Is there an alternative to EPI?

Is there a way to achieve the goals of the European Payment Initiative (#EPI) through alternative means? The momentum surrounding the EPI project has dissipated. Unlike this “top-down” introduction of a new pan-European payment scheme, we see a “bottom-up” approach as a potential alternative option. The Idea behind this “bottom-up” approach is to drive interoperability and/or convergence between already existing, bank-owned and successful mobile payment systems on a European level. This approach is becoming more andmore relevant, as banks in several continental European markets have already established mobile payment solutions so successfully that they can boast exponential growth and have become / are becoming a fixture in consumers’ daily lives. In the latest issue of the German banking journal "Karten", we offer an overview of the European mobile-payment landscape before giving a more detailed account of the solutions that banks have successfully established and would be particularly relevant forsuch a “bottom-up” approach.‍