Comparison · Updated September 29, 2026
Clip vs Mercado Pago for Mexican businesses
Clip
B
Clip is a Mexico City payments company founded in 2012 by Adolfo Babatz, still its chief executive, which processed its first transaction in 2013 and now serves what it calls hundreds of thousands of Mexican businesses with card readers, countertop terminals, Tap to Pay on Android and iPhone, payment links, an online checkout and a free business account. It is independent and privately held: it became a unicorn in June 2021 on a US$250 million round led by the SoftBank Latin America Fund and Viking Global, at a valuation Clip put at nearly US$2 billion; raised US$100 million from funds managed by Morgan Stanley Tactical Value and a West Coast mutual fund manager in June 2024; and in June 2026 was reported by Bloomberg Línea to have secured US$500 million from unnamed investors at a valuation above US$2.5 billion, in a round still subject to regulatory approval, as it launched a consumer wallet, Mi Clip, built with Ant International, Mastercard and TelevisaUnivision. The model is an aggregator's: the merchant signs Clip's own online terms, with the service provided either by PayClip, S. de R.L. de C.V. as aggregator or by Payclip Servicios de Adquirencia, S.A. de C.V. as acquirer, at Clip's discretion. As of September 2026 the standard commission is 3.6% + IVA per transaction, and a loyalty program cuts it to between 2.99% + MX$1 + IVA and 2.49% + IVA for merchants selling at least MX$10,000 a month by card, with Amex and international cards at 3.50%. There is no monthly fee and no fixed term, readers sell for as little as MX$129 on promotion, and card-present sales land instantly in a Clip Cuenta or within 24 hours in a bank account. The costs sit elsewhere: steep meses-sin-intereses surcharges, and terms that let Clip hold funds, suspend service or end the relationship without notice.
Mercado Pago
B
Mercado Pago is the payments and fintech arm of Mercado Libre, the Latin American e-commerce group incorporated in Delaware in October 1999 and headquartered in Montevideo, Uruguay. It launched in Argentina in November 2003 and in Brazil and Mexico in January 2004, initially to let marketplace buyers and sellers pay each other safely, and is now one of the region's largest fintechs: in the second quarter of 2026 Mercado Libre reported 88 million monthly active Mercado Pago users, US$101 billion in total payment volume, a credit portfolio above US$16 billion and 1.4 million active card devices in Mexico alone. It is a division of a Nasdaq-listed company, not a separately funded startup. In Mexico the merchant contracts with MP Agregador, S. de R.L. de C.V., a payment aggregator supervised by the CNBV and Banco de México, and sales land in a Mercado Pago Wallet account run by a separate electronic payment funds institution. As of September 2026 Point card readers and Tap to Pay on Android and iPhone cost 3.50% + IVA per debit or credit sale with the money available instantly, and the Point terminals page advertises lower rates by monthly card volume — 3.20% + IVA from MX$10,000 and 2.99% + IVA above MX$100,000 — readers sell from MX$89 on promotion, QR payments run from 0.99% to 2.99%, and payment links and online checkout cost 3.49% + MX$4 for instant access, falling to 2.95% + MX$4 if the merchant waits 30 days. There is no monthly fee or fixed term. The weak points are in the terms: Mercado Pago may hold funds indefinitely on suspicion of fraud, debit chargebacks from future sales, and change the terms on ten days' notice.
VS
Overview
Clip and Mercado Pago are the two terminal brands most Mexican small businesses choose between, and both charge only per sale, with no rent, monthly fee or minimum. All figures here are Mexican (MXN), and every rate is quoted before IVA, which is charged at 16% on the commission, not on the sale. Mercado Pago charges a flat 3.50% + IVA on its Point terminals, on credit, debit and vales, with the money available instantly. Clip's standard rate is 3.6% + IVA, but new merchants start in its Socio Clip loyalty programme at 2.99% + MX$1 + IVA, falling to 2.59% + MX$1 at MX$100,000 a month. That makes Clip cheaper on sales above about MX$196 for any merchant selling at least MX$10,000 a month on cards, and on meses sin intereses and payment links. Mercado Pago is cheaper on very small tickets and for merchants below MX$10,000 a month, its terminals cost less up front, and it says it will not hold the money from a Point sale while a chargeback is investigated. Both are graded B on Payment Review.
Key Takeaways
- ✓Clip is cheaper in person once you sell MX$10,000 a month: new merchants start at 2.99% + MX$1 + IVA, against Mercado Pago's flat 3.50% + IVA. The MX$1 fixed fee makes Mercado Pago cheaper on sales under about MX$196.
