What MB WAY does

MB WAY is Portugal's national mobile payments platform, launched on 12 October 2015 by SIBS Forward Payment Solutions, S.A. (a subsidiary of SIBS, the interbank services company that operates the MULTIBANCO network). The service enables Portuguese consumers to make payments in physical stores via QR Code or NFC contactless (now including iOS Double-Click), make online purchases using only a mobile phone number, send and request instant peer-to-peer transfers without IBANs, split bills with contacts, withdraw cash at MULTIBANCO ATMs without a bank card, and generate virtual single-use cards (MB NET) for secure online shopping. The platform also includes charitable donations (Ser Solidário to 120+ institutions), subscription management (Pagamentos Autorizados), and a wearable payment device (MB WAY pulse). As of 2025/2026, MB WAY has 6.5M+ active users across Portugal, supports 14+ Portuguese banks, and is accepted at 100K+ merchants.

The platform is built on proprietary payment orchestration technology developed entirely in-house by SIBS, integrating QR Code, NFC, biometric authentication, virtual card generation, and real-time interbank transfers within a single app available on iOS, Android, Huawei, and Windows. MB WAY is the only app natively integrated with the entire MULTIBANCO POS and ATM network, which constitutes a structural distribution advantage. MB WAY's global expansion strategy is anchored in the EuroPA Alliance and Wero European digital wallet initiative, with a 2025 cross-border euro-denominated P2P pilot launched with Poland's BLIK at Web Summit 2025, connecting ~130M users across 13 European countries.

MB WAY operates a transaction-fee revenue model, charging merchants and acquirers interchange/transaction fees for QR Code, NFC, and in-app payments processed through SIBS's payment infrastructure. The app is free for consumers with no subscription fee or per-transaction charge. The platform generates revenue entirely from B2B-side economics (merchants, acquirers, and partner banks), with B2B2C distribution via 14+ bank partners and festival/event sponsorships serving as primary demand-generation channels. GTM is product-led and self-serve: users onboard via app-store download or at any MULTIBANCO ATM, with bank partnerships and gamification (MB WAY Challenge / MB WAY UP!) driving habitual engagement.

Name

MB WAY

Legal name

SIBS Forward Payment Solutions, S.A.

Website

https://mbway.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

MB WAY is Portugal's national mobile payments platform, enabling 6.5M+ consumers to pay by QR Code, NFC, or phone number, transfer money instantly, and withdraw cash without a card via the MULTIBANCO network. Operated by SIBS, it serves consumers and 100K+ merchants across Portugal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Payments

akta.pro primary industry

Alternative Payment Methods (APMs) Enablement (BNPL, wallets, local methods) (FSAMACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

BNPL Consumer Apps & Wallets (Discovery, Management) (FSAGAIAG), BNPL Card / Virtual Card Programs (FSAKACAC)

Keywords

• Mobile payments
• Contactless payments
• Peer-to-peer transfers
• Virtual card generation
• QR code payments

Headquarters

HQ city

Étinehem

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Interchange / Merchant Transaction Fees: MB WAY charges merchants a fee for each payment processed via its platform (QR Code or NFC at point-of-sale, or in-app). The revenue flows through SIBS's payment infrastructure network, with participating banks and payment card networks also sharing in transaction economics. No direct subscription fee is charged to consumers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

MB WAY is a SIBS-built mobile payments application that lets Portuguese consumers pay in physical stores via QR Code or NFC, pay online with just a phone number, send and request instant interbank money transfers, split bills, withdraw cash from MULTIBANCO ATMs without a bank card, and generate virtual MB NET cards for secure online shopping. For merchants, MB WAY provides a QR Code/NFC acceptance rail that plugs directly into the nationwide MULTIBANCO terminal network, with value-added features like cashback campaigns and gamified engagement.

