How people pay in Paraguay in 2026
Paraguay has moved from cash to the phone in five years. QR codes, launched by Bancard in 2020, now carry most electronic payments: 25 million QR transactions in August 2026, 65.6% of digital payments, against 3% for magnetic stripe cards. Cards keep growing too. The Cámara Paraguaya de Medios de Pago (CPMP) projects 656 million card transactions in 2026, up 39%, from 11.39 million cards in force, with debit far ahead of credit.
Bank transfers are the other pillar. In 2025, transfers made up 52% of about 700 million financial system transactions, cards 40% and ATM withdrawals 8%, according to figures cited by Banco Familiar. The Banco Central del Paraguay (BCP) runs the instant payment system SPI, part of the national payment system renamed SIP in April 2026, and launched an interoperable QR in July 2026. Online, e-commerce reached US$2,089 million in 2025, up 23%, per the Cámara Paraguaya de Comercio Electrónico (Capace). A checkout without QR and local debit misses most Paraguayan shoppers.
- 25 million Bancard QR transactions in August 2026 (Bancard via InfoNegocios)
- 656 million card transactions projected for 2026 (CPMP via ABC Color)
- 4.76 million SPI aliases registered in March 2026 (BCP via La Nación)
- US$2,089 million e-commerce sales in 2025 (Capace via La Nación)
Payment by card in Paraguay
Cards are the base of electronic payments in Paraguay, even when shoppers pay by QR, since many QR payments draw on a debit or credit card. The CPMP counted 11.39 million cards in force, 190,849 POS terminals and 126,066 merchants in June 2026. It projects 489 million debit transactions (up 42%) and 167 million credit transactions (up 30%) in 2026, or about 21 card transactions per second.
Debit drives the growth. Bancard reports that debit accounts for 65% of the volume it processes and 75% of online operations, with online debit transactions up 157% to August 2026. Visa and Mastercard dominate issuing, and banks push credit cards with promotions in cuotas, or installments. Acquiring runs mostly through two networks: Bancard, owned by local banks, and Bepsa with its Dinelco brand. Online, many merchants plug into Bancard's vPOS checkout. Our guide on how card networks work explains the roles, and interchange fees shape what merchants pay.
Card schemes in Paraguay
Visa
International scheme
The leading brand for credit and debit cards issued by Paraguayan banks and financial companies, accepted on Bancard and Dinelco terminals and on Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Mastercard
International scheme
The other main card network in Paraguay, used by banks for credit, debit and prepaid cards, and among the first brands enabled on Google Pay in Paraguay.
Debit cards
Bank debit card
Bank debit cards, mostly Visa and Mastercard branded, are the fastest-growing card product, used in stores, by QR from the banking app and, increasingly, online.
489 million debit card transactions projected for 2026, up 42%, CPMP via ABC Color
Credit cards
Bank credit card
Credit cards from banks and financial companies are used for larger purchases, travel and payments in cuotas, often with bank discounts on set days.
167 million credit card transactions projected for 2026, up 30%, CPMP via ABC Color
Bancard vPOS
Card payment gateway
Bancard's online checkout for Paraguayan merchants, accepting credit and debit cards and, since April 2025, QR payments through the vPOS 2.0 payment button.
5 million e-commerce transactions in August 2026, double a year earlier, Bancard via InfoNegocios
Payment by cash in Paraguay
Cash is losing ground fast but it has not gone. People still withdraw it: ATM withdrawals reached 50 million in 2025, according to figures cited by Banco Familiar, against 282 million card payments and 371 million transfers. Cash remains common in rural areas, at small shops and markets, and for people without a bank account. The CPMP counted 2,421 ATMs and 20,179 bill collection points (bocas de cobranza) in June 2026.
Those collection points are how cash meets digital commerce. Networks such as Aquí Pago, Pago Express and Bancard's Infonet Cobranzas let people pay utility bills, taxes, loans, online orders and wallet top-ups in cash at pharmacies, supermarkets and corner shops. Merchants issue a reference or code, and the shopper pays it at the counter. The share is shrinking: Bancard reports that 82% of bill payments it handles were digital in 2026, against 66% in 2021. Cash on delivery also remains an option for some online stores, but no reliable 2026 figure was found for it.
Cash payment methods in Paraguay
Cash
Banknotes and coins
Guaraníes in cash are still used at small shops, markets and in rural areas, and are withdrawn at ATMs and banking agents.
