Clover, a brand from global payments leader Fiserv, opened this Wednesday (6) a factory in Betim (MG), the first production unit outside Asia. Under the projection of an investment of around R$490 million in the cycle until 2027, the projection is for the production of 100 thousand payment machines per year.
With the projection, Clover would double the number of payment terminals sold in Brazil since 2024, when it arrived in the country. The plant in the interior of Minas Gerais is only the company’s fourth in the world and the only one outside Asia.
The choice to bring part of the production to Brazil has two main reasons. The first is the speed of equipment delivery in a market where the competition for customers includes, in many cases, the promise of fast delivery. On the other hand, right from the start, Clover reduces the cost of machines by 30% compared to options that need to be imported from Asian units.
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“But we will increasingly seek more competitiveness using raw materials and local resources to reduce costs”, says the senior vice-president of Fiserv Brasil, Ricardo Daguani.
Although it does not reveal the exact numbers, Fiserv, an American fintech valued at US$61 billion, is growing by double digits per year in Brazil, especially in acquiring small and medium-sized retail businesses. The Clover brand, today, represents a large part of the growth in the country.
Part of the US$100 million investment projected by Fiserv in Brazil in the 2025-2027 period will go towards hardware manufacturing, but a portion (not detailed by the company) focuses on software development. In addition to the machine itself, Clover integrates native tools and a marketplace of other applications into the terminals.
The terminal is the largest global payments platform based on SaaS (acronym in English for software as a service) in total volume of payments made: there are more than 700 thousand commercial establishments served in 10 countries, with 1.2 thousand direct partners and 2 thousand indirect.
National demand and export potential
At the national factory, the company will produce the Clover Flex terminal model, with greater adoption in the Brazilian market. Here, the company also operates with two other options: the Clover Mini and the Clover Kiosk. In the case of the latter, however, demand will continue to be met via imports.
According to Daguani, the Kiosk is a technology that has potential in markets such as food because it allows self-service options, but demand for the equipment still needs to be developed to bring production here.
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For now, the company maintains a production rate of around 175 machine plates per hour in the factory operation partnership established with the multinational manufacturing solutions company Jabil. The company considers, however, that it is possible to triple the pace to close to 400 in three shifts.
“We really believe in the growth potential of the Brazilian market, so this is our first strategy. Obviously, if we are successful in this first step, we will look at other markets”, says Daguani. The idea would be to export Betim’s production to Latin America, where the company has consolidated operations in Mexico and Argentina.
Fiserv’s business model — which includes the Clover brand — involves the direct sale of machines to retailers or distribution via partners. The company is, for example, responsible for developing Azulzinha, from Caixa.
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To expand direct purchasing in Brazil, Fiserv is now also investing in opening franchises, a project that started with a unit in Espírito Santo and which should see a new opening in June this year: “We are going slowly because we want to test the model and see if it has good adherence in the locations we are choosing”, points out Daguani.
On another front, Fiserv announced in April 2025 the acquisition of credit fintech Money Money to expand the product basket beyond acquiring and software. The idea is to have an additional offer for small and medium-sized entrepreneurs with a high need for working capital for their business.
