Comparison · Updated October 13, 2026
PagBank vs Mercado Pago for Brazilian businesses
PagBank
B
PagBank, known until May 2023 as PagSeguro, is a Brazilian card acquirer, card-machine (maquininha) seller and digital bank based in São Paulo. It began in 2006 as an online payments service of the internet group UOL, which still controls it, and its holding company, PagSeguro Digital Ltd., has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since January 2018. As of June 2026 it reported 6.2 million active merchants and R$133.4 billion of payment volume in the quarter. PagBank is the licensed acquirer itself: its payment institution signs up each merchant directly, so there is no reseller or processor in between. Merchants buy a terminal outright, from about R$17 to R$196 as listed in October 2026, with no rent and no monthly fee, and pay a percentage per sale that depends on when they want the money. For Visa and Mastercard credit sales on a machine, PagBank's rate page lists 4.99% for same-day payout, 3.99% at 14 days and 3.19% at 30 days, with debit at 1.99%. Separate promotional plans and the online products carry their own, different prices, so the rate you actually get depends on which plan you join. The contract has no fixed term and either side can end it at any time, but it lets PagBank set reserves, hold balances and block accounts on its own risk assessment, and blocked accounts and withheld balances recur in recent Reclame Aqui complaints and in the consumer cases its annual report describes. PagBank holds Reclame Aqui's top RA1000 reputation, with 90.5% of complaints resolved over April to September 2026.
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
This is a Brazil comparison: both companies are licensed acquirers that sell card machines (maquininhas) outright and run online checkouts, and every figure below comes from their Brazilian sites as published in October 2026. Rates in Brazil depend on when you take the money, so each row compares the same payout option and, where rates depend on sales volume, the same monthly band. At the entry level the two are almost level on Visa and Mastercard: single-payment credit with same-day payout costs 4.99% at PagBank and 4.98% at Mercado Pago, and debit costs 1.99% at both on their rate pages, though PagBank's Essencial plan page lists 2.39% debit. Mercado Pago charges the same rate on every card brand, where PagBank charges Elo and other brands more for same-day payout (6.17% on credit). Mercado Pago publishes machine rates that fall with monthly sales, to 1.25% debit and 3.08% credit above R$50,000; PagBank publishes nothing for sellers above R$5,000 a month, so costs at higher volumes cannot be compared from public pages. Online, Mercado Pago is cheaper on checkout card payments and on Pix (0.99% against 1.89%). PagBank is cheaper on payment links after its promotion (4.20% against 4.98% for credit), sells the cheaper phone-paired card reader (both are discounted cash prices), gives a five-year machine warranty against three, and has the much stronger Reclame Aqui record: RA1000 and 8.7 out of 10, against Mercado Pago's Good rating and 7.9. Neither charges rent, a monthly fee or a cancellation fee. Payment Review grades both B. The site's Mercado Pago review is written mainly for Mexico; this page uses Mercado Pago Brasil's own prices.
Key Takeaways
- ✓It depends on how you sell. Mercado Pago is cheaper for online checkout and Pix and publishes lower machine rates as volume rises; PagBank is cheaper for payment links and the smallest card reader, and has the better complaint record.
- ✓Entry-level machine rates are nearly identical for Visa and Mastercard with same-day payout: 4.99% (PagBank) against 4.98% (Mercado Pago) for single-payment credit, and 1.99% debit at both on their rate pages (PagBank's Essencial plan lists 2.39%). Mercado Pago charges every brand the same; PagBank charges Elo 2.98% debit and 6.17% credit for same-day payout.
- ✓Online, Mercado Pago's checkout charges 4.49% at 14 days and 3.98% at 30 days with no fixed fee, against PagBank's 4.99% + R$0.40 and 3.99% + R$0.40, and Pix costs 0.99% against 1.89%.
- ✓Both sell machines outright with no rent or monthly fee and have no fixed contract term. PagBank's machines carry a five-year warranty; Mercado Pago's carry three years.
- ✓On Reclame Aqui for April to September 2026, PagBank holds RA1000 with 91.1% of complaints resolved and a 5-day average response; Mercado Pago is rated Good with 78.5% resolved and an 11-day average response.
