European consumers fear political tensions could restrict their payments 

New research from Europe’s card issuing and processing powerhouse  Enfuce, reveals that the majority of consumers (62%), as well as payment providers (75%), are concerned that geopolitical tensions could result in foreign-controlled payment networks restricting or even stopping payments in their market. The first study on attitudes towards this issue shows that support for European alternatives like Werois strong – but adoption will not be driven by ideology alone. 

Based on a survey of 3,000 consumers and 500 senior executives at payment providers across Europe, the report “Payment Sovereignty: Consumers Are Paying Attention” reveals strong awareness of geopolitical risks and widespread backing for greater local control. However, when it comes to choosing how they pay, consumers prioritise security, acceptance and privacy far above sovereignty, exposing a gap between political ambition and commercial reality.

Key findings:

• Strong support for sovereignty: 73% of consumers and 97% of payment providers say it is important for the UK and EU to have greater control over payment systems.
• Geopolitical concerns are mainstream: 62% of consumers believe political tensions could disrupt payments, rising to nearly 78% of payment providers. 59% of consumers and 78% of providers are specifically concerned that the US government could instruct American-owned networks to restrict or halt payments in their market.
• Market concentration problem: Around two thirds (60%) of consumers and payment providers (67%) believe it is a problem that a small number of global companies control so many payments.
• Dependence risk is understood: 67% of consumers say they would struggle to or be unable to pay without Visa or Mastercard.
• Payment providers back Wero: 85% of payment providers have implemented or plan to implement the Wero, with strong support in the UK and Italy despite the method not yet being available.
• Sovereignty alone won’t drive switching: Just one in five consumers would choose a new payment system based primarily on its local ownership. Security (43%), acceptance (40%) and privacy (29%) were the leading drivers to switch payment methods.

The sovereignty debate goes mainstream

Payment sovereignty is often treated as a niche issue, but the public is paying attention. More than half of consumers said they had thought about the systems behind their everyday payments, while 56% said they were familiar with efforts to create alternatives to Visa and Mastercard.

Consumers also recognise the risks of relying heavily on a small number of global payment networks. Six in ten (60%) are concerned that too much control over payments sits with a small number of companies and 58% worry that reliable local alternatives would not be available if major payment networks were disrupted.

Geopolitical tension has made payments feel less abstract

Geopolitical risk is no longer theoretical. 59% of consumers said they are concerned the US government could instruct US-led payment networks to restrict or stop payments in their market, and 61% worry political pressure alone could lead to restrictions.

Providers are even more alert to that risk. Around eight in ten (77%) are concerned both about direct government intervention and indirect political pressure on payment networks, underlining how seriously the sector now views payment infrastructure as part of broader economic resilience.

Ideological support alone will not drive adoption

The research shows there is a genuine base of support for sovereign payment systems, but support alone will not change consumer behaviour. 

Three in four (73%) consumers say it is important for Europe to have greater control over payments systems in their market, and 60% want to reduce reliance on US-owned technologies more broadly. 85% of payment providers have implemented or plan to implement the Wero.

Three-quarters (74%) of payment providers are confident that local alternatives will be viable within a decade, with 66% believing an alternative will deliver better value than existing global networks. However, 67% also believe that Europe can achieve payment sovereignty without replacing existing global networks.

But consumers are clear about what will actually drive adoption. Although 43% of consumers said they would trade some convenience for greater payment sovereignty, security, acceptance and privacy remain the strongest factors influencing payment choice.

Denise Johansson, Co-Founder & CEO, Enfuce said: “For decades, payments were designed around convenience and global scale. Now they are becoming a question of resilience, control and economic security. Consumers are starting to recognise that the systems moving money around the world are not politically neutral infrastructure. This is a rare opportunity to rethink what we want from payments – not just faster, but more transparent, resilient and more aligned with the values of consumers, businesses and society itself.”

Download the full report “Payment Sovereignty: Consumers Are Paying Attention” here.

Methodology

Enfuce engaged independent research agency Sapio to survey 3,000 consumers and 500 senior executives at payment providers across France, Germany, Italy, the Nordics and the UK. Interviews were conducted in May 2026.