Paylib
Paylib was a French mobile payment service enabling instant account-to-account P2P transfers via phone numbers, delivered as an embedded feature inside the mobile apps of 20+ partner banks. Operated as a bank consortium from 2013, it served millions of French consumers before transitioning to Wero in 2025.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersLa Garenne-colombes, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Paylib does
Paylib was a French mobile payment service that enabled instant peer-to-peer money transfers between bank accounts via mobile banking applications, using phone numbers as the addressing mechanism in lieu of IBAN or bank details. Launched in 2013 as a consortium venture backed by more than 20 French banks, the service was delivered exclusively as an embedded (OEM/white-label) feature inside partner bank mobile apps rather than as a standalone consumer application. Core technical capabilities included instant settlement in under 10 seconds, 24/7 availability, and bilateral interoperability across the consortium — meaning any user at any participating bank could transact with any user at any other participating bank.
The business model was B2B2C: Paylib generated revenue through transaction processing fees charged to banking institution partners, while end users paid nothing for the service and banks absorbed costs as part of their digital-banking infrastructure. The product reached millions of French consumers and was positioned as the reference mobile payment solution in France. In early 2025, the consortium rebranded and migrated operations to Wero — a pan-European instant payment solution developed under the European Payments Initiative — which launched simultaneously in France, Belgium, and Germany with stated plans for broader European rollout and expanded use cases including online and in-store commerce payments.
The legal entity Paylib Services SAS (Paris, registered capital €1,539,615) remained registered after the operational transition. The company was privately held with consortium ownership rather than venture-backed, operated with a small team (1–10 employees listed), and had no identified subsidiaries, external funding rounds, or public listing.
Paylib firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Paylib
- Legal name
- Paylib Services, société par actions simplifiée
- Website
- https://paylib.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Paylib was a French mobile payment service enabling instant account-to-account P2P transfers via phone numbers, delivered as an embedded feature inside the mobile apps of 20+ partner banks. Operated as a bank consortium from 2013, it served millions of French consumers before transitioning to Wero in 2025.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Paylib industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mobile Payments
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232), Activities Related to Credit Intermediation (5223)
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bank-to-Bank Transfers & Pay-by-Bank (Consumer & Merchant) (FSAMAFAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Embedded Payments (Pay-ins, Pay-outs, Wallets) (FSAGALAB), Digital Payments & Money Movement (ACH/SEPA/FPS, Bill Pay, P2P) (FSAGAAAF), Carrier Billing & Telco Mobile Money (FSAMAEAD)
Keywords
Where Paylib is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- La Garenne-colombes
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Paylib business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Transaction Processing Services: Paylib provided instant payment services to bank partners, generating revenue through transaction processing fees charged to banking institutions. The service was free for end users, with banks absorbing costs as part of their digital banking offerings.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free Consumer Service |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Paylib product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Paylib was a French mobile payment service launched in 2013 that enabled instant account-to-account money transfers via partner bank mobile applications using phone numbers, eliminating the need to share IBAN details. The service was delivered as an embedded payment solution within more than 20 French bank mobile apps and processed transfers in under 10 seconds, 24/7, free of charge to consumers. In early 2025, Paylib transitioned to Wero, expanding to partner banks across France, Belgium, and Germany as part of the European Payments Initiative.
Product overview
Paylib operated as a single unified mobile payment product from 2013 to 2025, enabling instant peer-to-peer money transfers between bank accounts via mobile banking apps using phone numbers. The service was delivered through partnerships with over 20 French banks. In 2025, Paylib was succeeded by Wero, a new pan-European mobile payment solution with the same core instant transfer functionality but expanded to France, Belgium, and Germany, with plans for broader European expansion. Wero also introduces additional capabilities including online and in-store payments. During the transition period, Paylib and Wero remained compatible and operated in parallel.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Wero Wero is a pan-European mobile payment solution that enables instant money transfers (under 10 seconds) between bank accounts directly from mobile banking apps. It is available in France, Belgium, and Germany, with expansion planned across other European banks. Wero supports sending and receiving money 24/7, is free to use, and offers both peer-to-peer transfers and future capabilities including online and in-store payments.
- Paylib Paylib was a French mobile payment service launched in 2013 that enabled instant money transfers between bank accounts via mobile app using phone numbers. The service was provided through partnerships with over 20 French banks and served millions of users. Paylib has been succeeded by Wero as of 2025.
