Compare
PayPal vs Mercado Pago
Only PayPal · 86
Side by side
Pick where your business is registered. Add up to two more providers.
Pick up to 4.
For a business registered in
Onboards businesses in United States
PayPal
AvailableMercado Pago
Not availableAccept payments
PayPal
PayPal wallet, cards and (in the US) Venmo at checkout, with buyer and seller protection.Mercado Pago
Online payments through Checkout Pro (hosted by Mercado Pago), Checkout API / Checkout Transparente (on your site), Checkout Bricks (embeddable components), payment links and subscriptions. Methods include cards, local bank transfers, cash vouchers, Mercado Pago account balance and card-free installments, varying by country.Not for businesses in United States.Pay people abroad
PayPal
Mass payouts to PayPal and Venmo accounts worldwide. Bank payouts go through Hyperwallet.Mercado Pago
Not offeredMulti-currency account
PayPal
Hold balances in 20+ currencies inside a PayPal business account.Mercado Pago
A free Mercado Pago business account holds sales proceeds in local currency. Confirmed on the Brazil and Mexico seller pages only.Not for businesses in United States.Business cards
PayPal
PayPal Business Debit Mastercard.Mercado Pago
In Mexico, sellers get a free card to spend the money from their sales.Not for businesses in United States.Stablecoins
PayPal
US businesses can accept crypto through Pay with Crypto and hold PayPal USD (PYUSD).Mercado Pago
Not offeredYield on idle cash
PayPal
US businesses holding PayPal USD (PYUSD) in their PayPal balance can opt in to rewards of around 3.7–4% a year, funded from the stablecoin’s reserve interest. Not available in New York.Mercado Pago
Not offeredYield on idle cash
A return on money you are not using. How safe it is depends on where the return comes from, not on how high the rate is.
Where the return comes from
PayPal
Moderate riskStablecoin rewardsMercado Pago
No yield offeredIs the money protected?
PayPal
Stablecoins are not bank deposits and are not insured. The reward is a promotion funded by the issuer’s reserve interest; it can be changed or stopped, and US law bars issuers from paying interest directly.Mercado Pago
–Does the rate change?
PayPal
Set by the provider; tends to follow US Treasury rates.Last seen: Around 3.7–4% a year (2026)Mercado Pago
–Fees
Published prices only, with the date we read them. Many providers negotiate prices instead.
How pricing works
PayPal
PayPal publishes per-market fee pages (both last updated 1 October 2026). US: 3.49% + 0.49 USD for PayPal Checkout, 2.99% + 0.49 USD for standard card payments, and 2.89% + 0.29 USD for Advanced Credit and Debit Card Payments (or interchange + 0.49% + 0.39 USD). International payments add 1.50%, currency conversion has a 3.00% spread, a chargeback costs $20 and a standard dispute $15. Fees are not returned on refunds. UK: 2.9% + 0.30 GBP standard rate (1.2% for card payers without a PayPal account), and Advanced card payments at 1.2% + 0.20 GBP (Amex 3.5%). International payments add 1.29% (EEA) or 1.99% (elsewhere). A chargeback costs £14 and a standard dispute £12.Mercado Pago
Not yet researchedPublished prices
PayPal
PayPal Checkout (US): 3.49% + fixed feeStandard credit and debit card payments (US): 2.99% + fixed feeFixed fee (USD) (US): 0.49 USD per commercial transaction received in USDInternational commercial transactions (US): +1.50% on top of the domestic rateCurrency conversion (US): 3.00% spread for most transactions (4.00% for some, e.g. Payouts in another currency)Chargeback fee (US): 20.00 USD per card chargeback on transactions not processed through a PayPal account or guest checkoutMercado Pago
–What you can sell
From each provider’s acceptable use policy. “Restricted” means allowed only with approval or conditions, or banned for part of the category.
