At half throttle and with doubts between commerce: Bizum arrives at shops and restaurants

BarcelonaMay 18, 2026, will be a date etched in the history of Bizum, the Spanish payment services provider par excellence. This Monday, its BizumPay platform will land in shops, bars, and restaurants to present itself as a payment alternative to conventional debit and credit cards, a universe until now dominated by North American groups like Visa or Mastercard. The news excites banks and European institutions, who are looking for new ways to reduce dependence on the United States in all sectors. However, commerce greets the measure with doubts and a rather limited initial implementation is expected.

For users, the changes will be barely noticeable. In those establishments that have incorporated Bizum, customers will only have to bring their mobile phone close to the payment terminals or POS terminals – already configured to accept the new function – to make the payment. The only requirement will be to have previously downloaded the BizumPay application and accepted its conditions, or to make the transaction directly through the app of banks that have the functionality enabled. Initially, however, its availability will be limited. Firstly, because only a few entities – including CaixaBank and Banco Sabadell – have adapted their systems. And secondly, due to the reticence of the establishments themselves.

"We expect low adoption," assures the general director of Ferrolan stores and member of the Comertia board, Albert Antonijoan. The main reason is related to commissions, which are currently higher for Bizum than for card usage. Among the associates of the retail companies' organization, Bizum charges an average commission of between 0.4% and 0.6% on the amount of each transaction, while for services like Visa or Mastercard it stands at figures close to the range of 0.3% and 0.35%. In parallel, Comertia points out that fixed commissions per operation are also higher with Bizum. For establishments with low average tickets, such as cafes, the penalty for operating with Bizum "is particularly high," states Antonijoan, as a significant part of each transaction is a direct gain for the payment platform.

Although the new system will allow businesses to receive money immediately – with Visa or Mastercard cards, you have to wait between 24 and 48 hours – Comertia also considers that the Bizum system is "a bit slower" when preparing a payment, which in some busy establishments could end up causing queues and, consequently, customer discomfort.

Lack of incentives

From the users' perspective, academics do not anticipate an immediate wave of popularity either. For practical purposes for the consumer, paying by card or via Bizum involves the same action. However, with Bizum, it will be necessary to download its application beforehand and take into account that, for the moment, the platform will not be able to operate as a credit card, but simply as a debit card. "Unless companies and banks promote its use [...], the customer has no further incentive to switch," points out Elisabet Ruiz, a Finance professor at UOC. "Bizum became widespread because transfers between individuals were free, but now that incentive is gone," she adds. For this expert, one of the few significant reasons that could drive the change has to do with the awareness of those citizens who want to disassociate themselves from US platforms and opt for tools developed within the European territory.

A final factor to consider relates to the resolution of incidents. As pointed out by the association of financial users ASUFIN, card users assume that, in case of any problem – such as undue charges or theft – there is a guarantee system that works. The association's economic expert, Antonio Gallardo, emphasizes that the technology behind Bizum is equally secure, as it is the same used by digital wallets like Apple Pay or Google Pay. Despite everything, he acknowledges that "a lot of education" will be needed for citizens to perceive Bizum as a payment method with coverage comparable to cards.

In the long run, academics expect a coexistence of the various payment systems, with Bizum's evolution being closely linked to the strategy of the Spanish and European financial sector and the incentives that entities offer – especially to merchants – to consolidate the new system. In parallel, and aware of the more than consolidated presence of cards, Bizum is already considering launching its own cards, precisely to save users the process of downloading applications via mobile, which has never been very well received by the middle-aged and older public. "Right now we are not thinking about it, but probably in the future," said the company's general manager, Ángel Nigorra.