Bizum Pay in a One-Month Test: The App Works, but Merchants Are Lagging

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Bizum Pay in a One-Month Test: The App Works, but Merchants Are Lagging.

With 31.5 million users on Bizum, the next logical question was: Can the familiar money-transfer app also be used for shopping? The author of Xataka replaced his existing mobile wallet with Bizum Pay for one month to find out.

The technical principle is actually uncomplicated: You hold the NFC-enabled phone near the payment terminal, and Bizum Pay transfers the money directly between your account and the business's account. Visa and Mastercard are not involved.

The test therefore presents a mixed picture: The app works, but merchants have not yet caught up everywhere. This gap is precisely what the promise of Bizum Pay becoming a universal alternative to mobile wallets hinges on in practice.

How Bizum Pay Differs from a Traditional Mobile Wallet

A conventional mobile wallet uses your bank's card network to authorize a payment and then process it through the card network involved. With Bizum Pay, the payment process works differently from the outset.

The platform initiates a direct transfer between the customer's account and the business's account. According to the report, this incurs no bank commission for the customer. The business's bank may, however, charge a fee based on a percentage. The exact amount depends on the terms set by the respective bank.

Bizum Pay thus promises a genuine change in everyday European payments, although only if all the necessary conditions are met on both your side and the merchant's. The author sees this shared responsibility as the real sticking point.

How to Set Up Bizum Pay in Your Banking Apps

The crucial difference lies in the setup process.

Option 1: Directly Through Your Bank's App

Some banks have already enabled Bizum payments in their own apps. With BBVA, you open the Bizum section and check whether the option for in-person payments is available. If it is, you can activate it directly in your banking app.

Option 2: Through the Separate Bizum Pay App

Bizum Pay is a standalone wallet in which you can also add your bank's card. According to the test, this is the more convenient option. After installation, all you need to do is enter the mobile number linked to your Bizum account. If your bank has already enabled Bizum Pay, setup is complete.

Ultimately, both routes require support from the bank. The app alone is not enough: What matters is whether your account model is ready for direct transfers.

The Real Catch Is the Store's Terminal

The technology works as soon as the conditions are met on both sides. To pay, you move your phone near the business's data terminal, just as you would with a contactless card. Bizum Pay then carries out the transfer.

This is where the catch lies: The business must support Bizum payments on its terminal. If it does not, you can prepare your smartphone as well as you like, but making a Bizum payment at the checkout will still not be possible.

The author cites Eroski as an example of a supermarket where payment with Bizum is possible. Support is therefore not merely theoretical. However, it is not yet so widespread that Bizum Pay can be used for all shopping like an ordinary mobile wallet.

Who Should Make the Switch, and Who Should Not

For people who already use Bizum regularly for transfers, getting started is a natural step. The app adds a payment function without requiring another type of card to become part of everyday life. What remains crucial, however, is whether your bank and the stores where you shop have enabled the feature.

For occasional users, the benefits remain limited. Anyone who already has a functioning wallet with Visa or Mastercard needs to check whether Bizum Pay can even be used at the relevant terminals. In addition, it is not possible to infer automatically from the business bank's terms whether a fee will apply, or how much it will be.

The conclusion of the one-month test is therefore clear: The software is convincing, but the network is still lagging behind. Bizum Pay can replace a mobile wallet, but only where the bank, app, and merchant work together.

You can find more details about the real-world test in Xataka's original report.