Software and digital goods
PayPal
Not statedMercado Pago
Not yet researchedCrypto
PayPal
RestrictedCryptocurrency, virtual in-game currencies and NFTs require pre-approval.Mercado Pago
Not yet researchedLending and financial services
PayPal
RestrictedMoney service businesses, e-money, stored value, escrow and investments require pre-approval. Traveler's checks, money orders, currency exchange, check cashing, certain credit repair, debt settlement and credit transactions, and payment processors collecting for merchants are prohibited.Mercado Pago
Not yet researchedGambling
PayPal
RestrictedGambling, gaming, prize draws and contests require pre-approval and are allowed only where operator and customers are in jurisdictions where they are legal.Mercado Pago
Not yet researchedAdult content
PayPal
RestrictedDigitally delivered adult content (VOD, webcam) requires pre-approval. 'Certain sexually oriented materials or services' and obscene items are prohibited.Mercado Pago
Not yet researchedDating
PayPal
RestrictedOnline dating requires pre-approval.Mercado Pago
Not yet researchedFirearms and weapons
PayPal
Not allowedAmmunition, firearms, certain firearm parts and certain regulated weapons or knives are prohibited.Mercado Pago
Not yet researchedCannabis and CBD
PayPal
Not statedMercado Pago
Not yet researchedSupplements
PayPal
Not statedMercado Pago
Not yet researchedPharmacy and telemedicine
PayPal
RestrictedPrescription items, telemedicine and medical devices/services require pre-approval.Mercado Pago
Not yet researchedTravel
PayPal
RestrictedAirlines and charter/air taxi operators require pre-approval. Other travel businesses (agencies, tours) are not mentioned.Mercado Pago
Not yet researchedMulti-level marketing
PayPal
RestrictedMulti-level marketing and direct selling require pre-approval; pyramid/Ponzi schemes and 'certain multi-level marketing programs' are prohibited.Mercado Pago
Not yet researchedFree-trial subscriptions
PayPal
Not statedMercado Pago
Not yet researchedPlatform & marketplace
Run payments for other businesses: sign them up, take a cut, pay them out.
Sub-accounts for your users
PayPal
YesPayPal Complete Payments onboards sellers into their own PayPal business accounts. Braintree Marketplace creates sub-merchants, but only for US businesses.Mercado Pago
PartlyPlatforms connect sellers' own Mercado Pago accounts through OAuth and act on their behalf. Creating accounts for sellers through an API was not found.Split payments and platform fees
PayPal
YesPlatform fees on seller payments; Braintree Marketplace splits each transaction and can hold funds in escrow.Mercado Pago
YesMarketplace integrations split each payment between seller and marketplace; the platform sets its commission with marketplace_fee. Confirmed on the Brazil docs.Embeddable UI
PayPal
PartlySeller onboarding is a PayPal-hosted flow.Mercado Pago
YesCheckout Bricks are pre-built, customisable payment components (Payment, Card Payment, Wallet, Status Screen) that run on the seller's site.Pay out to your users
PayPal
YesPayouts API to PayPal and Venmo accounts; Hyperwallet for bank, card and cash payouts.Mercado Pago
Not confirmedNot found in public materials.Embedded finance for your users
Give your users financial products under your brand.
Accounts that hold money
PayPal
NoSellers hold their own PayPal accounts; platforms cannot create accounts that hold money for users.Mercado Pago
Not confirmedNot found in public materials. Mercado Pago runs its own consumer and seller accounts, but an API for platforms to open accounts for their users was not found.Cards for your users
PayPal
NoNo card issuing for platform users.Mercado Pago
Not confirmedNot found in public materials.Financing for your users
PayPal
NoPayPal’s business loans are offered directly by PayPal, not through platforms.Mercado Pago
Not confirmedNot found in public materials. Mercado Pago offers credit to its own sellers, but no lending product for platforms was found.Consumer apps
Build for individuals, not just businesses, the way Bridge allows.