Quantifiable outcome
- Millions of users adopted Paylib in France, establishing it as the reference mobile payment solution
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Paylib
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Paylib technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Paylib partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- European Payments Initiative (EPI)coreEuropean Payments Initiative is the parent organization behind Wero, the successor to Paylib. EPI developed the pan-European instant payment solution that replaced Paylib in early 2025, expanding the service from France to Belgium and Germany with plans for broader European rollout.
- More Than 20 Partner BankscorePaylib operated through partnership with over 20 French banking institutions that integrated the payment service into their mobile banking applications. These banks distributed Paylib to their customer bases, enabling millions of users to access instant mobile payments.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Paylib competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wero: Wero is the direct successor to Paylib, operating the same instant A2A mobile payment technology under the European Payments Initiative across France, Belgium, and Germany. It is functionally the same product expanded to a pan-European footprint.
- Bizum: Spain's leading bank-consortium A2A mobile payment service, offering instant P2P transfers via phone numbers embedded in banking apps. Closely mirrors Paylib's French model and serves as the most analogous peer in another European market.
- BLIK: Polish mobile payment standard operated by a banking consortium, enabling instant account-to-account payments via banking apps. Operates on the same embedded-bank-app distribution model as Paylib.
- Swish: Sweden's dominant bank-owned mobile P2P payment service, embedded across major Swedish banks' apps. Highly comparable in structure (bank consortium, embedded, phone-number based) and in market dominance to Paylib in France.
- Vipps: Norwegian mobile payment service owned by a banking consortium, offering instant P2P transfers integrated with Norwegian bank apps. Directly comparable bank-consortium A2A payment model.
- MobilePay: Nordic bank-owned mobile payment platform offering instant P2P transfers across Denmark, Finland, and Norway. Comparable to Paylib as a bank-led, app-based instant payment scheme.
- Twint: Swiss mobile payment service operated by a consortium of major banks, enabling instant payments directly from bank accounts. Mirrors Paylib's bank-consortium, embedded-app approach with a similar national footprint.
- iDEAL: Dutch bank-led online payment scheme that enables direct account-to-account transfers from consumer bank accounts. Operates on similar bank-consortium rails and competes for the same European A2A payment use cases as Paylib/Wero.
Broad incumbents
- Zelle: US bank-consortium A2A instant payment network embedded in major US bank apps. While geographically separate, it represents the largest-scale analogue of Paylib's bank-led, embedded, instant-P2P model and serves as a useful reference for pan-bank A2A dynamics.
Others
- European Payments Initiative (EPI): The interbank organization that developed Wero as the pan-European successor to Paylib. While not a commercial competitor, EPI is the parent institutional framework governing Paylib/Wero's evolution and the relevant peer for understanding consortium governance in European payments.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Paylib social profiles
Digital presencePaylib financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Paylib leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Paylib funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Paylib M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Paylib
What does Paylib do?
Paylib was a French mobile payment service launched in 2013 that enabled instant account-to-account money transfers via partner bank mobile applications using phone numbers, eliminating the need to share IBAN details. The service was delivered as an embedded payment solution within more than 20 French bank mobile apps and processed transfers in under 10 seconds, 24/7, free of charge to consumers. In early 2025, Paylib transitioned to Wero, expanding to partner banks across France, Belgium, and Germany as part of the European Payments Initiative.
Is Paylib a public or private company?
Paylib is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently closed.
When was Paylib founded?
Paylib was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Paylib based?
Paylib is headquartered in La Garenne-colombes, France, in the Europe region.
How does Paylib make money?
One revenue line is on record: transaction Processing Services.
Who are Paylib's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wero, Bizum, BLIK, Swish, Vipps, MobilePay, Twint and iDEAL. Zelle is listed as a broad incumbent. European Payments Initiative (EPI) is listed as an others.
Does Paylib have an API?
No public API is recorded for Paylib.
What industry is Paylib in?
Paylib's product category is Mobile Payments. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMAFAC, Bank-to-Bank Transfers & Pay-by-Bank (Consumer & Merchant), with a secondary code of FSAGALAB, Embedded Payments (Pay-ins, Pay-outs, Wallets). Its NAICS code is 52232 and its SIC code is 6199.