Real-time payments in South America have moved beyond proof of concept. They have become the financial backbone of entire economies, and the numbers speak for themselves.
The evidence starts with Brazil pixelwhich has become one of the most important instant payment platforms in the world. Launched in 2020, it now has over 150 million active users – roughly 70% of the country’s population. The platform processes more transactions than Visa and Mastercard combined. Its commercial appeal is growing. Payments platform Poco It launched with Pix in May, enabling account-to-account settlement for merchants in on-premises and cross-border lanes. The central bank has expanded BEX’s reach into Argentina, allowing Brazilian expatriates there to send payments across the border.
Success on this scale calls for scrutiny, and Washington has taken notice. the Trump administration He argued that the Bex government’s support creates an unequal competitive environment for U.S.-based networks, prompting the USTR to open a formal investigation. The Peterson Institute for International Economics describes the confrontation as a broader competition between the two countries Financial sovereignty and the interests of existing global networks.
Pix’s explosive growth has brought complexities beyond the payments themselves. Cybercriminals target a system where completed transfers cannot be undone. Meanwhile, Brazil Central Bank Extended, overseeing the expanding financial ecosystem alongside Pix and the broader FinTech sector.
in colombia, Pre-B The instant payment system surpassed 500 million transactions and 100 million registered payment keys in just five months – an exceptional early performance. In addition, ACI Worldwide predicts that by 2028, real-time payments will contribute $19.3 billion in increased GDP To Argentina, $376 million to Peru, and $740 million to Chile. This growth will also attract millions of consumers into formal financial systems for the first time.
For more information about these developments, download the July edition of World map of real-time payments.
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World map of real-time payments
About the world map for real-time payments
“World map of real-time payments“, in cooperation with Clearinghouseexplores the latest developments shaping the evolution and expansion of instant payments.
