The European Central Bank has opened applications for online and mobile-commerce merchants to join a controlled pilot of the digital euro, its proposed retail central bank digital currency (government-issued digital money). The Sept. 15 call gives EU-established businesses until 17:00 CET on Oct. 27 to apply. Applicants must serve customers in at least two euro-area countries included in the pilot and operate an active platform capable of integrating the test payment flow. The beta will not be the digital euro defined under the proposed EU Regulation and will not have legal-tender status, meaning merchants and consumers will not be required to accept it. Selected merchants will contract with and integrate an acquiring payment service provider. The ECB selected 36 providers in July for acquiring, distributing, or dual roles. Distributing providers will give eligible users access to beta services, while acquiring providers will enable merchants to receive test payments. Participation is voluntary and unpaid, allowing the Eurosystem to assess payment infrastructure, operating processes, user experience, and the fit with existing online and mobile checkout systems. The pilot’s 12-month operational phase is expected to begin in the second half of 2027, with the detailed schedule running from the third quarter of 2027 through the third quarter of 2028 after integration and testing. The ECB’s pilot FAQ says operations could be extended by up to six months. The exercise will inform technical work but will not determine whether a digital euro is issued. The European Parliament authorized negotiations on the proposed legal framework in July, and legislation remained under discussion when the merchant call opened. Even after lawmakers adopt a framework, the ECB would need to make a separate issuance decision, leaving the digital euro’s final design, legal basis, and launch unresolved.