- ✓Mercado Pago is cheaper for low-volume sellers: if Clip card sales stay under MX$10,000 for two months in a row, Clip reverts to its 3.6% + IVA standard rate.
- ✓Clip is cheaper on meses sin intereses and payment links: its MSI surcharges run 0.12 points below Mercado Pago's at every term, on a lower base rate, which outweighs its MX$1 fee on any MSI sale Clip allows (above MX$300), and its payment link costs 2.99% + MX$1 + IVA against 3.49% + MX$4 + IVA for instant release.
- ✓Mercado Pago's terminals cost less up front on September 2026 promotions (Point Mini MX$89 vs Clip Plus 2 MX$129; Point Smart 2 MX$399 vs Clip Total 3 MX$499), and it refunds the price once you process a set amount.
- ✓Mercado Pago handles Point chargebacks without holding the sale's money, subject to its seller protection terms; Clip's terms let it hold a disputed amount while the dispute is investigated, which can take up to 180 days on domestic cards and 300 on international ones.
Clip
Clip suits Mexican shops and service businesses selling MX$10,000 a month or more on cards, with average tickets above about MX$200, that offer meses sin intereses or send payment links, and want a lower rate as volume grows.
Mercado Pago
Mercado Pago suits small or occasional sellers under MX$10,000 a month, businesses with very small tickets, and anyone who wants the cheapest terminal up front, instant availability on every Point sale, and one account that also sells through Mercado Libre.
The Verdict
It Depends on Your Needs
Why?
Both are graded B, and which is cheaper depends on how much you sell and how big your tickets are. For a merchant selling MX$10,000 or more a month on cards with tickets above about MX$200, Clip costs less: 2.99% + MX$1 + IVA from the start, falling to 2.59% + MX$1 at MX$100,000 a month, against Mercado Pago's flat 3.50% + IVA. Clip also has the lower meses sin intereses surcharges and the cheaper payment link. Mercado Pago wins for small sellers, since Clip reverts to 3.6% + IVA under MX$10,000 a month, and on very small tickets, where Clip's MX$1 fixed fee bites. Its terminals are cheaper up front, every Point sale is available instantly, and it does not hold a Point sale's money while a chargeback is investigated.
Feature by feature
Detailed Comparison
Filter Options
In-person card rates (Mexico, MXN, before 16% IVA on the commission, September 2026)
| Feature | Clip | Mercado Pago |
|---|---|---|
| Rate for a new merchant on the standard terminal | 2.99% + MX$1 + IVA (Socio Clip Bronce) | 3.50% + IVA (Point, all cards) |
| Clip says new users join its Socio Clip programme automatically at the Bronce level; existing Clip customers are not migrated automatically and must opt in. Mercado Pago's rate is the same on credit, debit and vales, with the money available instantly. Clip is cheaper on any sale above about MX$196, Mercado Pago below it: on a MX$100 sale Clip charges MX$3.99 and Mercado Pago MX$3.50; on MX$500, MX$15.95 and MX$17.50, all before IVA. No winner, because the answer turns on your average ticket. Clip charges 3.50% on Amex, international cards, vales and Cap at every Socio Clip level. | ||
| Rate if monthly card sales stay under MX$10,000 | 3.6% + IVA (Clip standard rate) | 3.50% + IVA Winner |
| Clip's Socio Clip page says a merchant whose monthly sales fall below MX$10,000 returns to Clip's standard rate of 3.6% (that page does not add "+ IVA"; Clip's own blog gives the standard rate as 3.6% + IVA, and every other Clip rate is quoted before IVA). A merchant only drops after two full consecutive months below the level's minimum, and one level at a time. | ||
| Rate at higher monthly volume | 2.79% + MX$1 (MX$30,000+); 2.59% + MX$1 (MX$100,000+); 2.49% (MX$700,000+), all + IVA Winner | 3.50% + IVA; no published volume discount |
| Clip recalculates the Socio Clip level on the first day of each month from the previous month's sales; the Diamante rate carries no MX$1 fixed fee. Because of the MX$1 fee, Clip's Plata rate beats 3.50% on sales above about MX$141 and Oro above about MX$110. Mercado Pago's Point page, Point cost help article and its July 2026 commissions guide all give a single 3.50% rate and publish no volume tiers; the guide itself tells merchants to check whether differentiated rates by volume exist, and third-party guides report lower rates offered to some accounts. Even against the 3.20% and 2.99% volume rates some sources attribute to Mercado Pago, Clip's Plata and Oro rates are cheaper on sales above about MX$250. Clip also invites high-volume businesses to ask sales for a lower negotiated rate. | ||
