Ingenico integrates WalletConnect Pay for stablecoin POS checkout
Ingenico has integrated WalletConnect Pay to enable native stablecoin payments at physical point-of-sale (POS) terminals across its global fleet. Customers can pay directly from WalletConnect-compatible mobile wallets (e.g., MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Safe) using stablecoins such as USDC, EURC and USDT. Settlement is routed to the merchant’s payment service provider (PSP) and merchants can opt to receive settlement in stablecoin or fiat; refunds follow standard merchant processes. No new hardware or custodial setup is required. WalletConnect Pay supports multiple chains at launch — Ethereum mainnet, Base, Arbitrum and Polygon — with Optimism and Solana planned soon. Ingenico says roughly 40 million terminals in 120 countries could support the feature, though merchant adoption depends on merchants and PSPs enabling it. WalletConnect highlights a network of 700+ compatible wallets and cited roughly $400 billion processed across its network in the past year. CEO Jess Houlgrave emphasised lower fees versus card networks (notably for cross-border payments) and faster settlement as primary benefits. Integration for acquirers and PSPs is scheduled for rollout in January 2026. Fees and conversion terms will be negotiated between WalletConnect Pay, Ingenico and PSPs and may vary if merchants convert stablecoins to fiat. Investors and executives signalled rising demand for stablecoin acceptance in retail; the rollout is a major step toward native crypto payments at scale and could reduce merchant costs and settlement friction.
Bullish
This integration is bullish for the stablecoins mentioned (USDC, EURC, USDT) because it materially expands real-world utility and payment rails. Enabling native stablecoin checkout on up to ~40 million Ingenico terminals (pending merchant/PSP opt-in) reduces friction for retail payments, increases on-chain transaction volumes, and highlights institutional support from a major payments provider. Short-term effects: limited until PSPs and merchants enable the feature and fees/conversion terms are finalized, so adoption will be gradual and impact on circulating demand may be modest at first. Medium-to-long-term effects: broader merchant adoption could raise transactional demand for stablecoins, encourage integrations across more chains, and lower payment processing costs versus card networks — supportive for on-chain activity and stablecoin usage. Risks include merchant hesitancy, regulatory scrutiny of stablecoins, and FX/settlement preferences that could blunt uptake. Overall, the news strengthens the utility narrative for the named stablecoins and is likely net positive for their market demand over time.