PagBank
Choose PagBank if you are a small Brazilian business that sells through payment links on WhatsApp or social media, wants the cheapest card reader to start with and a longer machine warranty, or puts weight on how complaints get resolved. Check Elo pricing if you take many Elo cards with same-day payout.
Mercado Pago
Choose Mercado Pago if you sell online through a checkout, take a lot of Pix, accept many Elo or other non-Visa/Mastercard cards, or sell enough on the machine each month to move into its lower published volume tiers (PagBank's rates above R$5,000 a month are quote-only, so get a quote from both). Check the rate shown in your account, because Mercado Pago's own pages disagree on its 14- and 30-day machine rates.
The Verdict
It Depends on Your Needs
Why?
Neither wins across the board, and Payment Review grades both B. Mercado Pago is the better pick for online checkout sales, Pix, merchants who take many Elo cards, and card-machine sellers who want published volume pricing: its rates fall to 1.25% debit and 3.08% credit above R$50,000 a month, while PagBank's plans above R$5,000 a month are quote-only. PagBank is the better pick for payment-link sellers, for the cheaper way to start with a card reader, for a five-year machine warranty, and for anyone who weighs complaint handling: its Reclame Aqui record (RA1000, 91.1% resolved, about five days to respond) is clearly stronger than Mercado Pago's (Good, 78.5% resolved, about eleven days). For a small seller on Visa and Mastercard with same-day payout, the two cost almost exactly the same.
Feature by feature
Detailed Comparison
Filter Options
Card machine rates, entry level (Brazil, October 2026)
| Feature | PagBank | Mercado Pago |
|---|---|---|
| Debit, same-day payout | 1.99% Visa/Mastercard; 2.98% Elo | 1.99% (all brands) |
| PagBank's rate page lists same-day debit at 1.99% for Visa and Mastercard and 2.98% for Elo and other brands, both described as valid for one year; its Essencial plan lists 2.39% after the promotion. Mercado Pago's help center lists debit at 1.99% paid same day, and its Point page shows 1.99% for sales up to R$3,000 a month and says rates are the same for every card brand. | ||
| Single-payment credit, same-day payout | 4.99% Visa/Mastercard; 6.17% Elo | 4.98% (all brands) |
| Level on Visa and Mastercard, but PagBank charges Elo and other brands 6.17% for same-day payout. Mercado Pago's figure is the help-center rate and the Point page's tier for sales up to R$3,000 a month. PagBank's rate page does not tie its figure to a sales band, and its Super Max plan (over R$2,000 a month) lists 3.49% credit without a payout timing, so we name no winner on the overall row. On R$1,000 of Visa credit, a merchant receives R$950.10 at PagBank and R$950.20 at Mercado Pago. | ||
| Single-payment credit, 14-day payout | 3.99% | 3.79% |
| PagBank's rate page, all brands. Mercado Pago's figure is from its help center (Quanto custa receber pagamentos com a Point?), but a Mercado Pago blog post dated 28 September 2026 gives 4.49% at 14 days. Because Mercado Pago's own pages disagree, we name no winner; check the rate in your account settings. | ||
| Single-payment credit, 30-day payout | 3.19% | 3.03% |
| PagBank's rate page, all brands. Mercado Pago's help center gives 3.03%; its 28 September 2026 blog post gives 3.99%. No winner while Mercado Pago's own figures conflict. | ||
| Credit in 12 installments, entry plan (seller absorbs) | 22.59% (Essencial plan) | 22.59% (up to R$3,000/month) |
| PagBank's Essencial plan has no sales minimum; Mercado Pago's lowest tier covers sales up to R$3,000 a month. Both also list 15.27% for 6 installments. Neither page states a payout timing for these installment rates. | ||
| Pix by QR code on the machine | 0% for 30 days, then up to 1.89% | 0.49% |
| PagBank's rate page shows Pix at 0% for the first 30 days, and its plans page says a fee of up to 1.89% may then be charged, without giving the exact rate. Mercado Pago's help center and Point page list 0.49%, or 0% during its introductory promotion. No winner because PagBank publishes only a cap. | ||
| Introductory promotion | 0.58% debit and credit (Super Max) or 0% (Essencial) | 0% Pix, 0.74% debit and credit |
| PagBank's Super Max promotion lasts 30 days or until R$5,000 of sales (6.98% for 6 installments, 7.98% for 12); Essencial is 0% on debit, credit and Pix for 30 days or until R$1,500. Mercado Pago's promotion lasts 30 days or until R$5,000 of sales, with 12 installments at 8.99%, and its blog says it applies to new users and to those with no sales in 12 months. | ||
Debit, same-day payout
PagBank
1.99% Visa/Mastercard; 2.98% Elo
Mercado Pago
1.99% (all brands)
PagBank's rate page lists same-day debit at 1.99% for Visa and Mastercard and 2.98% for Elo and other brands, both described as valid for one year; its Essencial plan lists 2.39% after the promotion. Mercado Pago's help center lists debit at 1.99% paid same day, and its Point page shows 1.99% for sales up to R$3,000 a month and says rates are the same for every card brand.
