Argentina
Wallets lead online payments in Argentina. Worldpay’s Global Payments Report 2025 puts digital wallets at 34% of e-commerce value in 2024, ahead of credit cards at 27%, debit and prepaid cards at 19%, account-to-account transfers at 14% and cash at 4%, with cryptocurrencies at 1%; 58% of surveyed shoppers named Mercado Pago as the tool they use most often online. Credit cards remain central because buyers expect to pay in instalments (cuotas): in CACE’s study of 2025, credit cards were the most used method with a 67% share, and 8 in 10 consumers considered paying in cuotas key. Prices are in Argentine pesos (ARS). Merchants typically need local credit and debit cards with cuotas, Mercado Pago and bank wallets such as MODO, and transfers.
- Online
Mercado Pago and other digital wallets · credit cards · debit and prepaid cards · bank and wallet transfers under Transferencias 3.0 · cash payment options for a small share of orders · cryptocurrency for about 1% of online value
- In store
Mercado Pago, MODO and Cuenta DNI · cash · debit and prepaid cards · credit cards · transfers from banking apps
accepted here, and everywhere
Card schemes and wallets that are not particular to Argentina
currencies
In-store payments in Argentina
In-store, digital wallets and cash each accounted for 25% of point-of-sale value in 2024, followed by debit and prepaid cards at 21%, credit cards at 20% and account-to-account payments at 8%, according to Worldpay. Wallets such as Mercado Pago, MODO (the banks’ shared wallet) and Banco Provincia’s Cuenta DNI are widely used, often by scanning QR codes. Under the BCRA’s Transferencias 3.0 framework, any wallet or banking app can pay any merchant QR code, and in 2023–2024 QR interoperability was extended to credit cards. Visa and Mastercard are the main card schemes.
E-commerce in Argentina
CACE, the Argentine e-commerce chamber, reported online turnover of about ARS 34 trillion in 2025, up 55% in nominal terms, from 253 million orders and 25.1 million online buyers; travel, groceries and electronics were the leading categories. Worldpay estimated the market at US$27 billion in 2024. Mercado Libre, whose Mercado Pago wallet is the most used online payment tool, is the central marketplace. Instalment offers strongly shape conversion, peso figures should be read against high inflation, and CACE-run events such as Hot Sale and CyberMonday drive seasonal peaks.
Payment regulation in Argentina
The Banco Central de la República Argentina (BCRA) regulates banks and payment systems and, since 2020, non-bank payment service providers that offer payment accounts (PSPCPs), which must register with the BCRA, segregate client funds and return them immediately on request. The BCRA’s Transferencias 3.0 rules make bank accounts, payment accounts and merchant QR codes interoperable. Credit cards are governed by Law 25,065. Foreign exchange controls, which long restricted cross-border payments, have been eased over the past year, but outbound remittances may still be restricted or need BCRA approval. Crypto service providers must register with the CNV, and personal data falls under Law 25,326, enforced by the AAIP.
Banking and financial inclusion
Account ownership has risen sharply: the World Bank’s Global Findex 2025 found that 82% of Argentine adults had an account in 2024, up from 72% in 2021 and 49% in 2017, with mobile money accounts rising from 35% to 57%. 64% owned a debit card and 30% a credit card; 59% had paid in store with a card or phone and 32% had paid digitally for an online purchase. The share receiving wages only in cash fell from 17% to 6%.
What are the most popular payment methods in Argentina?
Which payment providers operate in Argentina?
Which currencies can merchants accept in Argentina?
Guide researched September 2026. Payment markets change quickly — check with providers before relying on it. Compiled from public sources. How we compile this