The EU is at the forefront of deploying identity wallets for its citizens and legal entities. By 2026, the eIDAS regulation mandates that EU Member States issue digital identity credentials to all citizens and businesses. The European Digital Identity wallet aims to enhance security, privacy, access to services, and cross-border mobility within the EU.

One of the significant implications of digital identity wallets is their potential to revolutionize the payment landscape. 

However, the payment ecosystem is complex, with existing infrastructure, standards, regulations, and stakeholders. Payment services are core to everyday life, and failures at any part of the journey can be highly disruptive and damaging.

This presentation will explore what it takes to use the EU DI wallets to authenticate and initiate payments, based on our work within the EWC [European Wallet Consortium] – one of the EC’s Large Scale Pilots to test the wallets. 

We will also discuss the crucial roles of standards organizations like OIDF, EMVC and Berlin Group to ensure interoperability, regulatory compliance and great UX. 

Additionally, we'll highlight the Open Wallet Foundation's [OWF] role in simplifying deployments of interoperable, secure, and privacy-preserving wallets through open-source components, testing and shared best practices.