Visa is deepening its presence in Argentina with the acquisition of Prisma Medios de Pago S.A.U. (“Prisma”) and Newpay S.A.U. (“Newpay”) from Advent International, a deal announced . The move signals a strategic commitment to modernizing the country’s payment infrastructure and expanding digital payment adoption, according to a Visa press release.
While financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, the acquisition reunites Visa with assets it previously co-owned with a consortium of 14 Argentine banks. In , Advent International initially acquired a 51% stake in Prisma for $725 million, valuing that portion of the business at $1.42 billion, according to past releases and reports.
Expanding Capabilities in a Key Market
Prisma provides card issuer processing services, handling credit, debit, and prepaid cards. Newpay, operates critical payment infrastructure including real-time payment systems, the Banelco ATM network, and the PagoMisCuentas bill payment platform. The combined capabilities will allow Visa to offer a more comprehensive suite of services to clients in Argentina.
“This acquisition is an important step for Visa in Argentina, as it will strengthen relationships with our clients and promote innovation across the payments ecosystem,” said Ryan McInerney, CEO of Visa, in a statement. “By combining Prisma and Newpay’s deep local expertise with Visa’s global solutions and technology, we will empower our clients to make payments easier, faster, and more secure for consumers and merchants.”
The deal is expected to close by the end of March, according to the companies, and is subject to customary closing conditions. Upon completion, Visa will integrate the platforms of Prisma and Newpay with its global network and value-added services.
Modernizing Argentina’s Payment Landscape
The acquisition comes at a time when Argentina is seeking to modernize its financial infrastructure. The country has faced economic challenges in recent years, including high inflation and currency volatility. Expanding digital payment options and improving the efficiency of payment systems are seen as key steps towards fostering economic stability and growth.
Visa anticipates that the combined entity will accelerate the implementation of advanced technologies such as tokenization, biometric authentication, and artificial intelligence-powered fraud management tools. These technologies are expected to enhance security, reduce risk, and improve the overall payment experience for both consumers and businesses.
Gabriela Renaudo, Group Country Manager for Visa Argentina and the Southern Cone, emphasized the potential for growth. “We see significant opportunities to expand the adoption of digital payments and modernize financial services capabilities and infrastructure across the country,” she stated. “This investment reflects Visa’s commitment to Argentina’s growth and to improving its competitiveness in global commerce.”
Strategic Implications and Future Outlook
The re-acquisition of Prisma and Newpay represents a strategic move for Visa to consolidate its position in the Argentine market. By controlling key components of the payment processing infrastructure, Visa can exert greater influence over the direction of innovation and the adoption of new technologies.
The deal also highlights the growing interest of global payment companies in Latin America, a region with a large and increasingly digitally connected population. While challenges remain, the long-term growth potential of the Latin American payments market is attracting significant investment.
Notably, Payway S.A.U. Is not included in this transaction and will remain under the ownership of funds managed by Advent International, continuing its operations independently as a merchant acquirer. This suggests Advent International is maintaining a foothold in the Argentine payments space, focusing on a different segment of the market.
The transaction is expected to be completed in Visa’s second fiscal quarter of (the first calendar quarter of ). The integration of Prisma and Newpay into Visa’s operations is likely to be a complex undertaking, but one that could yield significant benefits for the company and the Argentine payments ecosystem.