| Does the rate depend on how fast you take the money? | No: same rate, 24 hours to a bank or immediate to Clip's account | Not in person: 3.50% is the instant-release rate; online, yes |
| Mercado Pago's Point cost article lists one option: 3.50%, available instantly. Its online rates (payment link and Checkout) fall from 3.49% instant to 2.95% if you wait 30 days. Clip charges the same rate whichever way you are paid. | ||
| Meses sin intereses surcharge (added to the base rate, + IVA) | 3 MSI 4.57%; 6 7.57%; 9 11.07%; 12 12.77%; 18 19.27%; 24 27.17% Winner | 3 MSI 4.69%; 6 7.69%; 9 11.19%; 12 12.89%; 18 19.39%; 24 27.29% |
| Both add the surcharge to the base rate and charge IVA on the total, and both pay the full sale (less fees) in one deposit. Clip's surcharges are 0.12 points lower at every term and sit on a lower base: at 12 months, 2.99% + MX$1 + 12.77% against 3.50% + 12.89%, so Clip is cheaper on any MSI sale above about MX$159, and Clip only offers MSI on sales above MX$300. Clip's figures come from the MSI calculator on clip.mx (shown when you run it, with the MX$1 fixed fee applied on MSI sales too), not from a published table; Mercado Pago's are printed on its Point page. Clip offers MSI with more than 19 banks and partners. | ||
Rate for a new merchant on the standard terminal
Clip
2.99% + MX$1 + IVA (Socio Clip Bronce)
Mercado Pago
3.50% + IVA (Point, all cards)
Clip says new users join its Socio Clip programme automatically at the Bronce level; existing Clip customers are not migrated automatically and must opt in. Mercado Pago's rate is the same on credit, debit and vales, with the money available instantly. Clip is cheaper on any sale above about MX$196, Mercado Pago below it: on a MX$100 sale Clip charges MX$3.99 and Mercado Pago MX$3.50; on MX$500, MX$15.95 and MX$17.50, all before IVA. No winner, because the answer turns on your average ticket. Clip charges 3.50% on Amex, international cards, vales and Cap at every Socio Clip level.
Rate if monthly card sales stay under MX$10,000
Clip
3.6% + IVA (Clip standard rate)
Mercado Pago
3.50% + IVA
Winner
Clip's Socio Clip page says a merchant whose monthly sales fall below MX$10,000 returns to Clip's standard rate of 3.6% (that page does not add "+ IVA"; Clip's own blog gives the standard rate as 3.6% + IVA, and every other Clip rate is quoted before IVA). A merchant only drops after two full consecutive months below the level's minimum, and one level at a time.
Rate at higher monthly volume
Clip
2.79% + MX$1 (MX$30,000+); 2.59% + MX$1 (MX$100,000+); 2.49% (MX$700,000+), all + IVA
Winner
Mercado Pago
3.50% + IVA; no published volume discount
Clip recalculates the Socio Clip level on the first day of each month from the previous month's sales; the Diamante rate carries no MX$1 fixed fee. Because of the MX$1 fee, Clip's Plata rate beats 3.50% on sales above about MX$141 and Oro above about MX$110. Mercado Pago's Point page, Point cost help article and its July 2026 commissions guide all give a single 3.50% rate and publish no volume tiers; the guide itself tells merchants to check whether differentiated rates by volume exist, and third-party guides report lower rates offered to some accounts. Even against the 3.20% and 2.99% volume rates some sources attribute to Mercado Pago, Clip's Plata and Oro rates are cheaper on sales above about MX$250. Clip also invites high-volume businesses to ask sales for a lower negotiated rate.
Does the rate depend on how fast you take the money?
Clip
No: same rate, 24 hours to a bank or immediate to Clip's account
Mercado Pago
Not in person: 3.50% is the instant-release rate; online, yes
Mercado Pago's Point cost article lists one option: 3.50%, available instantly. Its online rates (payment link and Checkout) fall from 3.49% instant to 2.95% if you wait 30 days. Clip charges the same rate whichever way you are paid.
Meses sin intereses surcharge (added to the base rate, + IVA)
Clip
3 MSI 4.57%; 6 7.57%; 9 11.07%; 12 12.77%; 18 19.27%; 24 27.17%
Winner
Mercado Pago
3 MSI 4.69%; 6 7.69%; 9 11.19%; 12 12.89%; 18 19.39%; 24 27.29%
Both add the surcharge to the base rate and charge IVA on the total, and both pay the full sale (less fees) in one deposit. Clip's surcharges are 0.12 points lower at every term and sit on a lower base: at 12 months, 2.99% + MX$1 + 12.77% against 3.50% + 12.89%, so Clip is cheaper on any MSI sale above about MX$159, and Clip only offers MSI on sales above MX$300. Clip's figures come from the MSI calculator on clip.mx (shown when you run it, with the MX$1 fixed fee applied on MSI sales too), not from a published table; Mercado Pago's are printed on its Point page. Clip offers MSI with more than 19 banks and partners.
