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Business Wallets - Enabling Trust and Scale in the European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet Ecosystem

This article is based on the presentation by iGrant.io CTO Lal Chandran at the Global Digital Collaboration (GDC) 2025 event in Geneva, where the spotlight was on innovations shaping the future of digital identity. Among these, the European Business Wallet stood out as a foundational element for building a trusted, decentralised ecosystem around the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet).

This article presents key insights from the EU Digital Wallet Consortium (EWC) Large-Scale Pilots (LSPs), where Business Wallets were piloted in live scenarios, particularly in the area of bank and merchant led payments. It demonstrates how Business Wallets empower banks, merchants, and service providers to seamlessly engage as issuers, verifiers, and relying parties within the EUDI framework.

A wallet is only as useful as the ecosystem Around It​

To understand the importance of Business Wallets, it is helpful to examine today’s familiar digital wallets. Apple Wallet and Google Wallet are examples that most users recognise. These wallets are effective because a well-integrated ecosystem supports them: airlines, banks, ticketing platforms, and payment networks all play a crucial role.

The same principle applies to the EUDI Wallet. An individual wallet is only helpful if it can connect with a broader ecosystem of trustworthy, credential-enabled organisations. That ecosystem must not only be connected but also decentralised and interoperable across Member States. This is where Business Wallets come in.

Business Wallets enable organisations to issue and verify credentials, manage trust, and perform complex workflows, all while the individual enjoys a seamless experience. Without them, the vision of a functional, cross-border EUDI Wallet ecosystem remains incomplete.

The EWC Approach: Grounded in Real-World Workflows​

In the EWC pilot, the focus was not just on compliance with standards, but on enabling actual adoption. The pilots tested:

  • Business-to-consumer workflows
  • Delegated authority for payments
  • Issuance of boarding passes and receipts
  • Trust verification across multiple actors

The goal was to make the wallet usable in production contexts where speed, trust, and user experience matter. By focusing on business processes rather than just wallet features, the EWC pilot demonstrated how Business Wallets bridge the gap between technical frameworks and operational needs.

Challenges unique to business adoption​

The pilot revealed several business-specific challenges that must be addressed to enable large-scale adoption:

Natural Person WalletBusiness Wallet and Ecosystem
Focus on user experienceIntegration into business workflows and systems
Individual compliance with regulationsOrganisational-level regulatory and audit requirements
Basic trust setup for relying partiesFull lifecycle trust and identity management across entities
Interoperability of wallet appsInteroperability across industries and Member States
Limited credential handlingHandling of advanced credentials like LPID, QEAAs, and delegation

These complexities reinforced the need for a dedicated Business Wallet infrastructure that is interoperable, standards-aligned, and aligned with EU trust frameworks.

Demo: Linking a bank ccount to the EUDI Wallet​

To illustrate how these roles come together in practice, here is a live demo (This was trialed production during EWC pilots) where a user links their bank account to the EUDI Wallet via a trusted business process:

Issue Payment Authenticator | EUDI Wallet Integration for Secure Payments: Experience linking EUDI Wallets with bank accounts

The wallet demonstrates that the organisation is trustworthy, verified through the EU Trust List, and adheres to standards such as ETSI TS 119 612 and the EWC RFC-012 trust mechanism. The Business Wallet issues a credential that authorises access, linking both the individual and the legal entity.

Demo: Payments with Delegated Access​

Here is a live demo (This was trialed production during EWC pilots) of a real-world payment flow in production:

Experience Payments with EUDI Wallets – Student Concession Ferry Ticket Demo: Learn the interplay of EUDI wallets for individuals and the European Business Wallets

An individual pays for a ferry ticket using an EUDI Wallet:

  • The wallet includes a bank-issued payment authenticator.
  • The payment authenticator is used to authorise payment on behalf of an organisation.
  • A boarding pass and digital receipt are issued as verifiable credentials.

The experience is fast and simple for the user, while the Business Wallet manages credentials and trust validations in the background.

Embedding trust in real transactions​

Trust is central to the EUDI Wallet model. The demos demonstrate that:

  • The individual sees verified organisations.
  • Trust is based on compliance with ETSI TS 119 612 and EWC RFC-012.
  • All interactions are traceable and auditable.

Why Business Wallets matter​

Business Wallets are not an add-on to the EUDI ecosystem. They are essential for enabling adoption at scale. They:

  • Allow banks, governments, and enterprises to act as credential issuers and verifiers
  • Manage complex, cross-border business logic
  • Enable delegated authority, such as employer-backed transactions
  • Ensure legal compliance and trust alignment

Without Business Wallets, the EUDI Wallet is limited in its ability to serve real-world needs.

Call to action: Enable the future​

The infrastructure and standards are ready. The EWC production pilots with payments have proven that Business Wallets work in live settings. Now is the time for organisations across Europe to engage:

  • If you are a bank: explore issuing payment authenticators and role-based credentials
  • If you are a merchant or service provider: prepare to accept and verify EUDI credentials
  • If you are a public authority: support the establishment of trusted organisational credentials

EUDI Wallet adoption depends not just on individuals downloading apps but on a thriving, trusted, and standards-based business ecosystem.