Single-payment credit, same-day payout
PagBank
4.99% Visa/Mastercard; 6.17% Elo
Mercado Pago
4.98% (all brands)
Level on Visa and Mastercard, but PagBank charges Elo and other brands 6.17% for same-day payout. Mercado Pago's figure is the help-center rate and the Point page's tier for sales up to R$3,000 a month. PagBank's rate page does not tie its figure to a sales band, and its Super Max plan (over R$2,000 a month) lists 3.49% credit without a payout timing, so we name no winner on the overall row. On R$1,000 of Visa credit, a merchant receives R$950.10 at PagBank and R$950.20 at Mercado Pago.
Single-payment credit, 14-day payout
PagBank
3.99%
Mercado Pago
3.79%
PagBank's rate page, all brands. Mercado Pago's figure is from its help center (Quanto custa receber pagamentos com a Point?), but a Mercado Pago blog post dated 28 September 2026 gives 4.49% at 14 days. Because Mercado Pago's own pages disagree, we name no winner; check the rate in your account settings.
Single-payment credit, 30-day payout
PagBank
3.19%
Mercado Pago
3.03%
PagBank's rate page, all brands. Mercado Pago's help center gives 3.03%; its 28 September 2026 blog post gives 3.99%. No winner while Mercado Pago's own figures conflict.
Credit in 12 installments, entry plan (seller absorbs)
PagBank
22.59% (Essencial plan)
Mercado Pago
22.59% (up to R$3,000/month)
PagBank's Essencial plan has no sales minimum; Mercado Pago's lowest tier covers sales up to R$3,000 a month. Both also list 15.27% for 6 installments. Neither page states a payout timing for these installment rates.
Pix by QR code on the machine
PagBank
0% for 30 days, then up to 1.89%
Mercado Pago
0.49%
PagBank's rate page shows Pix at 0% for the first 30 days, and its plans page says a fee of up to 1.89% may then be charged, without giving the exact rate. Mercado Pago's help center and Point page list 0.49%, or 0% during its introductory promotion. No winner because PagBank publishes only a cap.
Introductory promotion
PagBank
0.58% debit and credit (Super Max) or 0% (Essencial)
Mercado Pago
0% Pix, 0.74% debit and credit
PagBank's Super Max promotion lasts 30 days or until R$5,000 of sales (6.98% for 6 installments, 7.98% for 12); Essencial is 0% on debit, credit and Pix for 30 days or until R$1,500. Mercado Pago's promotion lasts 30 days or until R$5,000 of sales, with 12 installments at 8.99%, and its blog says it applies to new users and to those with no sales in 12 months.
Best For Your Business
Recommendations based on your business type
Online store selling through a checkout
Recommended
Mercado Pago
Mercado Pago's checkout charges 4.49% at 14 days and 3.98% at 30 days with no fixed fee, against PagBank's 4.99% + R$0.40 and 3.99% + R$0.40, and takes Pix at 0.99% against 1.89%. It also offers same-day payout on checkout at 4.98%.