End users can be individuals
PayPal
PartlyYou can pay individuals’ PayPal and Venmo accounts, but not build wallets or accounts for your own users.Mercado Pago
Not confirmedNot found in public materials.Consumer wallets or accounts
PayPal
NoConsumers use PayPal’s own wallet.Mercado Pago
Not confirmedNot found in public materials.Consumer cards
PayPal
NoNot offered to platforms.Mercado Pago
Not confirmedNot found in public materials.Stablecoins
Dollar-backed tokens as a payment and treasury rail.
Accept stablecoins
PayPal
PartlyPay with Crypto lets US merchants accept crypto, settled in dollars.Mercado Pago
Not confirmedNot found in public materials.Hold stablecoin balances
PayPal
PartlyUS accounts can hold PayPal USD (PYUSD).Mercado Pago
Not confirmedNot found in public materials.Pay out in stablecoins
PayPal
Not confirmedNot confirmed for platform payouts.Mercado Pago
Not confirmedNot found in public materials.Issue your own stablecoin
PayPal
NoPYUSD is PayPal’s own coin; you cannot issue one.Mercado Pago
Not confirmedNot found in public materials.Regulatory risk in United States
PayPal
Low riskMercado Pago
No stablecoin productsAI agents
Build with AI tools, and let AI agents shop and pay.
Official MCP server
PayPal
YesAgent tooling for its APIs, and backing WebMCP so agents can use merchants’ existing storefronts.Mercado Pago
YesOfficial remote MCP server. Tools cover searching the docs, managing applications (OAuth only), configuring webhooks, creating test users and measuring integration quality. It is integration tooling, not payment execution.Checkout for AI agents
PayPal
YesAdopted the Agentic Commerce Protocol for Instant Checkout in ChatGPT, rolling out in 2026, so PayPal merchants can sell in ChatGPT without their own integration.Mercado Pago
PartlyCommerce Agents Checkout (open-source Python library, beta 0.1.0; post dated 24 Sep 2026) hands an AI agent's flow off to Checkout Pro without giving the model control of prices, credentials or payment creation. The buyer still pays in Checkout Pro; it is not an ACP/AP2 implementation.Cards for AI agents
PayPal
Not confirmedNot found in public materials.Mercado Pago
Not confirmedNot found in public materials.Working with them
How easy it is to get started.
Self-serve signup
PayPal
YesSign up online.Mercado Pago
Not confirmedNot researched yet.Published pricing
PayPal
YesMerchant fees are published by country.Mercado Pago
Not confirmedNot researched yet.Public API and sandbox
PayPal
YesPublic REST API and sandbox.Mercado Pago
Not confirmedNot researched yet.Coming soon
Announced but not launched. These are plans, not products you can sign up for today: timing often slips, and some never ship.
Announced, not yet live
PayPal
Mercado Pago
Nothing announcedIn short
Countries onboarded
PayPal
91 of 170Mercado Pago
7 of 170Designed for
PayPal
Selling to customers who already pay with PayPal, including cross-border buyers.Mercado Pago
Sellers in one of its seven Latin American countries who sell to local customers and want Pix, OXXO, cash vouchers, card-free installments and Mercado Pago wallet payments.Limitations
PayPal
PayPal’s terms allow it to hold payments or set reserves, for example on new accounts or after a sudden rise in sales.Mercado Pago
Each account works in one country and currency. Businesses outside the seven countries cannot sign up themselves; Cross Border (USD withdrawal abroad) has to be set up by Mercado Pago's team.| PayPal Payment processor | Mercado Pago Regional processor | |
|---|---|---|
| Onboards businesses in United States | Available | Not available |
| Accept payments | PayPal wallet, cards and (in the US) Venmo at checkout, with buyer and seller protection. | Online payments through Checkout Pro (hosted by Mercado Pago), Checkout API / Checkout Transparente (on your site), Checkout Bricks (embeddable components), payment links and subscriptions. Methods include cards, local bank transfers, cash vouchers, Mercado Pago account balance and card-free installments, varying by country.Not for businesses in United States. |
| Pay people abroad | Mass payouts to PayPal and Venmo accounts worldwide. Bank payouts go through Hyperwallet. | Not offered |
