Name
Global FinTech Guide
Country _ Name
Argentina
SectionTitle
Loan services/factoring/loan broking/finetrading
Body
FinTechs belonging to this category act as a loan creditor (even short and very short-term loans), are broking loans or receivables or conduct factoring of loans, which were given to private or business customers. In this business area you also find “peer-to-peer” (P2P) services, in which FinTechs enable a multitude of users to give loans (and brokered by the FinTech-platform) to other users or companies.

Finetrading is hereby a financial service of FinTechs, where they buy due receivables and grant the debtor an extension of payment time. 

As an ancillary service some FinTechs offer alternative credit assessment services to check the solvency of a borrower.

Introduction

Attitude of the country towards loan-giving-, factoring-, brokerage-, finetrading- and ancillary services

Lending remains one of the core verticals in Argentina ’s vibrant fintech scene: as of 2024, roughly 15.7% of the 383 local Fintechs—around 60 companies—are focused on credit and lending services, including online lenders, factoring firms, and embedded finance providers. This represents a substantial share, comparable to payments and surpassing areas like wealth management. Recent estimates suggest Argentine fintechs—especially non-bank lenders—now account for one in five loans made across the financial system, serving nearly 10 million users. The segment's growth is driven by high inflation and historically low bank credit penetration (˜10% of GDP), prompting demand for alternative digital lending solutions. Leading companies in this space include Afluenta, Increase, Mercado Crédito (via Mercado Pago), and Ualá, with many fintechs now collaborating with banks to offer credit to underserved consumers. Overall, Argentina ’s fintech lending sector is not only large in scope but also rapidly maturing, marking a shift from niche innovation toward mainstream financial infrastructure.



Legal affairs  

Obligations and requirements to provide loan-giving-, factoring-, brokerage-, finetrading, and ancillary services described above

In Argentina, lending companies that offer loans that originated in their own capital to individuals and companies are not considered to have the same applicable legal regime as banks and other financial institutions which are characterised for carrying out financial intermediation activities. Banks and financial entities are subject to the provisions of Law 21,526 (Ley de Entidades Financieras). Instead, P2P lending companies are subject to a special regime and must register before the Argentine Central Bank as 'Proveedores No Financieros de Crédito', complying with the information and surveillance regime set forth by the Central Bank in this respect

Additional comments regarding the legal situation for loan-giving-, factoring-, brokerage, finetrading-, and ancillary services or what FinTech’s must be aware of in this business area
In Argentina, over the last two (2) years the Central Bank has had an active role in regulating the activities of P2P lending companies, imposing more severe information regimes, and regulating certain legal aspects concerning, for example, the ways in which P2P lending companies inform about the financial conditions of the loans (financial costs, interest rates). In this sense, P2P lending companies should be aware of complying with consumer protection regulations (provisions of Consumer Protection Law 24,240). Compliance with data protections regulations and prevention of money laundering and financing of terrorism should not be overlooked.



Economic conditions

Market size for loan-giving-, factoring-, brokerage-, finetrading- and ancillary services and biggest companies in this business area

P2P lending companies are experiencing a rapid growth in Argentina as well as in the rest of Latin America. There are large groups of people and companies that are currently unable to meet the requirements to obtain financing from the traditional finance sector such as banks and other financial institutions. Lending platforms allows excluded sectors from traditional finance services to obtain financing or consumer loans with less requirements and in an easier and more efficient way along with the use of technology. The most renowned companies within this segment are Moni, Mercado Crédito, Uala, Mango, Pareto, among others.


Additional comments regarding the economic situation for loan-giving-, factoring-, brokerage-, finetrading- and ancillary services or what FinTech’s must be aware of in this business area

It is expected that the P2P lending segment continues growing exponentially in Argentina considering the high rates of adoption of smartphones and mobile subscriptions, as previously referred to in the digital payments section. It is also important to point out that the digital payment and P2P lending sectors are very interconnected with each other. Many of the digital payment companies in Argentina provide P2P loans as well. A clear example of these interconnections in sectors can be seen in certain FinTech companies such as Mercado Libre which provides digital payment services through its digital payment solution (Mercado Pago) as well as providing P2P loans to its users through its lending platform (Mercado Crédito). This same business model is replicated with other FinTech companies such as Ualá and Moni.

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