Latin America is entering a new phase of digital commerce. Not the explosive, pandemic-driven spike, but a more stable, scalable growth cycle fueled by mobile adoption, diversified payment methods and the rise of digital services across the region. According to PCMI, the region is on track to reach USD 1 trillion in e-commerce volume by 2027, with 25% YoY growth in 2024.¹
But the real opportunity isn’t just the volume—it’s how consumers pay.
And for global merchants, especially those operating through leading e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce or Wix, this shift matters even more. In LATAM, the storefront is rarely the challenge. The checkout is.
How this impacts merchants using leading e-commerce platforms
Leading e-commerce platforms such as Shopify or WooCommerce give merchants a solid global foundation, but their native payment options don’t reflect how consumers actually pay in LATAM. This gap often results in lower reach, weaker approval rates and friction in mobile purchases, even when the store itself is well built.
Through our integration ecosystem, merchants operating on these platforms can enable the local payment methods that matter across multiple LATAM markets, without modifying their storefront or adding engineering complexity. This allows them to match regional consumer behavior while keeping their existing global setup intact.
This unlocks:
- Access to millions of consumers who pay through APMs, bank transfers, or local wallets
- Higher conversion in mobile-first journeys
- Faster go-to-market across several countries
- More consistent settlement and reporting
- Reduced dependency on card rails in high-friction markets
In short: merchants don’t need a new storefront to succeed in LATAM, they just need to offer the payment methods people actually use. Bamboo connects those local payment behaviors into the platforms merchants already rely on.
LATAM: A digital market ready for scale
The region’s fundamentals show a clear trajectory:
- 74% of all e-commerce in LATAM happens on mobile
- 77% of adults shop online, and 82% hold a financial account
- Account-to-account payments (Pix, PSE, SPEI) are growing 2× faster than cards
- Cross-border e-commerce will reach USD 100B in 2024, growing faster than domestic retail
A region with high demand, mature digital adoption, and rapidly evolving payment preferences.
Chart 1 – LATAM e-commerce growth trajectory (2019–2027). ¹Source: PCMI.
Payment methods are redefining conversion
The biggest transformation in LATAM isn’t growth—it’s how people pay.
- Pix in Brazil is approaching credit-card volume
- Bank transfers are growing 50%+ YoY in Mexico, Paraguay, Guatemala and Uruguay
- Digital wallets increasingly act as pass-throughs for A2A
- Cards remain relevant, but their dominance continues to decline
For merchants, this means relying only on cards won’t reach everyone and limits approval rates and revenue.
Chart 2 – By 2027, alternative payment methods will surpass 51% of total volume. Source: PCMI.
Where the opportunity is strongest
Verticals that benefit most from frictionless local payments include:
- Retail: nearly half of e-commerce spending, supported by strong marketplace adoption
- Gaming: rapidly growing and highly sensitive to payment friction
- SaaS: driven by SME digitization and remote work
- Streaming & digital services: recurring payments demand reliable local rails
Across all segments, offering low-friction, instant local payment methods consistently lifts performance.
Quick LATAM market snapshot
Statista projects steady, predictable expansion:
- USD 130.9B in e-commerce revenue expected for 2025
- CAGR of 5.49% from 2025 to 2030, reaching USD 171B
- 419.8M users projected by 2030
- User penetration rising from 65.3% (2025) to 67.5% (2030)
- ARPU expected to reach USD 361.62
The region is becoming more stable, more digital, and more payment-diverse every year.
Why merchants choose Bamboo
At Bamboo, what sets us apart isn’t just our coverage or our tech, it’s how we work.
We build partnerships rooted in trust, transparency and flexibility. We adapt quickly to what each business needs and manage the entire process end-to-end so merchants don’t have to worry about operational details. Our team brings decades of payments experience, but what truly makes the difference is how we apply it: solving problems with agility, empathy and care.
If you’re exploring LATAM and want to enable local payments in your Shopify or WooCommerce store (or any setup you already use) we’re here to help.
