Payments
Payments Outlook: Latin America
Driving growth through digitalization, intelligence and trust
October 19, 2026
Organizations in LATAM are increasingly viewing payments not simply as a transaction mechanism, but as a strategic capability that supports growth, resilience and decision-making.
Through more integrated systems, businesses are fundamentally reshaping how they operate and trade. This report examines some of the key shifts taking place.
01
Real-time payments: Powering strategic decision-making and liquidity management
LATAM’s real-time payments (RTP) market is predicted to reach $257 billion by 2030.1
The growth in RTP is enabling more than fast transactions—organizations are increasingly using them to optimize liquidity, empowering teams to improve decision making and respond more quickly to market shocks.
RTP schemes in Latin America by country, scheme, year and estimated daily transactions: Brazil, Pix, 2020, 200+ million; Mexico, SPEI, 2004, 10+ million; Argentina, Transferencias 3.0, 2020, 5+ million; Chile, TEF, 2008, 4+ million; Costa Rica, SINPE Móvil, 2015, 2 million; Colombia, Bre-B, 2025, more than 2 million.
-
72%
Of treasury leaders in LATAM are using RTP to enhance liquidity management.7
“Payments used to be an isolated back-office activity typically performed by an operations team. Today, real-time payments have transformed these flows into a fundamental treasury activity. Everything revolves around payments these days, because RTP have enabled real-time decision-making, especially around liquidity.”
Arturo Richter
Latin America Head of Digital & Design, Payments, J.P. Morgan
02
API connectivity: Creating visibility with intelligent, integrated payments ecosystems
Infographic showing API adoption and integration in treasury. 80% of companies have implemented or are planning to implement APIs. The graphic shows four changes: manual processes become automated workflows; batch files become real-time connectivity; limited visibility becomes real-time cash visibility; and fragmented systems become an integrated treasury ecosystem. Source: J.P. Morgan.
Use case 1
Integrating APIs with third parties or consumer-facing applications
- Eliminates hurdles such as delays and handoffs
- Makes processes faster and more secure
Use case 2
Integrating APIs into ERPs to help orchestrate payments and reconciliations
- Enables a sharper, more holistic view
- Frees up time through automation
“We're no longer using this monolithic architecture that was the standard a few years ago. Today, it is all about modular, ecosystem-oriented models. Organizations can integrate faster, respond faster and, most importantly, adapt faster as their needs change over time.”
Arturo Richter
Latin America Head of Digital & Design, Payments, J.P. Morgan
03
Cross-border payments: Overcoming complexity and unlocking intraregional trade
Blockchain is enhancing cross-border capabilities in LATAM
Cross-border FX flows within Latin America have traditionally been fragmented, in part due to domestic regulations restricting currency markets. However, this is beginning to change. Alongside regulatory shifts, AI and blockchain-based capabilities are helping reduce friction, improve payment routing, and create more predictable and efficient cross-border flows.
Use of blockchain, digital currencies or stablecoins in treasury operations: Latin America, 32%; North America, 30%; global average, 27%; Asia Pacific, 27%; and EMEA, 23%. Source: J.P. Morgan.
“A company in Mexico could transfer funds to Singapore using a Blockchain Deposit Account (BDA) and know that the funds will be there as soon as the country opens the next day.”
Alejandro Pereyra
LATAM Head of Financial Institutions, J.P. Morgan
Smoother cross-border flows power more intraregional trade
Currently, only around 14% of LATAM s total goods trade occurs within the region.9 A more open cross-border payments ecosystem has the potential to change this by boosting trade and expansion opportunities.
“Digital technology is beginning to reshape cross-border payments by introducing more transparency, efficiency and predictability into the flows. Over time, this is contributing to a more connected regional landscape where moving funds across markets becomes less of a constraint and more of an enabler of growth.”
Harvey Colli
Head of LATAM Payments Corporate and eCommerce Sales
04
Improving cybersecurity: Fighting fraud through upskilling and regulation
As payments ecosystems become more digitalized across LATAM, cyber and fraud risk is increasing.10
Organizations in the region are particularly vulnerable to attacks due to the increase in new market participants, especially in the RTP space, which often lack the enterprise-scale cybersecurity capabilities of major financial institutions.
“Credit risk used to be my biggest concern maybe 10 years ago; now it's fraud and cyber.”
Alejandro Pereyra
LATAM Head of Financial Institutions, J.P. Morgan
“Speed vs. safety: Latin America’s growing fraud and cyber challenge.” 61% of Latin American treasury leaders are concerned or very concerned about payments fraud, compared with a 49% global average. Source: J.P. Morgan Research.
