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FinTechs belonging to this category offer alternative payment services which are supposed to provide a faster and cheaper way for national, European, and international payments for private and business customers by using new technologies.
For example, payment service providers hereby offer solutions to easily integrate several payment services in online shops.
Some FinTechs furthermore provide real cash register systems and online-reservation solutions for restaurants and shops providing their own payment services or making use of the payment services of FinTechs described above.
Introduction
Attitude of the country towards modern payment services
The digital payment services sector continues to grow strongly across Latin America, and Argentina in particular, driven by the widespread adoption of smartphones and mobile internet. Mobile technologies in Latam generated USD 550 billion—8.2% of regional GDP—in 2024, and there were already 418 million mobile internet users (65% of the population) by end-2023 .
In Argentina, estimated smartphone penetration has surpassed the 80% threshold by 2025, making mobile devices the primary gateway for digital payments .
The fintech ecosystem is also expanding rapidly. As of 2023, 58 companies operate in the digital payments vertical , and the total number of fintech firms in Argentina reached 383 in 2024, marking an 11.7% year-on-year increase .
Legal affairs
Obligations and requirements to provide payment services or ancillary services described above
In Argentina, companies not categorized as financial institutions must register with the BCRA as Payment Service Providers (PSPs) under Communiqués A 6859/6885 (January 2020). They must obtain registration in the PSP Registry and are categorized based on functions such as payment accounts, payment initiation, card acquiring, QR & transfer acceptance, aggregation, and non-bank collections. Client funds must be segregated and deposited at an Argentine bank, with PSPs also maintaining separate operational accounts. They must implement robust technical infrastructure, fraud detection, real-time reporting systems, and allow BCRA audit access. Advertising must clearly state that PSPs are not banks and that funds are uninsured.
Additional comments regarding the legal situation for payment services or what FinTech’s must be aware of in this business area
The SEFyC supervises PSPs, enforcing compliance through audits, fines, suspensions, and registrational sanctions. While the regulatory framework is well-developed, Argentina is actively refining compliance standards—especially around KYC/AML, interoperability, and digital supervision. PSPs are also subject to UIF AML regulations (2024–2025), data protection obligations and recent BCRA rules on outsourcing and cybersecurity Further expected reforms include enhanced KYC/AML standards, expansion of open banking, oversight of crypto-asset services, and deeper integration in financial transparency regimes.
Economic conditions
Market size for payment services and biggest payment service providers