Product overview

MB WAY is a unified mobile payments platform operated by SIBS Forward Payment Solutions, combining core payment services with complementary modules. The core MB WAY app provides QR Code and NFC contactless payments at physical merchants, online checkout via phone number, P2P money transfers and requests, bill splitting, and cardless ATM withdrawals. Supporting modules include MB NET for virtual card generation for secure online transactions, Ser Solidário for charitable donations to 120+ institutions, and Pagamentos Autorizados for subscription management. The MB WAY pulse wearable device extends contactless payments to wrist-worn form factor, while MB WAY UP! gamification program drives engagement through challenges and rewards. The service integrates with the MULTIBANCO ATM network and participates in European cross-border payment initiatives via the EuroPA Alliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MB NET: Virtual card generation service integrated within MB WAY, allowing users to create single-use or merchant-specific virtual cards for secure online shopping.
• MB WAY pulse
• MB WAY UP!

Products and services

• MB WAY mobile payments app Mobile payments application for Portuguese consumers that enables in-store payments via QR Code or NFC, online payments via phone number, instant P2P transfers, bill splitting, cardless MULTIBANCO ATM withdrawals, and access to MB NET virtual cards, Ser Solidário donations and the MB WAY UP! rewards programme.
• MB WAY pulse wearable payment device Contactless wearable payment wristband that lets users make MB WAY payments by tapping the wrist on NFC payment terminals, extending the MB WAY payment experience to a wearable form factor.
• MB NET virtual cards Virtual card generation service within MB WAY that creates single-use or merchant-specific virtual cards for secure online shopping with American Express, MasterCard and Visa-accepting merchants without exposing the user's real bank details.
• MB WAY UP! rewards programme Gamified loyalty and rewards programme where users complete challenges and make purchases at partner merchants to earn points and win daily prizes, cashback and other rewards.
• Ser Solidário charitable donations Charitable donations feature that allows MB WAY users to make donations to over 120 registered Portuguese social institutions directly from the app, supporting child development, social inclusion, healthcare and humanitarian aid.
• Pagamentos Autorizados (authorized recurring payments) Subscription and recurring payment management service that lets users control and authorize recurring purchases and subscriptions, choosing which bank card is charged and setting monthly spending limits, all confirmed through the MB WAY app.
• MB WAY Empresas (merchant acceptance) Merchant-facing service that enables Portuguese retailers and online merchants to accept MB WAY payments (QR Code and NFC) at point-of-sale and online checkout, plugged into the existing MULTIBANCO terminal network.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6.5M+ active users in Portugal (2025/2026)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers23 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature11 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EuroPA Alliance (European Payments Initiative / Wero)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 February 2026On 2 February 2026, the European Payments Initiative (EPI) and the EuroPA Alliance signed an agreement creating a domestic alternative to Visa and Mastercard, connecting approximately 130 million users across 13 countries through the Wero digital wallet. MB WAY is integrated into this ecosystem, enabling cross-border euro-denominated payments and positioning the service as a cornerstone of European payment sovereignty.
• European Payment Systems (EuroPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 December 2025BLIK partnered with European payment systems under the EuroPA initiative, of which MB WAY is a key member. The partnership enables interoperability between BLIK (Poland) and MB WAY (Portugal) for cross-border mobile payments.
• BLIK (Poland)coreTechnology or Integration · 14 November 2025BLIK (Poland's dominant mobile payments platform) launched a pilot programme for euro-denominated P2P transfers with MB WAY and other European providers as part of the EuroPA initiative. Demonstrated at Web Summit 2025, the pilot enables borderless, real-time euro transactions across 10 countries. This is the first concrete cross-border integration for MB WAY beyond Portugal.
• 117 Solidarity Institutions (Ser Solidário Programme)minorOthers · 9 May 2022MB WAY's Ser Solidário feature enables donations to 117 registered charitable and social institutions across Portugal. In the 'Ajudar é tão fácil' campaign, MB WAY donated €430,000 to these institutions, distributed across child development (40%), social inclusion (25%), health (13%), human rights (11%), education/waste reduction (6%), and environment/animal welfare (5%).
