In a major step toward mainstream cryptocurrency adoption, global payment terminal leader Ingenico has partnered with WalletConnect Pay to enable direct stablecoin payments at physical retail stores. The integration, confirmed for rollout in 2025, allows consumers to use non-custodial wallets like MetaMask and Trust Wallet to pay with stablecoins such as USDC, EURC, and USDT at any store equipped with Ingenico's point-of-sale (POS) systems.
The collaboration directly embeds WalletConnect Pay's protocol into Ingenico's vast network, which spans 40 million POS terminals across 120 countries. This creates a seamless checkout process: a cashier generates a QR code on the terminal, the customer scans it with their wallet, and confirms the payment. Transactions settle on blockchains like Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, and Base within seconds, bypassing traditional card networks like Visa or Mastercard and their associated cross-border fees.
WalletConnect CEO Jess Houlgrave emphasized the integration's potential to significantly reduce transaction costs, especially for international purchases. The fee structure is developed jointly by WalletConnect, Ingenico, and payment providers, aligning with actual network costs. Merchants can choose to receive settlement in stablecoins or have funds instantly converted to local fiat currency, shielding them from crypto volatility. The system also includes a streamlined process for handling refunds.
This move is part of Ingenico's multi-year crypto integration strategy, which began with a BitPay partnership in 2015 and includes recent collaborations with Binance Pay and Crypto.com. For the broader market, the partnership provides a powerful real-world use case, moving stablecoins beyond trading into daily commerce. It leverages the trust of a established payment giant and the technical infrastructure of a leading Web3 protocol, potentially helping to legitimize crypto payments in regulated markets.
