How does MB WAY work for online payments?
MB WAY is an app that connects a shopper’s bank cards and accounts to their phone number. To pay online, the shopper selects MB WAY in the shop’s payment area and types the phone number linked to MB WAY. The app sends a push notification; the shopper opens it, reviews the merchant and amount, and approves. PPRO’s description adds that the shopper chooses which card to use and confirms with their PIN. MB WAY says the method uses strong authentication and that shoppers pay without giving their bank details to the shop.
The flow does not redirect the browser. Stripe explains that on a computer the merchant’s page stays open and waits while the shopper approves on their phone, and on a phone the shopper switches to the MB WAY app and then back to the page. The shopper has four minutes to approve, after which the attempt lapses. MB WAY supports international phone numbers, but Stripe notes that most users have a Portuguese number starting with +351.
Repeat payments use a separate service. MB WAY Pagamentos Autorizados lets a shopper authorise a subscription or recurring purchase on a participating merchant’s site: they choose it at checkout, enter their phone number and confirm in the app, where they pick the card to be charged and set a monthly limit. Stripe does not support automatic recurring MB WAY payments.
Where and how do shoppers use MB WAY?
MB WAY is a Portuguese method, paid in euros. SIBS created it in 2015. In its 2025 annual report SIBS said MB WAY reached 6.8 million users, up 9% on 2024, and passed 1,000 million transactions in the year. Operations grew 22%, and purchases, the fastest-growing segment at 29%, made up 61% of all MB WAY transactions. The MB WAY FAQ lists 29 participating banks, and says online purchases with a phone number are free for users.
Online use rises sharply at peak times. SIBS Analytics data reported by Lusa showed that between 1 and 24 December 2025 MB WAY online purchases grew 36% on the same period in 2024, and that about one in five purchases in that period used MB WAY. E-commerce made up 18% of all purchases by number and 21% by value in that data, which covers Portuguese cards on the Multibanco network and online payments.
MB WAY sits next to an older Portuguese online option, Multibanco references. With a Multibanco reference the shopper receives an entity number, a reference and an amount at checkout, and pays later through online banking or at an ATM. Stripe notes that confirmation can take several days, especially over weekends, and that there is no dispute process. MB WAY gives an answer within minutes, so many Portuguese checkouts show both.
MB WAY also links to other European schemes. Since March 2025, MB WAY users can send and receive money instantly with Bizum users in Spain and Bancomat users in Italy. In September 2026 SIBS, Bizum, Bancomat, EPI (Wero) and Vipps MobilePay announced the European Network for Payments, which starts with cross-border person-to-person payments and adds e-commerce later.
What rules and costs should merchants know?
Limits apply on both sides. Stripe sets a minimum of 0.50 EUR and a maximum of 5,000 EUR per payment, and PPRO a maximum of 10,000 EUR. Stripe adds that MB WAY users have a default daily limit of 1,000 EUR in total, which they can raise to 10,000 EUR in the app, so a large order can fail if the shopper has not raised it.
Refunds and disputes are both possible. Stripe allows full, partial and multiple partial refunds for up to 365 days, returned to the shopper’s original payment method; PPRO gives a refund window of 120 days. Stripe says shoppers can dispute MB WAY payments for suspected fraud, duplicate payments or a difference between the order and the amount charged. Stripe holds the disputed amount until MB WAY decides, and the merchant has seven calendar days to send evidence such as tracking details, delivery dates or purchase records.
MB WAY does not support custom statement descriptors on Stripe, so Stripe’s name appears on the shopper’s statement. Fees for merchants are set by each provider.
How would Omno handle MB WAY?
- One checkout: MB WAY would appear in the Omno hosted checkout next to cards, wallets, other local methods and crypto, with the phone number collected on the payment form. Merchants with their own payment screens would use Direct Links on their own buttons.
- Routing rules: The merchant would set rules by country, currency or amount that send MB WAY payments to a connected provider that supports the method. Omno connects through those providers; it is not an acquirer and does not hold funds.
- Cascading: In the hosted checkout, if the chosen provider is unavailable or rejects the request before the push notification is sent, the payment would move to the next provider in the rule until one accepts.
- Status: The order would stay pending until the shopper approves, and the final result would reach the merchant by webhook.
What should merchants plan for?
Offer MB WAY for Portuguese shoppers. With 6.8 million users and purchases making up most of its transactions, it is a standard option in Portugal.
Design for a short wait. The shopper has four minutes to approve on their phone, so the payment page should show a clear pending state and a way to try again.
Mind the daily limit. Shoppers start with a 1,000 EUR daily limit, so high-value baskets need a card or bank transfer as a fallback.
Keep evidence ready. MB WAY disputes leave seven days to respond on Stripe, so order and delivery records should be easy to find.
Plan subscriptions separately. Recurring charges need MB WAY Pagamentos Autorizados through a provider that supports it, or another method.