| Multi-currency account | Hold balances in 20+ currencies inside a PayPal business account. | A free Mercado Pago business account holds sales proceeds in local currency. Confirmed on the Brazil and Mexico seller pages only.Not for businesses in United States. |
| Business cards | PayPal Business Debit Mastercard. | In Mexico, sellers get a free card to spend the money from their sales.Not for businesses in United States. |
| Stablecoins | US businesses can accept crypto through Pay with Crypto and hold PayPal USD (PYUSD). | Not offered |
| Yield on idle cash | US businesses holding PayPal USD (PYUSD) in their PayPal balance can opt in to rewards of around 3.7–4% a year, funded from the stablecoin’s reserve interest. Not available in New York. | Not offered |
| Yield on idle cashA return on money you are not using. How safe it is depends on where the return comes from, not on how high the rate is. | ||
| Where the return comes from | Moderate riskStablecoin rewards | No yield offered |
| Is the money protected? | Stablecoins are not bank deposits and are not insured. The reward is a promotion funded by the issuer’s reserve interest; it can be changed or stopped, and US law bars issuers from paying interest directly. | – |
| Does the rate change? | Set by the provider; tends to follow US Treasury rates.Last seen: Around 3.7–4% a year (2026) | – |
| FeesPublished prices only, with the date we read them. Many providers negotiate prices instead. | ||
| How pricing works | PayPal publishes per-market fee pages (both last updated 1 October 2026). US: 3.49% + 0.49 USD for PayPal Checkout, 2.99% + 0.49 USD for standard card payments, and 2.89% + 0.29 USD for Advanced Credit and Debit Card Payments (or interchange + 0.49% + 0.39 USD). International payments add 1.50%, currency conversion has a 3.00% spread, a chargeback costs $20 and a standard dispute $15. Fees are not returned on refunds. UK: 2.9% + 0.30 GBP standard rate (1.2% for card payers without a PayPal account), and Advanced card payments at 1.2% + 0.20 GBP (Amex 3.5%). International payments add 1.29% (EEA) or 1.99% (elsewhere). A chargeback costs £14 and a standard dispute £12. | Not yet researched |
| Published prices | PayPal Checkout (US): 3.49% + fixed feeStandard credit and debit card payments (US): 2.99% + fixed feeFixed fee (USD) (US): 0.49 USD per commercial transaction received in USDInternational commercial transactions (US): +1.50% on top of the domestic rateCurrency conversion (US): 3.00% spread for most transactions (4.00% for some, e.g. Payouts in another currency)Chargeback fee (US): 20.00 USD per card chargeback on transactions not processed through a PayPal account or guest checkout | – |
| What you can sellFrom each provider’s acceptable use policy. “Restricted” means allowed only with approval or conditions, or banned for part of the category. | ||
| Software and digital goods | Not stated | Not yet researched |
| Crypto | RestrictedCryptocurrency, virtual in-game currencies and NFTs require pre-approval. | Not yet researched |
| Lending and financial services | RestrictedMoney service businesses, e-money, stored value, escrow and investments require pre-approval. Traveler's checks, money orders, currency exchange, check cashing, certain credit repair, debt settlement and credit transactions, and payment processors collecting for merchants are prohibited. | Not yet researched |
| Gambling | RestrictedGambling, gaming, prize draws and contests require pre-approval and are allowed only where operator and customers are in jurisdictions where they are legal. | Not yet researched |
| Adult content | RestrictedDigitally delivered adult content (VOD, webcam) requires pre-approval. 'Certain sexually oriented materials or services' and obscene items are prohibited. | Not yet researched |
| Dating | RestrictedOnline dating requires pre-approval. | Not yet researched |
| Firearms and weapons | Not allowedAmmunition, firearms, certain firearm parts and certain regulated weapons or knives are prohibited. | Not yet researched |
