The national instant mobile payment service, RoPay, is now closer to Romanian users with the launch of a new feature by ING Bank Romania and Auchan Retail Romania: payment at major retailers by scanning a QR code displayed on the POS, using the mobile banking app.
Starting October 1, Auchan Drumul Taberei, Auchan Constanța Mall, Auchan Ploiești, Auchan Cluj Mall, and Auchan Militari stores will be the first in Romania where bank clients who have joined RoPay, including ING Bank, can try out the new payment method by scanning a QR code at the checkout. Starting October 6, the service will be available in Auchan stores across the country. ING Bank thus becomes the first bank in Romania to offer the RoPay payment solution at POS for a large retailer, after announcing in April 2025 the launch of the RoPay service for individuals by scanning a QR code.
„On October 1, we are marking a premiere for the local market and launching the implementation of RoPay directly on retailers’ POS terminals. We are starting in the Auchan Drumul Taberei, Auchan Constanța Mall, Auchan Ploiești, Auchan Cluj Mall, and Auchan Militari stores, with a strategic partner in the retail sector—Auchan Retail Romania—which has a network of over 490 stores nationwide. Furthermore, we are delighted to be launching this second stage in the RoPay implementation process just a few months after taking the first step for individuals: scanning QR codes in the ING Home’Bank app,” says Raluca Țintoiu, Deputy CEO & Head of Wholesale Banking ING Bank Romania.
”We are delighted to be the first retailer to offer customers the option of using the national RoPay solution, a modern, fast, and secure payment method. Through this initiative, we are continuing to diversify our payment options and supplement traditional methods—cash or card—with an alternative that offers a simple, consistent, and flexible experience, without the need for a card,” says Mihaela Bucur, CFO Auchan Retail România.
Payment via RoPay at Auchan cash registers takes just a few seconds and is intuitive and secure: the cash register terminal displays the payment methods, including “RoPay Payment,” which, once selected, displays a QR code on the cash register screen and on the bank terminal (POS), which the customer scans with the mobile banking app of a bank participating in RoPay (e.g., ING Home’Bank for ING Bank payers), and the payment is authorized immediately. It is a modern, fast, and intuitive alternative to traditional payment methods, perfectly suited for customers who already use mobile banking apps on a daily basis, but also for merchants, as it is a secure and accessible real-time payment solution.
”By implementing RoPay at POS, cash registers, online, and on invoices, merchants benefit from instant payment collection (and payment refunds are also executed instantly, but also exempt from fees in the first 30 days after payment), diversification of collection channels, customer loyalty, and competitive costs. In the same time, consumers enjoy payments in a secure environment through their own bank’s mobile banking app, benefiting from convenience, ZERO fees for individuals, and the opportunity to support national payment services,” said Sabin Carantină, General Manager of TRANSFOND.
RoPay is the national instant mobile payment service developed by TRANSFOND and implemented by banks on the Romanian market to offer individuals and legal entities new ways to make and receive payments easily, securely, and quickly in an unlimited variety of use cases. Starting with instant transfers between individuals, whether nearby or far away, the service is expanding in the market as merchants and service providers join RoPay, so that users will be able to make payments to both small and large merchants, shop online, or pay utility bills. RoPay can be used to initiate instant payments between accounts at different banks or between accounts at the same bank, without using bank details or a card, by scanning a RoPay QR code in the mobile banking app, using NFC (contactless) or via the phone number in the contact list, which acts as an alias for the bank details.
”The implementation of the RoPay solution for merchants is the result of a strategic partnership between ING Bank, Payten Romania, and its affiliates in the ASEE Group and Payten, leading companies in providing omnichannel payment solutions and electronic payment acceptance infrastructure. This collaboration brings together the complementary expertise of the three partners and marks an important step towards accelerating the digitization of payments in Romania,” says Ciprian Pirv, General Manager of Payten Romania.
By integrating into the national instant payment infrastructure, RoPay redefines the payment experience through accessibility, speed, and security, in any user context.