Sixty-one percent of treasury leaders in LATAM said they are concerned or very concerned about experiencing payments fraud in the next year compared to a global average of 49%.11
Advancing fraud defenses
Supervisory bodies are responding to the growing threat. Brazil s Central Bank, for example, implemented new rules in September 2025 to strengthen security and governance measures for non-authorized payment institutions.12 Organizations are also adopting multi-layered defenses that combine technology, operational oversight and workforce awareness. AI-powered behavioral analytics, real-time monitoring, account validation and payment verification can help identify suspicious activity and mitigate risk before funds are released.
Looking ahead:
Payments are becoming a strategic enabler for growth
Through real-time payments, APIs, AI and blockchain-based capabilities, organizations in Latin America are gaining new ways to modernize treasury, connect operating models and move funds more efficiently. This is creating competitive advantages: businesses can scale faster, optimize liquidity and capitalize on new trade opportunities. Against this backdrop, it is clear why organizations across the region are beginning to treat payments not just as a support function, but as a strategic enabler for growth and expansion.
References
1.
Verified Market Research, “Latin America Real Time Payments Market Valuation 2026-2032.” Available at: https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/product/latin-america-real-time-payments-market/. Accessed June 2026.
2.
Matera, 2025, “Pix Transactions Estimated 6.3 Billion in March.” Available at: https://fasterpaymentscouncil.org/userfiles/2080/files/Pix%20by%20the%20Numbers%20Q1%202025.pdf. Accessed June 2026.
3.
Mexico Business News, May 2025, “Banxico Strengthens SPEI System to Counter Evolving Risks.” Available at: https://mexicobusiness.news/finance/news/banxico-strengthens-spei-system-counter-evolving-risks. Accessed June 2026.
4.
Mordor Intelligence, “South America Real-time Payments Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth trends and forecast (2026 - 2031).” Available at: https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/south-america-real-time-payments-market. Accessed June 2026.
5.
No Pasa Nada, “SINPE Móvil alcanza récord de transacciones en 2025: usuarios movilizaron ¢12,5 billones.” Available at: https://nopasanada.com/leer/sinpe-movil-alcanza-record-de-transacciones-en-2025-usuarios-movilizaron-c125-billones. Accessed June 2026.
6.
ACI Worldwide, March 2026, “Colombia’s Bre-B Hits More than 500 Million Transactions as ACI Worldwide and Banco de la República Take the Stage at Fintech Americas 2026.” Available at: https://investor.aciworldwide.com/news-releases/news-release-details/colombias-bre-b-hits-more-500-million-transactions-aci-worldwide. Accessed June 2026.
7.
J.P. Morgan research.
8.
Digital Transformation of Treasury, J.P. Morgan.
9.
J.P. Morgan, August 2025, “Breaking barriers: How Latin America is redefining cross-border payments.” Available at: https://www.jpmorgan.com/insights/payments/fx-cross-border/latin-america-redefining-cross-border-payments#accordion-f4b1df1948-item-051c1f836a. Accessed June 2026.
10.
The Economist, June 2024, “Why Latin America is the world’s trade pipsqueak.” Available at: https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2024/06/13/why-latin-america-is-the-worlds-trade-pipsqueak. Accessed June 2026.
11.
J.P. Morgan, July 2025, “The future of regional integration: Can Latin America thrive in a new era?” Available at: https://privatebank.jpmorgan.com/latam/en/insights/markets-and-investing/ideas-and-insights/the-future-of-regional-integration-can-latin-america-thrive-in-a-new-era#f27. Accessed June 2026.
12.
IDB, June 2026, “The Capricorn Bioceanic Corridor: Paraguay at the Center of South American Integration.” Available at: https://www.iadb.org/en/blog/regional-integration/capricorn-bioceanic-corridor-paraguay-center-south-american-integration. Accessed June 2026.
13.
Check Point, January 2026, “Latin America Sees Sharpest Rise in Cyber Attacks in December 2025 as Ransomware Activity Accelerates.” Available at: https://blog.checkpoint.com/research/latin-america-sees-sharpest-rise-in-cyber-attacks-in-december-2025-as-ransomware-activity-accelerates/. Accessed June 2026.
14.
WEF, 2026, “Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026.” Available at: https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Global_Cybersecurity_Outlook_2026.pdf. Accessed June 2026.
15.
Mattos Filho, October 2025, “Brazilian Central Bank issues new rules to improve National Financial System and Brazilian Payment System security.” Available at: https://www.mattosfilho.com.br/en/unico/brazilian-central-new-rules/. Accessed June 2026.
16.
Reuters, November 2025, “Brazil’s central bank vows tougher rules after surge in financial system cyberattacks.” Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils-central-bank-vows-tougher-rules-after-surge-financial-system-2025-11-12/. Accessed June 2026.
17.
Verified Market Research, “Latin America Real Time Payments Market Valuation 2026-2032.” Available at: https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/product/latin-america-real-time-payments-market/. Accessed June 2026.
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