What happened
The ECB's call for e-commerce and mobile-commerce merchants to join the digital euro pilot closed at 17:00 CET on Tuesday 27 October 2026. The ECB accepts no late applications or amendments. Its pilot page now says screening is under way and the selection outcome will be announced by early 2027. A separate Bundesbank call for in-store retailers runs until 20 November.
The call at a glance
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Call published | 15 September 2026 | ECB news |
| Who it was for | E-commerce and m-commerce merchants operating in the euro area | ECB news |
| Deadline | 17:00 CET, Tuesday 27 October 2026 | ECB news; pilot FAQ |
| Late applications or changes | Not accepted after the deadline | Pilot FAQ |
| Status on 5 November 2026 | "Now closed – selection underway"; screening under way | ECB pilot page |
| Results | By early 2027 | ECB pilot page |
| Number of merchants | Not fixed; depends on eligible applications and the need to cover all pilot locations | Pilot FAQ |
| Applications received | Not published | — |
| Pay | Voluntary and unremunerated; costs not reimbursed | ECB news; pilot FAQ |
The ECB updated the pilot FAQ on 28 October 2026, the day after the deadline. An online information session took place on 6 October, and a recording is linked from the pilot page.
What happens to the applications now?
From the published material, the sequence after the deadline looks like this. Steps 1–4 come from ECB sources; the ECB has not published a timetable within "early 2027".
- Screening. The ECB checks each application against the eligibility requirements, for example legal establishment in the EU and the ability to serve users in at least two pilot locations.
- Assessment. Eligible applications are scored on weighted criteria covering market reach, operational readiness and suitability for the pilot. The ECB news item does not list the weights.
- Selection and announcement by early 2027. The FAQ does not say how unsuccessful applicants will be told.
- Agreements. Selected merchants sign a merchant participation agreement with the ECB and set up or adapt a contract with an acquiring pilot PSP. The ECB matches merchants with acquirers; an existing relationship was not required but was considered.
- Development work. Merchants build a checkout in which the beta digital euro is visible only to pilot participants. The FAQ says details on identifying pilot users will come during the development phase.
- Pilot operation from the second half of 2027, for 12 months, with one-off payments only and regular feedback to the ECB.
For the full design of the pilot, its 36 payment providers and its use cases, read our digital euro pilot guide. This report covers only the closure and its consequences.
Is any merchant route still open?
| Your situation | Status on 5 November 2026 | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Online or app-based merchant, did not apply | ECB call closed; no late entries | Nothing for the pilot; watch for the results and later ECB announcements |
| Online merchant, applied by 27 October | Under screening | Wait; the outcome is due by early 2027. Treat any request for a fee as a scam |
| In-store retailer in Germany able to run a temporary outlet at a Bundesbank site in Frankfurt am Main | Bundesbank call open until 17:00 CET, 20 November 2026 | Read the Bundesbank's call and its annexes |
| In-store retailer elsewhere | No national call found by us | Check your own national central bank's website |
| Fintech wanting to experiment with features | Not a merchant route | The ECB innovation platform call closes 9 November 2026, 17:00 CET; see our innovation page |
The Bundesbank's in-store call
The ECB said that national central banks may recruit local merchants through separate calls. The Deutsche Bundesbank published the first we have found, dated 9 October 2026. It invites in-store retailers with a registered office or establishment in Germany to run a controlled sales point on a Bundesbank property, where real purchases are made with the beta digital euro, for the whole pilot or for at least three months. The Bundesbank's English page specifies premises in Frankfurt am Main and says participation is voluntary and unpaid. Expressions of interest are due by 17:00 CET on Friday 20 November 2026. An expression of interest gives no right to selection or reimbursement. Bundesbank state of play; call document, in German
The ECB pilot page does not list national calls, and we have not found equivalent calls from other national central banks as of 5 November 2026. That may change; the digital euro news page records them when they appear.
Why it matters
- The merchant side of the pilot is taking shape. After the 36 payment providers in July and the network providers on 30 October, online merchants are the remaining large participant group still to be chosen. The selection will show how widely the ECB spreads the pilot across sectors and the 19 pilot locations.
- The cost lands on the merchant. Participation is unpaid and expenses are not reimbursed, and PSPs may not charge pilot fees. For a small online shop the trade-off is engineering time for early experience, not revenue.
- The checkout requirements are a preview. One-off payments only, refunds tied to the original payment, a beta option shown only to signed-in pilot users: these constraints tell merchants what integration work a digital euro could involve. For a broader view, see the digital euro for businesses.
What it does not mean
- It does not mean merchants can still apply to the ECB call. Any site still inviting online merchant applications is out of date.
- It does not mean anyone has been selected yet. No merchant names have been published.
- It is not an obligation. No business is required to prepare for or accept the digital euro today. A future acceptance duty depends on the regulation, which is still in trilogue negotiations; see our legislation tracker.
- It is not a launch. The pilot uses a beta digital euro without legal tender status, and the ECB says the pilot does not pre-empt a decision on issuance. The conditional dates are on our digital euro timeline.
A warning about fake invitations
The ECB pilot page warns about fake emails, letters and websites inviting people to invest in the digital euro or to join the pilot, and says it never asks for investments, money or personal information. With the online merchant call closed, an unsolicited "last chance to register your shop" message is a red flag. Merchant selection is done by the ECB or a national central bank and is free.
What happens next
| Date | Milestone | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 9 November 2026, 17:00 CET | Innovation platform call closes | ECB innovation platform |
| 20 November 2026, 17:00 CET | Bundesbank in-store merchant call closes | Bundesbank |
| By early 2027 | ECB merchant selection outcome | ECB pilot page |
| Second half of 2027 | 12-month pilot planned to start | ECB pilot page |
If you did not apply, the most useful preparation is unglamorous: keep a payment-provider reference next to every order and invoice, so any new payment method can be reconciled the same way as SEPA transfers today. Our SEPA reconciliation guide shows how.
Frequently asked questions
When did the digital euro merchant pilot application close?
At 17:00 CET on Tuesday 27 October 2026. The ECB does not accept late applications or later amendments.
When will selected merchants be announced?
The ECB says by early 2027. It has not published an exact date or the number of applications received.
Can a physical shop still join the pilot?
Only through a national central bank call. The one we have found is the Deutsche Bundesbank's, for retailers able to run a temporary outlet at its Frankfurt premises, open until 17:00 CET on 20 November 2026.
Do selected merchants get paid?
No. Participation is unpaid and costs are not reimbursed, but pilot PSPs may not charge merchants fees for pilot payment services.
Does selection guarantee a role if the digital euro is issued?
No. The merchant agreement with the ECB is specific to the pilot. In any future digital euro, merchants would deal with their payment providers, not with the ECB.
Sources
DIGITAL EUR is an independent publisher, not affiliated with the ECB. Event date: 27 October 2026; this report was written on 5 November 2026.
- ECB — Call for online and mobile merchants to participate in digital euro pilot, 15 September 2026 (accessed 5 November 2026)
- ECB — Digital euro pilot (accessed 5 November 2026)
- ECB — Digital euro pilot FAQs, updated 28 October 2026 (accessed 5 November 2026)
- ECB — ECB selects network service providers for the digital euro, 30 October 2026 (accessed 5 November 2026)
- ECB — Digital euro innovation platform (accessed 5 November 2026)
- Deutsche Bundesbank — Digital euro: state of play (accessed 5 November 2026)
- Deutsche Bundesbank — Aufruf zur Interessenbekundung: Teilnahme stationärer Händler am Pilotprojekt zum digitalen Euro, 9 October 2026 (in German) (accessed 5 November 2026)