ACI & dLocal expand local payments in Brazil, Mexico

ACI Worldwide and dLocal have partnered to offer local payment methods in Brazil and Mexico through the ACI Payments Orchestration Platform, expanding ACI's access to payment options widely used by consumers in two of Latin America's biggest digital commerce markets.

Merchants using the platform will be able to process transactions through local methods including Pix, PicPay, Mercado Pago and NuPay in Brazil, and Mercado Pago, OXXO and SPEI in Mexico. Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru are set to be added later.

The deal highlights the importance of non-card payments across Latin America, where online payment preferences vary sharply by country. Alternative payment methods such as e-wallets, instant payment schemes and real-time bank transfers account for about half of online transactions across the region, according to data cited by the companies.

That variation has made local payment acceptance a key issue for international merchants entering the region. Latin America has more than 638 million consumers, internet penetration above 75% and smartphone adoption above 80%, but a card-only approach can limit checkout conversion in several markets.

Brazil shows the scale of the shift. The country's Pix instant payments system now has more than 170 million users, while account-to-account transfers also play a major role in online commerce elsewhere in the region, including Colombia.

For merchants, the partnership is intended to reduce the number of separate integrations needed to reach local payment systems. ACI said its merchant and fintech clients will be able to use a single integration to add the new methods while retaining control over transaction routing and payment strategy.

dLocal is providing the local payment connections and market coverage, while ACI supplies the orchestration layer through its platform. The platform also includes fraud prevention tools and transaction data features designed to help merchants manage payment flows across multiple providers and markets.

Regional push

The move comes as global payment groups seek a stronger foothold in Latin America's fragmented payments market. The region has attracted growing attention from international merchants and fintech groups as digital commerce expands, but local market conditions often require country-by-country payment setups.

In Mexico, cash-based and bank-linked methods remain relevant in eCommerce, particularly for shoppers who do not rely on international card networks. In Brazil, instant payments have quickly become a mainstream option for online purchases as well as person-to-person transfers.

By bringing those methods into one platform, ACI and dLocal aim to simplify market entry for merchants seeking broader payment coverage without building direct links to each local provider. The model is aimed at global merchants as well as fintech partners using ACI's infrastructure.

ACI also pointed to research showing the commercial value of diversified payment acceptance. It said 96% of merchants using multiple acquirers report higher revenue, while nearly two-thirds identify payment flexibility as a key driver of growth.

Vlademir Santos, Head of Sales Brazil at ACI Worldwide, said the agreement was intended to help merchants manage growing complexity in the region. "As merchants expand into high-growth regions like Latin America, the challenge is no longer simply accepting payments, it's managing growing complexity while maintaining performance, flexibility and control," Santos said.

"Through our partnership with dLocal, merchants can access the payment methods consumers trust in each market while continuing to orchestrate payments on their own terms. That means better customer experiences, stronger conversion rates and a payments strategy that can scale with their business," he said.

Horacio Raviolo, Head of Commercial Partnerships at dLocal, said local knowledge remained central to payment acceptance in the region. "Payments are the front door to Latin America's digital economy, and getting them right requires genuine local expertise, not just connectivity," Raviolo said.

"By combining our deep local payments coverage and regional knowledge with ACI's world-class orchestration infrastructure, we give merchants the best of both: the reach to win locally and the control to scale globally," he said.