Ingenico enables in-store stablecoin payments

By Vriti Gothi

Ingenico has launched a digital currency acceptance solution that enables stablecoin payments at physical checkouts, marking another step toward bringing blockchain-based payments into mainstream retail environments.

The global payments acceptance provider said it has partnered with WalletConnect Pay to allow merchants to accept supported stablecoins directly at the point of sale. The integration enables customers to pay using USDC across multiple blockchain networks, including Polygon, Base, Arbitrum and Ethereum Mainnet, with support for additional EVM-compatible chains planned.

The solution allows payments from any WalletConnect-compatible mobile wallet holding a supported stablecoin balance, such as MetaMask, Trust and Safe. Transactions are executed natively on-chain, rather than routed through traditional card networks, with funds moving directly from the customer’s wallet to the merchant’s payment provider.

Ingenico said the collaboration is designed to make stablecoin payments practical for everyday use across a broad range of merchant environments, including retail, hospitality, transportation, fuel, parking, vending and self-service locations. The integration will be available to acquirers and payment service providers from January 2026.

The move comes as stablecoins gain traction as a settlement and payment instrument, particularly for cross-border and digital-native use cases, due to their price stability and faster settlement compared to traditional rails. While stablecoins have seen significant adoption online, their use at physical points of sale has remained limited, largely due to integration and operational challenges.

By combining Ingenico’s global payment acceptance infrastructure with WalletConnect’s wallet connectivity layer, the companies aim to lower the barrier for merchants to support in-store stablecoin payments without overhauling existing checkout systems. WalletConnect said it is integrated with more than 700 wallets and has facilitated over $400 billion in network volume this year, including hundreds of billions of dollars in stablecoin transactions annually.

“Stablecoins have become an important payment instrument for moving value quickly and efficiently,” said Jess Houlgrave, chief executive of WalletConnect. “By working with Ingenico, we’re extending stablecoin payments into real-world retail environments in a way that is practical, familiar and easy for both merchants and consumers.”

The launch underscores a broader industry push to modernise in-store payments and reduce reliance on legacy card infrastructure, as payment providers explore how digital assets can be embedded into conventional commerce workflows.