How do people in Latin America pay online?
Instant account-to-account payments are taking over. In Brazil, PIX, the central bank’s instant payment system, carries roughly 42% of online payment value and has become the main rail for online shopping. In Mexico, SPEI processed about 7.3 billion transfers in 2025, and Banco de México expects it to overtake card payments by the end of 2026. Colombia is following, with the Bre-B instant system passing 34 million registered users within six months of its 2025 launch, on top of PSE bank redirects and the Nequi wallet. In Peru, wallets lead: Yape reported 16.4 million monthly active users in early 2026 and is interoperable with Plin, and PagoEfectivo payment codes serve shoppers who pay through online banking or at agents. Chile is the exception, a card-first market where Webpay Plus handles credit, Redcompra debit and prepaid cards, and BancoEstado’s CuentaRUT puts a debit card in the hands of 15.5 million people.
Cards still matter, especially with instalments. Brazilian shoppers expect parcelado, Mexican shoppers expect meses sin intereses, and Colombian credit cards commonly split purchases too. Local schemes such as Elo and Hipercard in Brazil and Carnet in Mexico add volume that some acquirers do not handle well, and in Chile Webpay Plus lets merchants offer interest-free instalments on credit cards.
Cash has not disappeared. Boleto in Brazil, OXXO Pay in Mexico and PagoEfectivo in Peru let customers pay online orders in cash, and most small daily purchases across the region are still made in cash. A complete checkout combines an instant transfer, cards with instalments and a cash option.
What rules shape online payments across Latin America?
Every market gives online shoppers time to cancel, but the windows differ. Brazil’s Consumer Defence Code allows seven days from receipt, with any amount paid returned immediately. Chile’s Pro Consumidor law gives ten days by default for online purchases. Colombia’s Consumer Statute allows five business days and requires the refund within 30 calendar days, and its Article 51 lets shoppers reverse card and PSE payments in cases of fraud, non-delivery or defective goods. Mexico’s Federal Consumer Protection Law allows five business days from delivery.
Foreign sellers charge local VAT. Chile applies 19% VAT to remote services by non-residents and, since October 2025, to imported goods up to US$500 sold to consumers, according to the tax authority SII. Colombia charges 19% on digital services supplied by non-residents, Mexico 16% under a SAT registration regime with marketplace withholding, according to PwC, and Peru 18% IGV on digital services since December 2024. Brazil taxes cross-border parcels through the Receita Federal’s Remessa Conforme programme, which collects import taxes at checkout. The country guides give the rates, thresholds and exceptions.
How does Omno route payments in Latin America?
Omno connects the region’s rails through one API. Routing rules send PIX, SPEI, PSE and Yape requests to the provider your rule sets for each customer segment and restrict payouts to providers that support name-matched or account-verified transfers. For cards and in the hosted checkout, if a provider is unavailable or rejects the request, the payment moves to the next provider in the rule until one accepts. Cards route by BIN with instalments passed through where supported, cash methods stay pending until webhooks confirm them, and the routing-decision log supports reconciliation in BRL, MXN, COP, PEN and CLP.