| Cannabis and CBD | Not stated | Not yet researched |
| Supplements | Not stated | Not yet researched |
| Pharmacy and telemedicine | RestrictedPrescription items, telemedicine and medical devices/services require pre-approval. | Not yet researched |
| Travel | RestrictedAirlines and charter/air taxi operators require pre-approval. Other travel businesses (agencies, tours) are not mentioned. | Not yet researched |
| Multi-level marketing | RestrictedMulti-level marketing and direct selling require pre-approval; pyramid/Ponzi schemes and 'certain multi-level marketing programs' are prohibited. | Not yet researched |
| Free-trial subscriptions | Not stated | Not yet researched |
| Platform & marketplaceRun payments for other businesses: sign them up, take a cut, pay them out. | ||
| Sub-accounts for your users | YesPayPal Complete Payments onboards sellers into their own PayPal business accounts. Braintree Marketplace creates sub-merchants, but only for US businesses. | PartlyPlatforms connect sellers' own Mercado Pago accounts through OAuth and act on their behalf. Creating accounts for sellers through an API was not found. |
| Split payments and platform fees | YesPlatform fees on seller payments; Braintree Marketplace splits each transaction and can hold funds in escrow. | YesMarketplace integrations split each payment between seller and marketplace; the platform sets its commission with marketplace_fee. Confirmed on the Brazil docs. |
| Embeddable UI | PartlySeller onboarding is a PayPal-hosted flow. | YesCheckout Bricks are pre-built, customisable payment components (Payment, Card Payment, Wallet, Status Screen) that run on the seller's site. |
| Pay out to your users | YesPayouts API to PayPal and Venmo accounts; Hyperwallet for bank, card and cash payouts. | Not confirmedNot found in public materials. |
| Embedded finance for your usersGive your users financial products under your brand. | ||
| Accounts that hold money | NoSellers hold their own PayPal accounts; platforms cannot create accounts that hold money for users. | Not confirmedNot found in public materials. Mercado Pago runs its own consumer and seller accounts, but an API for platforms to open accounts for their users was not found. |
| Cards for your users | NoNo card issuing for platform users. | Not confirmedNot found in public materials. |
| Financing for your users | NoPayPal’s business loans are offered directly by PayPal, not through platforms. | Not confirmedNot found in public materials. Mercado Pago offers credit to its own sellers, but no lending product for platforms was found. |
| Consumer appsBuild for individuals, not just businesses, the way Bridge allows. | ||
| End users can be individuals | PartlyYou can pay individuals’ PayPal and Venmo accounts, but not build wallets or accounts for your own users. | Not confirmedNot found in public materials. |
| Consumer wallets or accounts | NoConsumers use PayPal’s own wallet. | Not confirmedNot found in public materials. |
| Consumer cards | NoNot offered to platforms. | Not confirmedNot found in public materials. |
| StablecoinsDollar-backed tokens as a payment and treasury rail. | ||
| Accept stablecoins | PartlyPay with Crypto lets US merchants accept crypto, settled in dollars. | Not confirmedNot found in public materials. |
| Hold stablecoin balances | PartlyUS accounts can hold PayPal USD (PYUSD). | Not confirmedNot found in public materials. |
| Pay out in stablecoins | Not confirmedNot confirmed for platform payouts. | Not confirmedNot found in public materials. |
| Issue your own stablecoin | NoPYUSD is PayPal’s own coin; you cannot issue one. | Not confirmedNot found in public materials. |
| Regulatory risk in United States | Low risk | No stablecoin products |
| AI agentsBuild with AI tools, and let AI agents shop and pay. | ||
| Official MCP server | YesAgent tooling for its APIs, and backing WebMCP so agents can use merchants’ existing storefronts. | YesOfficial remote MCP server. Tools cover searching the docs, managing applications (OAuth only), configuring webhooks, creating test users and measuring integration quality. It is integration tooling, not payment execution. |
