The Eurosystem on Tuesday, Sept. 15, launched a call for expressions of interest inviting e-commerce and mobile commerce (m-commerce) merchants operating in the euro area to take part in its digital euro pilot.

The call follows the Eurosystem's earlier selection of the payment service providers (PSPs) that will participate in the pilot. Under the initiative, selected merchants will work with the European Central Bank (ECB) and euro area national central banks to test a simulated digital euro ecosystem and provide feedback that could help shape the digital euro's technical specifications. Bringing merchants in at this stage extends the exercise beyond financial institutions to the businesses whose checkout flows a retail digital currency would need to slot into.

The digital euro is the Eurosystem's proposed central bank digital currency (CBDC) — a digital form of money that would be a direct liability of the central bank, like physical banknotes, rather than a claim on a commercial bank.

Testing a Simulated Digital Euro

The pilot is designed to test the technical functionality, operational processes and overall user experience of the proposed digital currency. It will run on a beta version of the digital euro that will be functionally and technically close to the version outlined in draft legislation, although it will not have legal tender status. Testing in a simulated environment allows the Eurosystem to examine how the currency would perform end to end, without real funds moving between counterparties.

Participants will include staff from the participating Eurosystem central banks, the selected PSPs and selected merchants that provide everyday services at the ECB and euro area national central banks, such as cafeterias and restaurants. The latest call specifically targets e-commerce and m-commerce merchants, while national central banks may recruit additional local merchants through separate calls.

What Participating Merchants Will Do

According to the ECB, merchants selected through the call will be able to:

• Gain first-hand experience with beta digital euro transactions in realistic e-commerce and m-commerce environments.
• Interact directly with pilot participants and observe how users experience the beta digital euro.
• Test customer payment journeys and assess how the digital euro could fit into existing checkout and payment processes.
• Provide feedback on payment journeys, merchant requirements, integration and customer experience.

The ECB said the pilot will also provide a forum ongoing collaboration between merchants, PSPs and the Eurosystem as the project moves forward.

The ECB said feedback gathered during the pilot will help inform future design decisions, improve user journeys and ensure that merchant requirements are taken into account as preparations for a potential digital euro continue. The central bank said the process is intended to help develop a digital euro that better supports merchants and consumers across Europe. Gathering integration feedback at this stage is intended to surface merchant-side requirements early — before any issuance decision — so they can be factored into the design process.

The ECB added that the pilot will be conducted transparently, reflecting the Eurosystem's commitment to a responsible and trusted introduction of a digital euro, should a decision to issue one be taken. It stressed that the final decision on whether to issue a digital euro will only be taken after the relevant EU legislation has been adopted. That sequencing keeps technical preparation and the legislative process on separate tracks: the pilot can proceed on a simulated basis, while any step toward an actual currency depends on EU lawmakers adopting the enabling framework.

How Merchants Can Participate

Participation in the pilot is voluntary and unpaid. Merchants selected through the call will be required to enter into a merchant participation agreement with the ECB and to establish or adapt their contractual relationship with an acquiring pilot PSP.

Once onboarded, the selected merchants will act as business end users, enabling beta digital euro payments in remote commerce environments while helping to validate the payment experience, operational processes and core functionalities.

Applications will be assessed against eligibility requirements and a set of weighted criteria, including market reach, operational readiness and overall suitability to support the pilot.

The ECB will hold an information session on Oct. 6, 2026, at 15:00 CET to explain the pilot and the application process to interested merchants. Applications must be submitted to the ECB by 17:00 CET on Oct. 27, 2026.

The 12-month pilot is expected to begin in the second half of 2027. It will test the beta digital euro in a controlled payment environment designed to replicate, as closely as possible, the key characteristics and functionalities envisaged for the final digital euro, should it ultimately be issued. The timeline gives the merchant community a clear sequence of checkpoints — an early-October information session, an application window closing at the end of the month and a pilot expected to run through the second half of 2027 — while progress on the EU legislative file remains the pivotal factor in whether the project advances from beta testing toward an issuance decision.

The full call for expressions of interest is available in the ECB's official announcement.

This report was first published by BitcoinKE on Sept. 15, 2026.