50 million ATM withdrawals in 2025, Banco Familiar via La Nación
Aquí Pago
Cash collection network
A nationwide network of payment points run by Pronet, where people pay bills, taxes, installments and online orders in cash or by card.
6,000+ collection points in 2024, La Nación
Pago Express
Cash collection network
A bill payment and collection network that also acts as a non-bank correspondent for banks, letting customers pay services and loans in cash at partner stores.
Infonet Cobranzas
Cash collection network
Bancard's collection network, where people pay bills and load wallets such as Tigo Money in cash, at more than 3,500 locations in all 17 departments in 2024.
Payment by bank transfer in Paraguay
Instant transfers are Paraguay's fastest-growing payment rail. The BCP's Sistema de Pagos Instantáneos (SPI), launched in 2023, settles 24/7, and since March 2026 it accepts transfers of up to G. 10 million per operation. In October 2025 alone the SPI processed about 39.6 million transfers, 2.1 times more than a year earlier, and 283 million from January to October. SPI operations made up 97.2% of activity on the national payment system in November 2025. In April 2026 the BCP renamed that system, known since 2013 as SIPAP, to SIP, a brand change only.
Aliases made transfers easy. Users link their ID number, phone or email to an account, and Paraguay counted 4.76 million aliases in March 2026, up 25% in six months, with 42% of 2025 transfers made by alias. The next step is the QR Hub, an interoperable QR on the SPI that any bank or wallet app can read. It debuted in July 2026 with nearly 250,000 merchant payments worth about US$4 million in its first month. See our pages on instant payments and account-to-account payments.
Bank transfer methods in Paraguay
SPI instant transfer
Instant bank transfer
The BCP's real-time transfer system, open 24/7 between banks, financial companies, cooperatives and wallets, used to pay people, invoices and online orders.
39.6 million SPI transfers in October 2025, BCP via La Nación
Transfer by alias
Alias payment
An SPI transfer sent to an ID number, phone number, email or RUC tax number instead of an account number. The ID card is the most used alias, at 58.7%.
4.76 million aliases registered in March 2026, BCP via La Nación
QR SIP
Interoperable QR
The BCP's interoperable QR on the SPI, live since July 2026. Payment operators generate the codes for merchants, and every bank and wallet app must read them, with the payment settled as an instant transfer.
~250,000 QR payments in the first month, July 2026, BCP via InfoNegocios
Payment by installment and BNPL in Paraguay
In Paraguay, paying later mostly means paying in cuotas with a credit card. Banks run interest-free installment campaigns with merchants and online stores, and the shopper picks the number of installments at checkout. Banco GNB, for example, offered up to 10 interest-free installments on e-commerce purchases in 2025 through Bancard's installment plan. Credit card spending is projected at G. 34.69 trillion (about US$5.8 billion) in 2026, up 32%, according to the CPMP.
Credit cards remain a minority of payments, though. Debit cards grow faster, and Bancard says credit card purchase volume rose only 10% to August 2026. No dedicated fintech BNPL provider with a significant market share was found in 2026. Retailers selling appliances and motorcycles still offer in-house credit, but it is rarely integrated into online checkouts. For merchants, card installments are the main lever. Read our pages on installment payments and buy now, pay later for the mechanics.
Installment and BNPL providers in Paraguay
Credit card installments (cuotas)
Card installments
Shoppers split a purchase into monthly installments on their credit card, often interest-free during bank promotions with merchants and online stores, such as Banco GNB's 10 cuotas offer in 2025.
167 million credit card transactions projected for 2026, CPMP via ABC Color
Payment by digital wallet and X-Pay in Paraguay
The phone is Paraguay's main payment device. About 7 in 10 digital payments are made from a mobile phone, according to Bancard. Its QR is the core of that habit: more than 3.7 million people and 181,000 merchants used or accepted it in early 2026, through 18 banks, 5 financial companies, 42 cooperatives and 10 other apps. In November 2025, QR held 64% of electronic payments, physical cards 31.5% and digital wallets 4.5%, per Bancard data.
Telecom wallets came first. Tigo Money and Personal's wallet led mobile money, but e-money wallets have shrunk as bank apps and QR took over: in April 2025, the BCP counted 2.5 million active wallet accounts, down 6.3%, and 22.7% fewer operations. Apple Pay arrived in November 2024 with Itaú and ueno bank, and Google Pay in 2024. Our X-Pay page explains how these tokenized wallets work.
