Mercado Pago’s First Employee Paula Arregui, Senior VP of Acquiring, Talks Fintech’s Growth in Latin America and Winning Acquiring on Inside Mercado Libre

Montevideo, Uruguay,, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mercado Libre (NASDAQ: MELI), the leading e-commerce and fintech platform in Latin America, released the sixth episode of its podcast series, Inside Mercado Libre, "Acquiring with Paula Arregui, Fintech Acquiring Senior Vice President.” The Inside Mercado Libre podcast, hosted by Investor Relations Officer, Richard Cathcart, provides investors with unique access to the company executives’ strategic perspectives. 

In the latest episode, Paula Arregui reflects on her 25-year journey at Mercado Libre and Mercado Pago's transformation from an idea into the largest fintech acquirer in Latin America. In 2024 alone, Mercado Pago processed $142 billion in total payment value in Acquiring. She discusses how Mercado Libre's ecosystem is a critical element of the Mercado Pago's competitive advantages in Acquiring. 

She also discusses the critical role Mercado Pago is playing in accelerating financial digitization across the region and shares insights into the massive opportunity ahead in Mexico, where cash still represents 38% of transaction value (TPV).

As Arregui notes, “Mexico presents a huge opportunity to digitize cash. It’s the second largest country in Latin America, with 130 million people and a $1.8 trillion GDP - an enormous volume we can capitalize on. Mercado Libre’s strong brand awareness and rich data allow us to enhance our financial offerings and deliver a stronger value proposition to users.”

Listen to the latest episode "Acquiring with Paula Arregui, Fintech Acquiring Senior Vice President” on . Previous episodes “CFO Perspectives: Reflections on Q4 Results,” “Marcos Galperin on MELI’s Culture,” “Strategy and Growth Opportunities with Leandro Cuccioli”, and “Advertising with Sean Summers” can be accessed .  

About Mercado Libre

Founded in 1999, MercadoLibre, Inc (NASDAQ: MELI) is the leading company in e-commerce and financial technology in Latin America, with operations in 18 countries. It offers a complete ecosystem of solutions for individuals and businesses to buy, sell, advertise, obtain credit and insurance, collect, send money, save, and pay for goods and services both online and offline. Mercado Libre looks to facilitate access to commerce and financial services in Latin America, a market that offers great opportunities and high growth potential. It uses world-class technology to create intuitive solutions tailored to the local culture to transform the lives of millions of people in the region. More information at