iDEAL

iDEAL is the most popular online payment method in the Netherlands. It was introduced in 2005 and lets customers pay through their own bank: the shop redirects to the bank's app or website, the customer confirms, and the money moves directly from account to account. The Dutch Payments Association reports more than 1.5 billion iDEAL payments in 2025. The scheme is operated by Currence iDEAL B.V. in Amsterdam.

Features

• Payments by bank transfer with immediate confirmation to the merchant
• Supported by Dutch banks such as ABN AMRO, ING and Rabobank and offered by common payment service providers
• No separate account or card required, customers use their own bank's authentication
• Co-branded as iDEAL | Wero during the transition

Ownership, Wero and limitations

In October 2023 the European Payments Initiative (EPI) completed the acquisition of Currence iDEAL B.V. The participating banks and payment providers plan to complete the migration to Wero by 31 December 2027 at the latest, after which iDEAL is decommissioned; Wero pricing is to stay broadly aligned with iDEAL pricing until the end of 2028. iDEAL works only with Dutch bank accounts, so it is relevant mainly for the Dutch market.