Argentina Cards and Payments: Opportunities and Risks to 2030
Summary
The analyst’s ‘Argentina Cards and Payments: Opportunities and Risks to 2030' report provides detailed analysis of market trends in Argentina cards and payments industry. It provides values and volumes for a number of key performance indicators in the industry, including debit, credit and charge cards during the review-period (2022-26e).The report also analyzes various payment card markets operating in the industry and provides detailed information on the number of cards in circulation, transaction values and volumes during the review-period and over the forecast-period (2026e-30f). It also offers information on the country's competitive landscape, including market shares of issuers and schemes.
The report brings together the analyst’s research, modeling, and analysis expertise to allow banks and card issuers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages. The report also covers detailed regulatory policies and recent changes in regulatory structure.
The analyst’s ‘Argentina Cards and Payments: Opportunities and Risks to 2030' report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into Argentina cards and payments industry, including:
- Current and forecast values for each market in Argentina cards and payments industry, including debit, credit and charge cards.
- Detailed insights into payment instruments including credit transfer, cash, cards, direct debits and cheques. It also, includes an overview of the country's key alternative payment instruments.
- Ecommerce market analysis.
- Analysis of various market drivers and regulations governing Argentina cards and payments industry.
- Detailed analysis of strategies adopted by banks and other institutions to market debit, credit and charge cards.
- Comprehensive analysis of consumer attitudes and buying preferences for cards.
- The competitive landscape of Argentina cards and payments industry.
Key Highlights
- In May 2025, Mercado Pago formally applied to the BCRA for a banking license, aiming to transition from a payment platform to a fully digital bank, enabling it to offer investment tools, credit products, and an expanded suite of financial services via a digital‐only model. Meanwhile, in August 2025, fintech startup Cocos reached an agreement to acquire 99.9% of shares in Banco Voii, thus securing a commercial banking license. This allow Cocos to integrate services such as savings, deposits, lending, and more within its digital platform.
- Argentina is accelerating QR code payment adoption via regulatory initiatives. In May 2024, the BCRA issued Communication A8032, mandating interoperability across all registered digital wallets and enabling credit and prepaid card payments via QR codes. This was followed by Communication A8206 in February 2025, which established technical and operational standards for interoperable QR code payments for public transport. The rollout began in May 2025, enabling commuters to use interoperable digital wallets to make QR code payments across Buenos Aires’ subway and bus networks, with the service subsequently expanding to intercity bus services in multiple provinces.
- In July 2025, payment company Payway, in partnership with the Argentine Confederation of Medium-Sized Enterprises (Confederacion Argentina de la Mediana Empresa), launched Cuotas MiPyME, replacing the government-backed Cuota Simple program. The initiative enables participating SMEs to offer customers fixed-rate financing in three or six installments with promotional interest rates of 13% for three installments and 16% for six installments. Existing Payway merchants under Cuota Simple were automatically migrated to the new program, ensuring continuity of installment-based financing while supporting both consumer spending and SME sales.
Scope
- Card market size in terms of number of cards, value and volume of transactions in Argentina along with detailed card segmentation of debit, credit and charge cards available in the country.
- Market sizing and analysis of major payment instruments including credit transfer, cash, cards, direct debits and cheques.
- Payment market trends and growth for both historical and forecast period
- Competitor analysis with detailed insights into leading card issuers and schemes.
- Comprehensive analysis of consumer attitudes and buying preferences for cards.
- A detailed snapshot of country's key alternative payment brands.
Reasons to Buy
- Make strategic business decisions, using top-level historic and forecast market data, related to Argentina cards and payments industry and each market within it.
- Understand the key market trends and growth opportunities in Argentina cards and payments industry.
- Assess the competitive dynamics in Argentina cards and payments industry.
- Gain insights into marketing strategies used for various card types in Argentina.
- Gain insights into key regulations governing Argentina cards and payments industry.
Table of Contents
- Executive Summary
- Market Overview
- Macroeconomics, Regulation, and Infrastructure
- Payment Instruments
- Card-Based Payments
- Card Payment Acquiring
- Instant Payments
- Digital Wallet Payments
- Buy Now Pay Later
- Retail Payments
- In-Store Payments
- Ecommerce Payments
- Bill Payments
- P2P and Remittances
- Appendix
- Key facts, 2026
- Payment instrument transaction values (LCU), 2022-2030f
- Payment instrument transaction values ($), 2022-2030f
- Payment instrument transaction volumes (units), 2022-2030f
- Payment cards in circulation by type (units), 2022-2030f
- Volume of payment card transactions (units), 2022-2030f
- Value of payment card transactions (LCU), 2022-2030f
- Value of payment card transactions ($), 2022-2030f
- Debit cards in circulation (units), 2022-2030f
- Debit card transaction volumes, 2022-2030f
- Debit card transaction values (LCU), 2022-2030f
- Debit card transaction values ($), 2022-2030f
- Debit cards in circulation by scheme (units), 2022-26e
- Debit card transaction values by scheme (LCU), 2022-26e
- Debit card transaction values by scheme ($), 2022-26e
- Debit cards in circulation by issuer (units), 2022-26e
- Debit cards transaction value by issuer (LCU), 2022-26e
- Debit cards transaction value by issuer ($), 2022-26e
- Credit and charge cards in circulation (Units), 2022-2030f
- Credit and charge card transaction volumes, 2022-2030f
- Credit and charge card transaction values (units), 2022-2030f
