How global merchants are localising payments in LatAm in real-time

By Puja Sharma

The LatAm Payments Opportunity Goes Global

Latin America’s digital payments ecosystem is undergoing a massive transformation. From the explosive rise of Brazil’s Pix to the growing popularity of e-wallets and local card networks, consumers across the region are embracing a wider mix of payment methods. As global digital commerce expands, international businesses are increasingly recognising the need to localise their payment strategies in this fast-evolving landscape.

A recent partnership between global open payments platform Spreedly and regional payments specialist EBANX marks a pivotal step in this direction. Together, the two fintechs aim to simplify access to the full spectrum of local payment methods across 17 countries in the region, enabling seamless, secure, and scalable transactions.

The collaboration blends Spreedly’s orchestration technology—which helps businesses route transactions intelligently for better success rates—with direct integrations into local payment rails powered by EBANX. This unified solution gives global merchants access to:

• Alternative payments: Pix, e-wallets, cash vouchers
• Traditional cards: Both local and international debit and credit cards
• Installments and subscriptions: Including the upcoming Pix Automático, launching in mid-2025
• Compliance and optimisation tools for Latin American regulations

Merchants in travel, digital services, and SaaS—such as Busbud and Rocket Travel by Agoda—are already benefiting from improved conversion and customer satisfaction rates.

Why Latin America? A Region on the Brink of Digital Commerce Maturity

Emerging markets in Latin America are now at the forefront of global digital commerce. According to Payments and Commerce Market Intelligence (PCMI):

• Brazil’s online market is projected to grow from $346 billion to $586 billon by 2027
• Mexico and Peru are among the region’s fastest-growing digital economies, with annual growth expectations of 25% and 20%, respectively
• Real-time and alternative payments are accelerating e-commerce adoption across verticals

This growth is powered not just by infrastructure but by consumer preference for fast, local, and low-cost payment methods.

Pix: From National Rails to Global Relevance

Brazil’s Pix has rapidly become the dominant force in Latin American payments. Since its launch, it has:

• Gained 33% share of online travel payments in Brazil
• Seen 139% growth in volume processed by EBANX in the past year
• Driven 25% customer growth and 16% revenue increases for merchants adopting it
• Spurred innovations like Pix Automático, which will allow recurring payments—vital for SaaS, subscription services, and utilities

Pix’s speed, security, and affordability make it a compelling tool for global merchants—and a blueprint for instant payment systems elsewhere.

Cards Still Count: The Power of Plastic in a Digital Age

Despite the rise of instant payments and wallets, credit and debit cards remain dominant, accounting for 54% of total digital commerce in Latin America. Local card networks, particularly:

• Represent 21% of total value
• Contribute 34% in Brazil, and over 20% in Argentina and Ecuador

The key takeaway? Blended payment strategies are essential. The region’s consumers expect flexibility, and merchants must offer the right mix of old and new to remain competitive.

Merchant Takeaways: From Fragmentation to Opportunity

For merchants, the partnership solves three major pain points in Latin America:

1. Payment fragmentation – Multiple countries, currencies, and preferences
2. Low success rates – Without local integrations, authorisation failures are high
3. Costly compliance – Navigating regulation is complex without regional support

The combined strengths of Spreedly and EBANX—intelligent routing, local acquirers, seamless integration—help drive:

• Higher approval rates
• Lower payment costs
• Improved customer satisfaction
• Faster time-to-market

As Spreedly’s Rose François explained “Latin America is a key market for global expansion. Offering local payment methods drives satisfaction and fuels growth.”

Why It Matters: Global Commerce Can’t Afford to Miss LatAm

This partnership reflects a bigger industry trend: global companies are no longer treating Latin America as an afterthought. Instead, they’re investing in infrastructure and partnerships to compete effectively in a region teeming with growth.

From travel to streaming, global merchants are realising that meeting local payment expectations is core to winning market share. And with digital commerce booming across the region, the time to act is now.

“The combination of orchestration and localisation is what enables success in markets like LatAm,” said Daniel Kornitzer, VP of Global Partnerships. “It’s not just about enabling payments—it’s about enabling business.”

Conclusion: The Rise of Real-Time, Localised Payments

Latin America’s payment revolution is rewriting the rulebook for global digital commerce. The era of fragmented systems and rigid rails is giving way to seamless, locally-optimised platforms that support real-time, multi-method transactions.

Global merchants looking to thrive in this high-potential region must do more than translate websites—they must translate payment culture. Because in Latin America, growth belongs to those who speak the language of local payments.