Summary: Nuvei’s CNBV-approved launch of a local acquiring operation in Mexico marks a shift toward direct transaction processing infrastructure, intensifying competition in the country’s rapidly expanding e-commerce and digital payments market. The move is strategically timed as Mexico’s online retail sector grows at double-digit rates, with implications for payment performance, fraud management, and customer experience across industries such as tourism, transportation and retail. It also supports cross-border commerce by enabling global and Mexican businesses to access localized payment methods within an increasingly complex regulatory and financial ecosystem.
Canada-based payments processor Nuvei has launched a local acquiring operation in Mexico after securing a license from the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV), aiming to capitalize on the country’s fast-growing e-commerce market and reinforce its role in global digital commerce.
The move positions Nuvei to process transactions directly within Mexico using its own infrastructure, marking a shift from its previous reliance on local partners since entering the market four years ago. Philip Fayer,Founder, President and CEO, Nuvei, said the expansion reflects both long-term investment and strategic prioritization of the country.
“Mexico is a really important addition to that,” Fayer said, noting that the company now offers local acquisition in 52 markets worldwide, including Brazil and Colombia.
The licensing process took approximately three years and required multimillion-dollar investments in infrastructure.
“Having a license demonstrates our commitment, as we invested millions of dollars in infrastructure to develop our product and launch it in Mexico,” Fayer said.
Direct Infrastructure to Enhance Performance
The transition to direct acquiring is expected to significantly improve transaction performance and customer experience, particularly in a market where speed and reliability are becoming competitive differentiators.
Juan Jorge Soto, General Manager for Latin America, Nuvei, said operating with its own license enables the company to deliver higher authorization rates, reduce transaction declines, lower latency and enhance real-time fraud detection.
This operational shift comes at a time when payment systems are no longer viewed as back-end utilities but as essential components of business performance and customer satisfaction.
In sectors such as tourism and transportation, where large-scale events create transaction surges and operational volatility, the ability to process payments, refunds and adjustments quickly has become critical. Financial agility is increasingly seen as a core capability rather than a technical feature.
Soto told MBN that “digital hospitality” represents a service standard where checkout speed is as critical as the quality of accommodation or the warmth of service.
“If payment technology fails at a moment of high global visibility, the perception of insecurity shifts from the digital to the physical, affecting the valuation of the destination in its entirety. On the contrary, a fluid payment ecosystem acts as an enhancer for the economy, eliminating the barriers and predispositions that usually slow down the foreign visitor’s spending and allowing the economic impact to flow without bottlenecks,” said Soto.
Beyond performance improvements, Nuvei is also focusing on expanding payment accessibility by integrating alternative payment methods into a single platform.
Laura Miller, Chief Revenue Officer, Nuvei, said the platform supports multiple payment types through one access point. In Mexico, this includes cash-based and bank transfer options such as Oxxo payments and SPEI.“We allow Mexican consumers to choose how they want to pay, both locally and globally,” Fayer said.
However, the company faced a learning curve in adapting to Mexico’s payment ecosystem, which includes an intermediary clearing system not present in other markets where companies connect directly to card networks such as Visa and Mastercard.
Supporting Global and Local Expansion
The company also emphasized the dual impact of its local acquiring model, which is designed to support both international companies entering Mexico and Mexican businesses expanding abroad.
A single integration with Nuvei’s platform provides access to multiple global markets while maintaining localized payment experiences, Soto said. This aligns with the company’s broader strategy of “making the world a local market,” enabling cross-border commerce with fewer barriers.
At the same time, Nuvei is investing in local talent and operations. The company maintains a team in Mexico City, with regional functions such as risk management, compliance and treasury linked to its broader Latin American operations. Fayer said the company employs around 200 people across the region, with back-office operations anchored in Mexico.
E-Commerce Growth Drives Strategic Timing
Nuvei’s expansion comes as Mexico’s e-commerce sector continues to show strong growth, making it a key market for payment technology providers.
According to the Estudio de Venta Online 2026 by the Asociación Mexicana de Venta Online (AMVO), e-commerce in Mexico grew 19.2% year-over-year, reaching a value of MX$941 billion. The country now ranks eighth globally in terms of e-commerce’s contribution to total retail sales.
Soto said these dynamics were central to the company’s timing. Mexico is projected to become the second-largest e-commerce market in Latin America by 2027, he added.