Digital wallets and X-Pay in Paraguay
Bancard QR
QR payment
The QR standard of the Bancard network, paid from bank, cooperative and wallet apps in stores and online, and the most used electronic payment method in Paraguay.
25 million QR transactions in August 2026, up 53%, Bancard via InfoNegocios
Tigo Money
Mobile money wallet
Tigo's e-money wallet for transfers, bill payments and remittances, which since 2024 can pay by QR across the Bancard merchant network.
1 million+ monthly users in 2024, InfoNegocios
Billetera Personal
Mobile money wallet
The mobile wallet of the telecom operator Personal, the second telecom wallet, which held 34% of registered e-money accounts in the BCP's 2023 data.
ueno
Digital bank app
A digital bank whose app pays by QR and transfer, and one of the first banks to launch Apple Pay and Google Pay in Paraguay.
2.8 million+ customers in March 2026, ueno bank
Apple Pay
X-Pay wallet
Available in Paraguay since November 5, 2024, first with Itaú and ueno bank, for contactless, in-app and online payments.
Google Pay
X-Pay wallet
Launched in Paraguay in 2024 with Itaú, Continental and ueno bank, for tap-to-pay with Android phones.
Payments in Paraguay: FAQ
What is the most popular payment method in Paraguay?
QR payments. Bancard processed 25 million QR transactions in August 2026, 65.6% of the digital payments on its network. Debit cards come next, and cash remains common for small purchases and in rural areas.
How do Paraguayans pay online?
Mostly by QR and debit card. QR accounts for 52% of e-commerce operations, and 85% at Paraguayan online stores, according to Bancard data presented in 2026. Debit cards make up 75% of card operations online.
What are SPI and SIP?
The SPI is the BCP's instant payment system, open 24/7 for transfers of up to G. 10 million. Since April 2026, the national payment system formerly called SIPAP is branded SIP. It processed 39.6 million instant transfers in October 2025, many by alias.
Are Apple Pay and Google Pay available in Paraguay?
Yes. Apple Pay launched on November 5, 2024, with Itaú and ueno bank, and Google Pay in 2024 with Itaú, Continental and ueno bank. Digital wallets still made up only 4.5% of electronic payments in November 2025, per Bancard.
Accept local payments in Paraguay with NORBr
In Paraguay, most merchants accept payments through Bancard, which runs the largest POS and QR network, or through Bepsa's Dinelco terminals. Check QR support on Bancard and the BCP's QR SIP, online debit, cuotas, cash references and guaraní settlement.
With NORBr, you can connect any acquirer, PSP or local provider that offers Bancard cards, QR payments, SPI transfers and Tigo Money. Some are already in our connector catalog; Mapper™ gets the others live in days, and Smart Checkout shows each shopper the right methods. Explore the other #PayWorldTour guides.
Local payment providers in Paraguay
Bancard
Processor and acquirer
Paraguay's main card and QR processing network, owned by local banks, running POS terminals, the Infonet network, the Bancard QR and the vPOS online checkout.
165,000 merchants in its network in 2026, Bancard via InfoNegocios
Covers: Cards, Bancard QR, Apple Pay, Google Pay, e-commerce, Infonet Cobranzas cash
Dinelco (Bepsa)
Processor and acquirer
Bepsa's payment network, whose "Acepta Todo" POS takes cards, all QR methods including the BCP's QR SIP, and digital wallets, with a Dinelco Checkout button for e-commerce.
20,000+ merchants in 2023, InfoNegocios
Covers: Cards, QR, QR SIP, digital wallets, payment links
Pagopar
Payment gateway
A Paraguayan online payment platform that lets merchants sell on websites and social networks without integrating each method separately, including recurring billing.
Covers: Cards, QR, subscriptions
Aquí Pago
Cash aggregator
Pronet's nationwide collection network, used by utilities, lenders and online stores to collect cash and card payments at more than 6,000 points.
Covers: Cash, cards, bill payments
Pago Express
Cash aggregator
A bill payment network and non-bank correspondent for banks, majority-owned by Fintech Inversiones, collecting cash payments at partner stores.
Covers: Cash, bill payments, bank correspondent services
