What is the most popular payment method in Venezuela?
Pago Móvil, the interbank mobile transfer in bolívares. The e-commerce chamber Cavecom-e estimates that it covers 63% of commercial operations, ahead of card terminals, with more than 8,500 operations per minute in June 2026.
In detail
Pago Móvil, the interbank mobile transfer in bolívares. The e-commerce chamber Cavecom-e estimates that it covers 63% of commercial operations, ahead of card terminals, with more than 8,500 operations per minute in June 2026.
Payment by card in Venezuela
Credit cards carry the Visa and Mastercard brands, with bolívar credit lines. The BCV caps card interest at between 17% and 60% a year, and most banks charge the maximum.
Payment by cash in Venezuela
Venezuela runs on two kinds of cash. Bolívar banknotes are scarce and little used: in Ecoanalítica's December 2024 study, only 2.4% of bolívar payments were made in cash, since card terminals and Pago Móvil took over. In January 2026, the president of the Venezuelan Banking Association said 99% of transactions go through mobile payments or card terminals, with cash mostly left to public transport.
Payment by bank transfer in Venezuela
Pago Móvil is the backbone of Venezuelan payments. Launched by the banks as a person-to-person transfer using a phone number, ID number and bank code, it now covers 63% of commercial operations, according to estimates by Cavecom-e, and grew from 6,000 operations per minute in 2023 to more than 8,500 in June 2026.
More detail in our #PayWorldTour guide Payment methods in Venezuela.