• SIBS (Sociedade Interbancária de Serviços) — Parent CompanycoreTechnology or IntegrationSIBS is the parent company and sole developer of MB WAY. SIBS owns and operates the MULTIBANCO network, SIBS Analytics, SIBS Backoffice, and the SIBS API Market. All MB WAY technology and infrastructure is developed and maintained by SIBS.
• 14+ Portuguese Banks (Millennium BCP, Novo Banco, CGD, Banco Montepio, Santander Totta, BPI, ActivoBank, Banco CTT, Bankinter, BBVA, Best Bank, BiG, Crédito Agrícola, EuroBic, and others)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor14+ Portuguese banks enable MB WAY for their customers through mobile banking apps and homebanking portals. These banks market MB WAY to their retail customer base and facilitate onboarding. Banks handle the direct customer relationship while SIBS provides the payment infrastructure.
• MULTIBANCO NetworkcoreTechnology or IntegrationThe MULTIBANCO network is operated by SIBS and comprises thousands of ATMs and POS terminals across Portugal. MB WAY is natively integrated into this network, enabling QR Code payments at terminals, cardless cash withdrawals, and QR Code scanning for MULTIBANCO services. This is a unique competitive advantage as no other payment app has direct MULTIBANCO integration.
• Festival Event Organisers (NOS Alive, Super Bock Super Rock, Cooljazz, MEO Sudoeste, Rock in Rio Lisboa, RFM Somnii)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMB WAY serves as the official cashless payment partner at major Portuguese music festivals. MB WAY provides wristband top-up stations, manages cashless payments on-site, and runs promotional campaigns and prize giveaways to engage festival-goers.
• SIBS FPS — Operator EntitycoreTechnology or IntegrationSIBS Forward Payment Solutions, S.A. (SIBS FPS) is the legal entity operating MB WAY, providing the application, managing the service agreement with banks, and maintaining the technology platform. Address: Alfrapark, Edifício E, Estrada de Alfragide 67, 2610-008 Amadora, Portugal.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BLIK: Poland's dominant mobile payment platform, operating under a similar national-bank-utility model. Directly comparable as a domestic mobile-first P2P and POS wallet, and is MB WAY's named cross-border integration partner under the EuroPA initiative.
• Bizum: Spain's leading instant mobile payment system, owned by Spanish banks and used by 25M+ users for P2P transfers and online payments. Closest geographic and structural analog to MB WAY, with a shared EuroPA membership and similar Spanish-bank-utility ownership model.
• Wero (European Payments Initiative): The unified digital wallet of the European Payments Initiative (EPI), aggregating national schemes including MB WAY, BLIK, and Bizum. Comparable as the pan-European layer above MB WAY and the explicit alternative to Visa/Mastercard in Europe.
• Swish: Sweden's dominant mobile payment app, jointly owned by Swedish banks. Comparable as a national P2P and merchant mobile wallet reaching near-universal adoption, with similar bank-utility ownership and instant-transfer product positioning.
• Vipps: Norway's leading mobile wallet (now expanded across the Nordics under the Vipps MobilePay group). Comparable as a bank-backed national mobile payment platform with P2P, in-store, and online use cases — the Nordic analog to MB WAY's Iberian positioning.
• MobilePay: Danish-origin mobile wallet now part of the Vipps MobilePay group, with users across Denmark, Finland, and Norway. Directly comparable as a P2P and merchant mobile payment platform with bank-distributed consumer onboarding.
• TWINT: Switzerland's national mobile payment system, jointly owned by major Swiss banks. Comparable as a bank-utility mobile wallet covering P2P, POS, online, and ATM cardless withdrawals within a single national market.
• Paylib: France's bank-led mobile payment standard for P2P transfers and online checkout. Comparable as a multi-bank consortium mobile payment platform serving a domestic French market, with similar interbank architecture to MB WAY's SIBS foundation.

Broad incumbents

• Apple Pay: Global wallet incumbent from Apple, offering NFC contactless payments on iOS across all major card networks. Comparable as a competing consumer contactless wallet operating in Portugal and competing with MB WAY's NFC payments feature.
• Google Pay: Google's global mobile wallet, active in Portugal via NFC on Android and online checkout. Comparable as a global incumbent wallet competing with MB WAY for tap-to-pay share, though lacking MB WAY's domestic MULTIBANCO and bank-channel advantages.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCig6mfu6h4Au00pk1lsMHGw
• Facebookfacebook.com/mbwaymbnet
• Instagraminstagram.com/_mbway
• TikToktiktok.com/@mbway

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MB WAY