MB WAY

MB WAY is Portugal’s dominant mobile payment method, operated by SIBS (Sociedade Interbancária de Serviços), the same infrastructure company behind Multibanco. It is supported by 28 Portuguese banks with 95% market coverage, and accounts for up to 45% of all Portuguese e-commerce transactions. In urban areas, mobile wallet penetration for MB WAY reaches 70 to 90%. For any merchant targeting Portuguese consumers, it is the single most important local payment method to have in checkout.

The payment flow is straightforward and distinctly mobile-first. At checkout, the customer selects MB WAY and enters their Portuguese mobile phone number. They immediately receive a push notification in the MB WAY app, review the payment details, and confirm using their PIN or biometric authentication. The merchant receives confirmation in real time. The four-minute authentication window is tight, and if the customer does not confirm within that window, the transaction expires and needs to be reinitiated.

For merchants, MB WAY carries several commercially attractive properties alongside iDEAL and other bank-linked methods. Transaction fees are lower than card processing. There are no chargebacks under standard conditions, as payments are bank-authenticated and push-based rather than pull-based like cards. No sensitive card details are shared with the merchant, which reduces PCI scope and associated compliance overhead. Recurring payment capability is available through MB WAY Recurring, which allows subscription merchants to collect subsequent payments automatically after a single initial authorisation.

According to SIBS data, 94% of MB WAY users report always paying with MB WAY when it is available, and 57% of Portuguese young adults use it for e-commerce purchases. That level of stated preference and habitual usage makes its absence from a Portuguese-facing checkout a reliable conversion problem.

PSP support is available through Checkout.com, which has a direct integration with SIBS, as well as PPRO, Adyen, and several local Portuguese and Iberian providers. Non-Portuguese merchants can access MB WAY through PSPs with Portugal coverage without needing a local business entity.

Relevant markets: Portugal