Bizum Pay brings in-store payments to Spanish shops

Bizum Pay has moved beyond transfers between individuals and into everyday shopping in Spain. The service now supports in-store payments for almost 20 million people. It is available on 75% of the country's banking terminals, so more than 1.6 million establishments can already accept it.

This is no longer a small pilot. According to EFE, the rollout began on 18 May 2026 and is expanding in stages rather than arriving as one nationwide release. Bizum wants most of its 32 million users to be able to pay in physical shops with their phones by December 2026.

Bizum says more than 25 major retail chains from different sectors have already connected their terminals to the service, taking the rollout beyond isolated pilot projects.

Users who can make in-store payments use Bizum an average of three times a week. The platform says the feature now reaches 60% of its users. Spanish banks are speeding up the rollout with Bizum Pay.

From this Monday, the app is also available in English and in Spain's co-official languages. Bizum Pay has been available for download on Android and iOS since 14 July.

For customers, the payment process is meant to be almost invisible.

After Bizum Pay is set as the default payment method, the user only needs to unlock the phone and hold it near the terminal. The setup varies by bank. Some banks put the feature in their own app. Others send customers to Bizum Pay, which is also available as a standalone wallet.

The banks already named as enabling in-store payments through Bizum Pay include CaixaBank, Banco Sabadell, Unicaja, Bankinter, Abanca and Caja Rural. CaixaBank has separately said the feature has reached 100% of its customers and that deployment across its network is nearly complete.

Bankinter has made the service available to all its customers. Activation starts in the bank's app through the Bizum section. Customers then download Bizum Pay and choose their preferred payment method.

The wallet can take payment from a bank account or linked Bankinter cards. It can also store digital tickets, passes and entries.

The payment launch comes with a prominent account offer. New customers who open Bankinter's Cuenta Digital can receive 3% TAE on balances of up to 100,000 euros. They do not need to pay in a salary or meet extra direct-debit conditions.

The return is guaranteed until April 2027, with interest paid monthly. The promotion is for new customers and runs until 28 October. Customers who also pay in a salary of at least 850 euros can receive up to 600 gross euros over 12 months. That part of the offer is limited to the first 50,000 accounts.

CaixaBank is competing through its scale rather than a separate customer app. It has activated Bizum Pay on more than 517,000 terminals and enabled the feature for all its customers. Since the pilot began in mid-July, CaixaBank users have made nearly 25,000 payments worth more than 400,000 euros in total.

The bank is also offering a reward to new salary customers. Those who pay in their salary, complete three direct debits and make three card purchases each quarter can receive a Facilitea online store voucher worth between 200 and 400 euros. The catalogue includes products such as a Dyson and a PS5.

The figures show a change in Bizum's position. It is no longer only a quick account-to-account transfer service. It is now competing for space at the checkout.

For customers, the immediate benefit is a quicker way to pay. The bank offers add a financial incentive to start or deepen the relationship. The physical shop is the next major test for Bizum Pay.

That is the practical meaning of the launch. Bizum has broad terminal coverage, and major banks are turning access into a wider customer offer. CaixaBank brings scale. Bankinter ties the feature to one of the strongest account promotions described here.

For Spanish consumers, the payment itself is simple. The conditions attached to each bank now matter just as much as the technology.