its own Bizum arrangement in Spain and adds Bizum to your account like any other method. This is usually the simpler route.
• The provider works with your Spanish acquiring contract. The provider connects to Bizum through a contract you or a partner hold with a Spanish acquirer, often via the Redsys network. This model appears on price lists as acquirer fees or direct contract with Bizum.
• Do I need a Spanish entity, Spanish bank account or Spanish acquiring contract?
• Which minimum and maximum amounts apply?
• How are refunds made and how long after the payment?
• How does Bizum appear in settlement reports?

How do Bizum refunds and disputes work?

Bizum refunds are made by the merchant through the payment provider and are sent back to the shopper's Spanish bank account. Whether partial refunds are supported, and for how long after the payment, depends on your provider; check its documentation.

Bizum does not use the card chargeback process. If a shopper reports a problem, such as a duplicate payment or a wrong amount, it is handled through the bank and Bizum's own claims process, and resolved by the merchant with a refund where appropriate. Ask your provider how such claims reach you.

Is Bizum safe?

Bizum is generally considered safe. The shopper approves the payment in their own Spanish banking app, and the bank applies its own authentication; whether strong customer authentication is required for a given payment depends on the bank and PSD2 exemptions, so check with your provider. The shopper never shares card or account details with the merchant.

For merchants, the result is a payment confirmed by the shopper's bank. Fraud and dispute risks still exist, so keep order and delivery records as for any other method.

Can you add Bizum through OrsunPay?

Yes. Bizum is available through OrsunPay: you connect a payment provider that supports Bizum, and Bizum then appears as a method in your checkout for Spanish shoppers, next to cards and your other methods. Fees and limits depend on that provider's Bizum terms. OrsunPay is a payment orchestration platform that connects you to licensed PSPs; it does not process or hold funds itself.

See payment orchestration, provider connections, SEPA Direct Debit and the guide to alternative payment methods.