| Checkout for AI agents | YesAdopted the Agentic Commerce Protocol for Instant Checkout in ChatGPT, rolling out in 2026, so PayPal merchants can sell in ChatGPT without their own integration. | PartlyCommerce Agents Checkout (open-source Python library, beta 0.1.0; post dated 24 Sep 2026) hands an AI agent's flow off to Checkout Pro without giving the model control of prices, credentials or payment creation. The buyer still pays in Checkout Pro; it is not an ACP/AP2 implementation. |
| Cards for AI agents | Not confirmedNot found in public materials. | Not confirmedNot found in public materials. |
| Working with themHow easy it is to get started. | ||
| Self-serve signup | YesSign up online. | Not confirmedNot researched yet. |
| Published pricing | YesMerchant fees are published by country. | Not confirmedNot researched yet. |
| Public API and sandbox | YesPublic REST API and sandbox. | Not confirmedNot researched yet. |
| Coming soonAnnounced but not launched. These are plans, not products you can sign up for today: timing often slips, and some never ship. | ||
| Announced, not yet live | Awaiting approvalPayPal Bank in the USNo date given · Includes United States Details and sources → | Nothing announced |
| In short | ||
| Countries onboarded | 91 of 170 | 7 of 170 |
| Designed for | Selling to customers who already pay with PayPal, including cross-border buyers. | Sellers in one of its seven Latin American countries who sell to local customers and want Pix, OXXO, cash vouchers, card-free installments and Mercado Pago wallet payments. |
| Limitations | PayPal’s terms allow it to hold payments or set reserves, for example on new accounts or after a sudden rise in sales. | Each account works in one country and currency. Businesses outside the seven countries cannot sign up themselves; Cross Border (USD withdrawal abroad) has to be set up by Mercado Pago's team. |
Common questions
Is PayPal or Mercado Pago available in more countries?
PayPal. Of the 170 countries we track, PayPal onboards businesses in 91 (and 2 more with limits) and Mercado Pago in 7. Both serve businesses in 7. Only PayPal: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Spain, Portugal and 74 more.
What do PayPal and Mercado Pago offer?
Accept payments: PayPal yes, Mercado Pago yes. Pay people abroad: PayPal yes, Mercado Pago no. Multi-currency account: PayPal yes, Mercado Pago yes. Business cards: PayPal yes, Mercado Pago yes. Stablecoins: PayPal yes, Mercado Pago no. Yield on idle cash: PayPal yes, Mercado Pago no.
How do PayPal and Mercado Pago differ for platforms and embedded finance?
Sub-accounts for your users: PayPal yes, Mercado Pago partly. Embeddable UI: PayPal partly, Mercado Pago yes. Pay out to your users: PayPal yes, Mercado Pago not confirmed. Accounts that hold money: PayPal no, Mercado Pago not confirmed. Cards for your users: PayPal no, Mercado Pago not confirmed. Financing for your users: PayPal no, Mercado Pago not confirmed. End users can be individuals: PayPal partly, Mercado Pago not confirmed. Consumer wallets or accounts: PayPal no, Mercado Pago not confirmed. Consumer cards: PayPal no, Mercado Pago not confirmed. Accept stablecoins: PayPal partly, Mercado Pago not confirmed. Hold stablecoin balances: PayPal partly, Mercado Pago not confirmed. Issue your own stablecoin: PayPal no, Mercado Pago not confirmed. Checkout for AI agents: PayPal yes, Mercado Pago partly.
Who is PayPal designed for?
Selling to customers who already pay with PayPal, including cross-border buyers. Limitations: PayPal’s terms allow it to hold payments or set reserves, for example on new accounts or after a sudden rise in sales.
Who is Mercado Pago designed for?
Sellers in one of its seven Latin American countries who sell to local customers and want Pix, OXXO, cash vouchers, card-free installments and Mercado Pago wallet payments. Limitations: Each account works in one country and currency. Businesses outside the seven countries cannot sign up themselves; Cross Border (USD withdrawal abroad) has to be set up by Mercado Pago's team.
Related comparisons