Published on August 27, 2026 · The mitza.es team
Bizum, already established as the most common way to send money between individuals in Spain, is making the leap into physical retail. The platform will let customers pay directly in stores with their phone, without a card, using NFC technology — the same one used by Apple Pay or Google Pay.
How it works in practice
Customers will simply need to tap their phone against the store's payment terminal (POS) to complete the transaction in seconds. Unlike a card payment, the transaction doesn't go through the Visa or Mastercard networks: it's settled through a direct, instant transfer between the customer's and the business's bank accounts.
What it means for a business
- Businesses won't need to change or adapt their current payment terminals.
- The platform will charge a fee per transaction, with the industry expecting it to be lower than the fees currently applied by traditional card networks.
- It will work on both Android and iPhone, after EU regulation forced Apple to open access to its NFC chip to third parties.
- With more than 30 million Bizum users in Spain, the potential customer base is already there from day one.
A logical move given the context
By 2026, practically every store, supermarket, restaurant and public transport network already accepts contactless payments. Bizum moving directly into this space, backed by a user base that already trusts the brand for everyday transfers, is a natural extension rather than a risky bet.
The other side of Bizum: still the most impersonated payment system
As we already explained in our article on the reverse Bizum scam, Bizum is also the most impersonated payment system in Spain. The fact that it's now also being used for payments in physical stores doesn't change that reality: the same caution should apply when verifying any unexpected transaction, whether online or at the counter.
What to review if you run a store
If your business has a website alongside a physical store, this is a good time to check that the information about payment methods is up to date and clear for the customer. If you need to launch or improve your online store, or simply update your website's content with this news, we can help you plan it.