OMAHA, Nebraska — Jun. 16, 2026
Executive Summary
ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ: ACIW) has announced that Rabobank is advancing the migration of the Netherlands’ leading payment method, iDEAL, to Wero, the European Payments Initiative (EPI)-backed digital payment solution. Powered by ACI’s Real-Time Payments Processing technology, the transition enables real-time account-to-account payments, supports SEPA Instant infrastructure, and marks a major milestone in Europe’s move toward a unified instant payments ecosystem. The migration is expected to continue through 2027, supporting broader cross-border payment capabilities across Europe.
Announcement Overview
Rabobank, one of Europe’s largest financial institutions and a founding bank behind iDEAL, is moving the Netherlands’ most widely used payment system onto SEPA Instant Credit Transfer (SCT Inst) infrastructure powered by ACI Worldwide. The transition supports Wero, the digital payment solution backed by the European Payments Initiative, and is designed to enable 24/7 real-time clearing and settlement, enhanced interoperability, and pan-European payment capabilities. The initiative represents a significant step in Europe’s instant payments evolution, expanding payment functionality across online, in-store, person-to-person, and cross-border transactions while supporting regulatory requirements under the Instant Payment Regulation (IPR).
Key Announcement Details
- Announcement Type: Real-Time Payments Infrastructure and Payment System Migration
- Announcing Company: ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ: ACIW)
- Banking Partner: Rabobank
- Payment Solution: Wero
- National Payment Method Being Migrated: iDEAL
- Supporting Initiative: European Payments Initiative (EPI)
- Technology Platform: ACI Real-Time Payments Processing Technology
- Primary Objective: Migration of iDEAL to a true real-time payments environment
- Processing Model: Real-time account-to-account payments
- Payment Rails: SEPA Instant Credit Transfer (SCT Inst)
- Previous Payment Rails: SEPA Credit Transfer (SCT)
- Clearing Capability: Real-time clearing
- Settlement Capability: Real-time settlement
- Availability: 24/7 instant payment processing
- Infrastructure Functions: Payment orchestration, liquidity management, real-time clearing, interoperability
- Operational Benefits: Scale, resilience, security, regulatory compliance, high availability
- Geographic Focus: Netherlands and broader European market
- Lead Financial Institution: Rabobank
- Rabobank Role: Founding bank behind iDEAL and participant in Wero transition
- Market Significance: One of Europe’s largest payment transformation projects
- Consumer Benefit: Instant account-to-account payments across participating European banks
- Merchant Benefit: Faster payment certainty and immediate fund availability
- Cross-Border Capability: Pan-European payment functionality
- Supported Payment Types: Online payments, in-store payments, person-to-person payments, cross-border payments
- Additional Capability: Request to Pay messaging through Wero
- Expanded Use Cases: Bill payments, subscriptions, merchant-initiated transactions
- Regulatory Context: Instant Payment Regulation (IPR)
- Industry Segment: Payments Technology and Banking Infrastructure
- Migration Timeline: Transition underway
- Expected Completion: End of 2027
- Strategic Goal: Transform iDEAL from a national payment system into a pan-European instant payments solution
- European Objective: Unify fragmented national payment schemes
- Infrastructure Provider Role: Support national-scale instant payment volumes
- Market Impact: Accelerates Europe’s transition toward real-time payments
- Benchmark Significance: First major market migration of a successful domestic payment scheme to Wero
- Long-Term Focus: Pan-European instant payment adoption and interoperability
Rabobank Advances iDEAL Migration to Wero
ACI Worldwide announced that Rabobank is accelerating the migration of iDEAL to Wero, advancing one of the most significant payment modernization initiatives currently underway in Europe.
The move transitions payment processing from traditional SEPA Credit Transfer (SCT) rails to SEPA Instant Credit Transfer (SCT Inst) infrastructure.
Key objectives of the migration include:
- Real-time account-to-account payments
- 24/7 payment processing
- Instant clearing and settlement
- Cross-border interoperability
- Pan-European payment acceptance
- Enhanced payment scalability
According to the announcement, the migration is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
Wero and the European Payments Initiative
Wero is the digital payment solution developed under the European Payments Initiative (EPI).
The initiative seeks to create:
- A unified European payment ecosystem
- A pan-European digital payment solution
- Interoperable account-to-account payment capabilities
- Reduced fragmentation across national payment schemes
- Broader payment acceptance across participating European markets
As part of this effort, participating financial institutions are working to transition national payment methods into a single European framework.
Rabobank and other EPI shareholders have committed to supporting this transition as Europe continues modernizing payment infrastructure.
The migration of iDEAL to Wero represents a major step toward achieving these objectives.
ACI Worldwide Real-Time Payments Processing Technology
The migration is being powered by ACI’s Real-Time Payments Processing technology.
According to the company, the platform provides the scale, resilience, availability, and interoperability required for high-volume instant payment environments.
