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European customers strongly prefer local payment methods that integrate with their banking systems. Offering these methods can increase conversion rates by 20-40% in target markets.

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Why Local European Payment Methods?

Higher Conversion

iDEAL captures ~60% of Dutch online payments. Not offering it means losing customers.

Lower Fraud

Bank-authenticated payments have near-zero fraud rates and no chargebacks.

Real-Time Settlement

Most European methods provide instant payment confirmation.

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Supported Methods

MethodCountryMarket ShareCurrencySubscriptions
iDEALNetherlands~60%EURNo
BancontactBelgium~50%EURNo
EPSAustria~30%EURNo
MultibancoPortugal~40%EURNo

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iDEAL (Netherlands)

iDEAL is the dominant online payment method in the Netherlands, connecting directly to all major Dutch banks.

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How It Works

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Supported Banks

All major Dutch banks are supported:
  • ABN AMRO
  • ASN Bank
  • Bunq
  • ING
  • Knab
  • Rabobank
  • RegioBank
  • Revolut
  • SNS
  • Triodos Bank
  • Van Lanschot

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Configuration

const session = await client.checkoutSessions.create({
  product_cart: [{ product_id: 'prod_123', quantity: 1 }],
  allowed_payment_method_types: ['ideal', 'credit', 'debit'],
  billing_currency: 'EUR',
  billing_address: {
    country: 'NL',
    zipcode: '1012JS'
  },
  return_url: 'https://example.com/success'
});

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Bancontact (Belgium)

Bancontact is Belgium’s national payment scheme, used by virtually all Belgian banks for online payments.

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Features

  • Works with existing Belgian debit cards
  • Mobile app support (Payconiq by Bancontact)
  • Instant payment confirmation
  • No additional registration needed for customers

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Configuration

const session = await client.checkoutSessions.create({
  product_cart: [{ product_id: 'prod_123', quantity: 1 }],
  allowed_payment_method_types: ['bancontact_card', 'credit', 'debit'],
  billing_currency: 'EUR',
  billing_address: {
    country: 'BE',
    zipcode: '1000'
  },
  return_url: 'https://example.com/success'
});

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EPS (Austria)

EPS (Electronic Payment Standard) enables direct online bank transfers for Austrian customers.

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Features

  • Direct integration with Austrian banks
  • Real-time payment confirmation
  • High trust among Austrian consumers
  • No chargebacks

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Supported Banks

Major Austrian banks including:
  • Erste Bank
  • Bank Austria
  • Raiffeisen
  • BAWAG
  • Volksbank

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Configuration

const session = await client.checkoutSessions.create({
  product_cart: [{ product_id: 'prod_123', quantity: 1 }],
  allowed_payment_method_types: ['eps', 'credit', 'debit'],
  billing_currency: 'EUR',
  billing_address: {
    country: 'AT',
    zipcode: '1010'
  },
  return_url: 'https://example.com/success'
});

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Multibanco (Portugal)

Multibanco is Portugal’s interbank network, offering both online payments and ATM-based payments.

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Payment Options

  1. Online Banking — Direct bank transfer via internet banking
  2. ATM Payment — Customer receives a reference to pay at any Multibanco ATM
  3. Mobile Banking — Payment via bank mobile apps

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How ATM Payment Works

For ATM payments, customers receive a payment reference: 
Entity: 12345
Reference: 123 456 789
Amount: €50.00
Expiry: 24 hours
Customer can pay at any Portuguese ATM or via online banking using this reference.

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Configuration

const session = await client.checkoutSessions.create({
  product_cart: [{ product_id: 'prod_123', quantity: 1 }],
  allowed_payment_method_types: ['multibanco', 'credit', 'debit'],
  billing_currency: 'EUR',
  billing_address: {
    country: 'PT',
    zipcode: '1000-001'
  },
  return_url: 'https://example.com/success'
});
Multibanco ATM payments may have a delay between checkout and actual payment. Monitor webhooks for payment confirmation.

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API Method Types

TypeMethodCountry
idealiDEALNetherlands
bancontact_cardBancontactBelgium
epsEPSAustria
multibancoMultibancoPortugal

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Multi-Country European Checkout

For businesses serving multiple European countries, include all regional methods: 
const session = await client.checkoutSessions.create({
  product_cart: [{ product_id: 'prod_123', quantity: 1 }],
  allowed_payment_method_types: [
    'ideal',           // Netherlands
    'bancontact_card', // Belgium
    'eps',             // Austria
    'multibanco',      // Portugal
    'credit',          // Fallback
    'debit'            // Fallback
  ],
  billing_currency: 'EUR',
  return_url: 'https://example.com/success'
});
Dodo automatically shows only the relevant methods based on customer location. A Dutch customer will see iDEAL; a Belgian customer will see Bancontact.

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Testing

European payment methods can be tested in sandbox mode. The test flow simulates the bank authentication process.
1

Enable test mode

Use your Dodo Payments test API keys.
2

Set appropriate billing address

Set the billing address country to match the payment method:
  • NL for iDEAL
  • BE for Bancontact
  • AT for EPS
  • PT for Multibanco
3

Complete the test flow

Follow the simulated bank authentication flow in the test environment.

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Best Practices

If you sell to Dutch customers, include iDEAL. Not doing so is like not accepting Visa in the US — you’ll lose significant sales.
European payment methods require EUR. Ensure your pricing supports Euro transactions.
All European methods involve redirects to bank sites. Ensure your return URL handling is robust and accounts for users who abandon mid-flow.
Not all European customers have access to these regional methods (tourists, expats, etc.). Always include credit and debit as fallbacks.
Multibanco ATM payments may take hours to complete. Don’t block fulfillment on immediate payment — use webhooks for async confirmation.

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Troubleshooting

Check:
  1. Customer billing country matches method’s country?
  2. Currency set to EUR?
  3. Method included in allowed_payment_method_types?
Solution: European methods are strictly regional. A customer with billing country DE (Germany) won’t see iDEAL, which is Netherlands-only.
Causes:
  • Customer cancelled during bank authentication
  • Bank’s authentication system temporarily unavailable
  • Customer entered incorrect credentials
Solution: Customer should retry. If persistent, suggest trying a different payment method.
Causes:
  • Customer closed browser during bank redirect
  • Network issues during authentication
  • Return URL misconfigured
Solution: Verify return URL is correct and accessible. Ensure it handles both success and failure states.
Cause: Customer received payment reference but hasn’t paid yet.Solution: This is expected for ATM-based payments. Wait for webhook confirmation. Reference typically expires in 24-72 hours.

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PSD2 Compliance

All European payment methods comply with PSD2 (Payment Services Directive 2) regulations:
  • Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) — Built into the bank authentication flow
  • Secure Communication — All data transmitted via secure channels
  • Consumer Protection — Full compliance with EU consumer rights

Payment Methods Overview

See all supported payment methods.

Adaptive Currency

Currency support and automatic conversion.

Checkout Guide

Complete checkout implementation guide.

Webhooks

Handle payment confirmations asynchronously.