Mercado Pago now allows Argentine tourists to use Pix to make payments at Brazilian establishments using their digital account. The option will be released gradually and will allow customers to make instant transactions in reais with the balance in Argentine pesos, without the need for exchange, physical cash or an international card. The application will enable the function of scanning a QR Code or inserting a Pix key to complete the purchase. The seller will receive the amount in reais.
The launch reflects the payments industry’s support for the success of Pix, which has completed five years. In February, Mercado Pago had already authorized Brazilians to pay via Pix in Argentina by scanning a local QR code on Point Smart machines, the acquiring arm of Grupo Mercado Livre.
“Pix has become a global case for instant payments and we are taking this innovation across borders,” said the head of payments and financial services for SMEs at Mercado Pago in Brazil, Daniel Davanço. “By allowing Argentine tourists to pay with their already familiar account, we simplify their experience and, at the same time, boost sales for Brazilian merchants, who have seen their revenue grow since the arrival of Pix,” he added.
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The movement also seeks to take advantage of the increase in the number of Argentine tourists in Brazil, amid the relief in inflation in Argentina generated by the macroeconomic reforms implemented by the president of the neighboring country, Javier Milei. Between January and August, Argentine travelers totaled 2.65 million, an increase of 94% compared to the same period last year, according to data from Embratur.