Seller who takes payments by link on WhatsApp or Instagram
Recommended
PagBank
After its promotion PagBank's payment link charges 4.20% on single-payment credit with same-day payout once the account qualifies, against Mercado Pago's 4.98%, and both charge 0.99% on Pix.
Micro business or street vendor starting out with a card machine
Both. Entry-level same-day rates are almost identical on Visa and Mastercard (4.99% against 4.98% credit; 1.99% debit at both on their rate pages, though PagBank's Essencial plan lists 2.39%) and both run introductory promotions. PagBank's Minizinha NFC 2 costs R$16.68 against R$25.90 for the Point Mini NFC 2 (both discounted cash prices) and carries a longer warranty; Mercado Pago charges every card brand the same rate.
Shop selling over R$5,000 a month on the machine
Both. Get a written quote from both. Mercado Pago publishes tiers that fall to 1.39% debit and 3.29% credit from R$10,000 a month and 1.25% and 3.08% above R$50,000, all below PagBank's Super Max rates of 1.44% and 3.49%. But PagBank offers separate plans for sellers above R$5,000 a month without publishing them, so its real rate at these volumes is not known from its site.
Business that takes many Elo cards and wants same-day payout
Recommended
Mercado Pago
PagBank charges Elo and other brands 2.98% debit and 6.17% single-payment credit for same-day payout, against 1.99% and 4.99% on Visa and Mastercard. Mercado Pago says its machine rates are the same for every card brand.
PagBank: Best for 1 use case
Mercado Pago: Best for 2 use cases
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this comparison
It depends on the channel. On the card machine with same-day payout, entry-level rates are almost the same for Visa and Mastercard: 4.99% at PagBank against 4.98% at Mercado Pago for single-payment credit, and 1.99% debit at both on their rate pages (PagBank's Essencial plan lists 2.39%), as of October 2026. Mercado Pago is cheaper on Elo cards, on online checkout and on Pix, and publishes lower rates as monthly volume rises; PagBank's plans above R$5,000 a month are quote-only. PagBank is cheaper on payment links after its promotion, at 4.20% against 4.98%.
No. Both sell their machines outright, with no rent, monthly fee or sign-up fee. In October 2026 PagBank's machines cost from R$16.68 to R$196.08 and Mercado Pago's from R$25.90 to R$199.90 as discounted cash prices, or in 12 instalments. PagBank gives a five-year warranty and Mercado Pago a three-year one.
Both let you choose same-day payout, 14 days or 30 days, and charge less the longer you wait. PagBank says same-day money reaches the PagBank account within an hour for chip-and-PIN or contactless sales, after a security check. Mercado Pago advertises machine payouts in seconds. Some new sellers on either provider's payment links are paid in 5 to 7 days until same-day payout is unlocked.
For April to September 2026, PagBank holds Reclame Aqui's top RA1000 reputation with a score of 8.7 out of 10, 91.1% of complaints resolved and an average response of five days and eight hours. Mercado Pago is rated Good with 7.9 out of 10, 78.5% resolved and an average response of ten days and 23 hours. Both pages include consumer complaints as well as merchant ones.
No. Prices, products and the contracting company differ by country. In Brazil the merchant contracts with Mercado Pago Instituição de Pagamento Ltda., authorised by the Central Bank of Brazil as an acquirer, and its card-machine rates fall with monthly sales volume. Payment Review's Mercado Pago review is written mainly for Mexico, so Brazilian merchants should use the Brazilian figures on this page.
PagBank, known as PagSeguro until 2023, belongs to PagSeguro Digital Ltd., which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (PAGS) and controlled by the Brazilian internet group UOL. Mercado Pago is the fintech arm of MercadoLibre, Inc., listed on Nasdaq (MELI), and has operated in Brazil since 2004.
Yes. Neither contract has a fixed term or a cancellation fee, and either side can end it at any time without giving a reason. Both providers can hold balances or receivables to cover chargebacks or while they investigate suspected fraud, so withdraw your balance before closing the account.
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