- Credit and charge card transaction values ($), 2022-2030f
- Credit and charge cards in circulation by scheme (units), 2022-26e
- Credit and charge card transaction values by scheme (LCU), 2022-26e
- Credit and charge card transaction values by scheme ($), 2022-26e
- Credit and charge cards in circulation by issuer (units), 2022-26e
- Credit and charge cards transaction value by issuer (LCU), 2022-26e
- Credit and charge cards transaction value by issuer ($), 2022-26e
- Credit card in circulation (units), 2022-2030f
- Credit card transaction volumes, 2022-2030f
- Credit card transaction values (LCU), 2022-2030f
- Credit card transaction values ($), 2022-2030f
- Credit card in circulation by scheme (units), 2022-26e
- Credit card transaction values by scheme (LCU), 2022-26e
- Credit card transaction values by scheme ($), 2022-26e
- Charge card in circulation (units), 2022-2030f
- Charge card transaction volumes, 2022-2030f
- Charge card transaction values (LCU), 2022-2030f
- Charge card transaction values ($), 2022-2030f
- Charge card in circulation by scheme (units), 2022-26e
- Charge card transaction values by scheme (LCU), 2022-26e
- Charge card transaction values by scheme ($), 2022-26e
- Prepaid cards in circulation (units), 2022-2030f
- Prepaid card transaction values (LCU), 2022-2030f
- Prepaid card transaction values ($), 2022-2030f
- Prepaid card transaction volumes (units), 2022-2030f
- Merchant acquiring transaction volumes (units), 2022-2030f
- Merchant acquiring transaction values (LCU), 2022-2030f
- Merchant acquiring transaction values ($), 2022-2030f
- Acquirers’ transaction volumes (units), 2022-26e
- Acquirers’ transaction values (LCU), 2022-26e
- Acquirers’ transaction values ($), 2022-26e
- Retail outlets and card-accepting merchants (units), 2022-2030f
- Debit card average interchange fees (%), 2022-26e
- Credit and charge card average interchange fees (%), 2022-26e
- Debit card merchant service charge and interchange fee (%), 2022-2030f
- Credit and charge card merchant service charge and interchange fee (%), 2022-2030f
- Retail market by product categories (LCU), 2022-2030f
- Retail market by product categories ($), 2022-2030f
- Card penetration per inhabitant
- Average number of monthly card transactions
- POS terminals per 1,000 inhabitants
- Inflation rate
- GDP growth rate
- Unemployment rate
- Average annual wages
- Total population
- Banked population
- Internet penetration
- Cell phone penetration
- Number of ATMs and ATMs per 1 million inhabitants
- Number of POS terminals and POS terminals per 1 million inhabitants
- Payment istrument transaction volume (paper-based vs electronic payments)
- Payment instruments transaction value
- Payment instruments transaction volume
- Cross-border payment value
- Cross-border payment Volume
- Payment cards number of cards in circulation
- Payment cards card penetration per individual, by card type
- Payment cards value of card transactions
- Payment cards volume of card transactions
- Payments card value physical POS vs. remote
- Payments card volume physical POS vs. remote
- Payments value domestic vs. cross-border
- Payments volume domestic vs. cross-border
- Debit card share of transaction value
- Credit and charge card share of transaction value
- Debit card frequency of payments and average transaction value
- Debit card ATM withdrawals frequency of use and average transaction value
- Debit card schemes transaction value
- Debit card schemes transaction volume
- Debit card schemes market share in terms of transaction value
- Debit card issuers by number of cards
- Debit card issuers by transaction value share
- Credit and charge card frequency of payments and average transaction value
- Credit and charge card ATM withdrawals frequency of use and average transaction value
- Credit and charge card schemes transaction value
- Credit and charge card schemes transaction volume
- Credit and charge card schemes market share in terms of transaction value
- Credit and charge card issuers by number of cards
- Credit and charge card issuers by transaction value share
- Credit card balances outstanding repayment schedule
- Number of prepaid cards, value and volume
- Prepaid card usage drivers
- Card payment acquiring transaction value and volume
- Card Payment Acquiring - Debit card transaction value and market share by transaction value
- Card Payment Acquiring - Credit and charge card transaction value and market share by transaction value
- Debit card average interchange fees (%)
- Credit and charge card average interchange fees (%)
- Debit card merchant service charge and interchange fee (%)
- Credit and charge card merchant service charge and interchange fee (%)
- Instant payments transaction value
- Instant payments transaction volume
- Digital wallet transaction value
- Digital wallet transaction volume
- Mobile Proximity Payments usage drivers
- Mobile Proximity Payments funding methods
- BNPL online transaction value and transaction volume
- BNPL share of overall ecommerce transaction value
- Preferred BNPL brand/tool for in-store and online payments
- Retail sales
- In-store transaction value by payment method
- In-store payment tool usage drivers
- In-store transaction value by products and services
- Ecommerce transaction value and ecommerce breakdown by mobile vs. desktop/laptop
- Ecommerce market by product and services
- Ecommerce market by payment tools
- Online payment tool usage drivers
- Bill Payments - Breakdown by payment tools
- Bill Payments- Frequency of bill payments
- P2P Payments - Domestic and International P2P money transfers and top priorities for P2P tools
- Value of inward and outward remittances
- Top 10 countries for inward and onward remittances
Companies Mentioned (Partial List)
A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to:
- Banco Ciudad de Buenos Aires
- Banco Columbia
- Banco Comafi
- Banco Credicoop
- Banco de Cordoba
- Banco de Corrientes
- Banco de Formosa
- Banco de la Nacion
- Banco de la Provincia de Buenos Aires
- Banco de San Juan
- Banco del Chaco
- Banco Entre Rios
- Banco Galicia
- Banco Central de la Republica Argentina
- Banco Hipotecario
- Banco Industrial
- Banco Macro
- Banco Patagonia
- Banco Piano
- Banco Santiago del Estero
- Banco Supervielle
- BBVA
- Brubank
- Cabal
- Credito Regional Compania Financiera
- HSBC
- ICBC
- Itau Unibanco
- Mastercard
- Santander
- Visa