Key capabilities supporting the project include:
- Payment flow orchestration
- Liquidity management
- Real-time clearing
- SEPA Instant connectivity
- Operational resilience
- Regulatory compliance support
- High-availability processing
ACI stated that these capabilities enable Rabobank to transition iDEAL into a fully real-time payment environment while maintaining consistent operational performance as transaction volumes continue to grow.
The platform also supports the broader requirements associated with large-scale payment modernization initiatives involving national payment systems.
iDEAL’s Role in Dutch Digital Commerce
According to the announcement, iDEAL remains the dominant payment method within the Netherlands.
Key iDEAL statistics highlighted by the company include:
- More than 70% of online transactions
- Billions of payments annually
- Extensive consumer adoption
- Widespread merchant acceptance
While consumers have historically received immediate confirmation during online purchases, the underlying payment infrastructure has traditionally relied on standard SEPA Credit Transfer (SCT) processing.
The migration to SEPA Instant Credit Transfer (SCT Inst) infrastructure changes this model by enabling genuine real-time payment processing and settlement.
This transition effectively moves a substantial share of Dutch digital commerce onto instant payment rails.
Rabobank’s Role in the Transition
As one of the founding institutions behind iDEAL, Rabobank plays a significant role in scaling the transition to Wero.
The bank’s participation supports:
- Large-scale migration of payment volumes
- Expansion of instant payment adoption
- Acceleration of account-to-account payments
- Support for European payment standardization
- Broader merchant and consumer accessibility
According to the announcement, Rabobank’s involvement places the institution at the center of one of Europe’s largest payment infrastructure transformations.
The bank’s migration efforts are expected to contribute significantly to the wider adoption of instant payments across European markets.
Expanding Instant Payments Beyond Checkout
In addition to supporting checkout transactions, Rabobank is expanding instant payment functionality through Request to Pay messaging capabilities routed via Wero.
The initiative broadens the range of supported payment use cases.
Examples highlighted in the announcement include:
- Bill payments
- Subscription payments
- Merchant-initiated transactions
- Account-to-account transfers
- Digital commerce payments
These capabilities are designed to support payment scenarios where:
- Immediate confirmation is important
- Funds availability is critical
- Payment certainty is required
- Real-time settlement delivers operational value
The expansion demonstrates how instant payment infrastructure is being applied across a wider range of transaction types beyond traditional online checkout experiences.
Leadership Commentary From Rabobank
Patrick Kipping
Area Lead, Payments Transaction Processing, Rabobank
“Wero represents the next evolution of how people pay in Europe, bringing together the trust and ubiquity of iDEAL with instant, pan-European capabilities. Migrating iDEAL at this scale is a significant operational step, and an important milestone in delivering instant, seamless payments for our customers.”
Rabobank stated that the migration represents both an operational transformation and a significant milestone in the delivery of instant payment experiences across European markets.
Leadership Commentary From ACI Worldwide
Craig Ramsey
Global Head of Account-to-Account Payments, ACI Worldwide
“Rabobank is moving one of Europe’s most successful national payment systems into a true instant payments environment, at scale.”
“This is exactly what the shift to instant payments is about: not just faster payments but transforming how entire economies move money. ACI’s platform is designed to manage that level of volume, resilience, and complexity.”
ACI Worldwide stated that the project demonstrates the growing importance of scalable infrastructure capable of supporting national payment systems operating in real-time environments.
Europe Enters a New Phase of Instant Payments Adoption
According to the announcement, Europe is entering a new stage in the adoption of instant payments.
A key driver behind this transition is the implementation of the Instant Payment Regulation (IPR).
The regulation is increasing focus on:
- Instant payment processing
- Infrastructure resilience
- Operational scalability
- Regulatory compliance
- National-volume payment performance
- Real-time transaction capabilities
Financial institutions across Europe are increasingly prioritizing investments that support instant payment readiness and large-scale processing capabilities.
The migration of iDEAL to Wero aligns with these broader market developments.
The Netherlands Becomes a Leading Wero Market
According to ACI Worldwide, the Netherlands is the first major market to transition a successful domestic payment solution to Wero.
The migration positions the country at the forefront of:
- Instant account-to-account payments
- Pan-European payment innovation
- Digital payment modernization
- Cross-border payment interoperability
- Real-time financial infrastructure
The speed and stability of the transition are expected to contribute to the broader rollout of Wero across European markets through 2027.
The initiative also establishes an important benchmark for future migrations involving national payment systems within the European payments ecosystem.
About ACI Worldwide
ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ: ACIW) is a global payments technology company providing software solutions that enable intelligent payment orchestration in real time for banks, merchants, and billers.
With nearly 50 years of payments expertise, the company supports organizations seeking to modernize payment infrastructure while delivering secure and scalable payment experiences.
ACI Worldwide’s technology portfolio is focused on:
- Real-time payments
- Payments orchestration
- Digital payment infrastructure
- Banking modernization
- Merchant payment solutions
- Enterprise payment processing
The company combines a global operational footprint with local market expertise to support evolving payment requirements across international markets.
Media Contact
For additional information, visit aciworldwide.com.
Source Attribution
Source: Company announcement