Best For Your Business
Recommendations based on your business type
Shop or restaurant selling MX$30,000+ a month on cards
Recommended
Clip
Clip's Socio Clip Plata rate is 2.79% + MX$1 + IVA and Oro (MX$100,000+) is 2.59% + MX$1 + IVA, against Mercado Pago's flat 3.50% + IVA. On a MX$300 average ticket at Plata, that is MX$9.37 against MX$10.50 per sale before IVA.
Market stall, food cart or side business under MX$10,000 a month
Recommended
Mercado Pago
Clip reverts to its 3.6% + IVA standard rate below MX$10,000 a month, above Mercado Pago's 3.50% + IVA. Mercado Pago's Point Mini costs MX$89 on its current promotion and its price is refunded after MX$1,000 in sales.
Store selling big-ticket items on meses sin intereses
Recommended
Clip
Clip's MSI surcharges are 0.12 points lower at every term and sit on a lower base rate. At 12 months the total is 2.99% + MX$1 + 12.77% on Clip against 3.50% + 12.89% on Mercado Pago, both + IVA, so Clip is cheaper on every MSI sale it accepts (above MX$300).
Seller taking orders over WhatsApp or social media
Recommended
Clip
Clip's payment link costs 2.99% + MX$1 + IVA. Mercado Pago's costs 3.49% + MX$4 + IVA for instant release, and only drops to 2.95% + MX$4 if you wait 30 days for the money.
Business already selling on Mercado Libre
Recommended
Mercado Pago
A Point terminal pays into the same Mercado Pago account as your marketplace sales, available instantly, and Mercado Pago handles Point chargebacks without holding the sale's money.
Clip: Best for 3 use cases
Mercado Pago: Best for 2 use cases
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this comparison
It depends on your volume and ticket size. Mercado Pago charges 3.50% + IVA on Point terminals. Clip's standard rate is 3.6% + IVA, but new merchants start in its Socio Clip programme at 2.99% + MX$1 + IVA, and keep it while they sell at least MX$10,000 a month on cards. On that rate Clip is cheaper on sales above about MX$196 and Mercado Pago on smaller ones. Clip's rate falls further as volume grows; Mercado Pago publishes no volume discount.
Those are each company's standard rate, both before IVA, but they are not what most Clip merchants pay. Mercado Pago's Point rate is 3.50% + IVA. Clip's 3.6% + IVA applies only once a merchant's monthly card sales fall below MX$10,000 for two consecutive months; new merchants start at 2.99% + MX$1 + IVA.
Both add a surcharge to the base rate, plus IVA on the total; Clip's MX$1 fixed fee also applies. Clip's surcharges are 4.57% (3 months), 7.57% (6), 11.07% (9), 12.77% (12), 19.27% (18) and 27.17% (24). Clip's figures come from its online MSI calculator rather than a published table. Mercado Pago's are 4.69%, 7.69%, 11.19%, 12.89%, 19.39% and 27.29%. Both pay you the full sale, less fees, in one deposit rather than monthly.
No. Neither charges rent, a monthly fee or a minimum. You buy the terminal once and pay a commission per sale. Clip also requires no RFC or contract to start.
Mercado Pago makes Point sales available instantly in your Mercado Pago account at its standard 3.50% rate. Clip deposits within 24 hours to your bank, or immediately (about four minutes) if you use its Clip digital account, at the same rate either way. Online, Mercado Pago's rate depends on release timing: 3.49% + MX$4 instant, down to 2.95% + MX$4 if you wait 30 days.
Mercado Pago says it manages chargebacks on Point sales and will not hold the sale's money, as long as the sale meets its seller protection programme terms. Clip's terms let it hold the disputed amount while the dispute is investigated, for up to 180 days on domestic cards and up to 300 days on international cards, and use it to cover the chargeback if the merchant loses.
Yes. Both run their accounts through an electronic payment funds institution (IFPE) authorised under Mexico's fintech law: Clip AI, S.A. de C.V. and MercadoLibre, S.A. de C.V. both appear on the CNBV's list of authorised IFPEs. Card acceptance is contracted through PayClip entities for Clip and MP Agregador, S. de R.L. de C.V. for Mercado Pago.