The company acquired Prisma and Newpay and seeks to bring local payment infrastructure to the highest global standards
The executive highlighted that Argentina has good standards and a strong receptivity to technological innovation. However, she stated that Visa's arrival will raise the bar in terms of security, interoperability, and processing. “Our investment aims precisely at that: to bring the country not only to robust standards but to the highest standards in the entire industry,” she emphasized.
The company also plans to integrate technological services that will not be limited exclusively to Visa but can be used by other brands and payment methods. Among these tools are security solutions, digital identity, transaction tokenization, and specialized consulting.
Renaudo also anticipated that commerce is heading towards a profound transformation due to the advancement of agent-based artificial intelligence. As she explained, digital assistants will no longer be limited to recommending products but will begin to execute complete operations on behalf of consumers.
The CEO stated that this scenario is much closer than many imagine. “This is not a vision for 2050 or even for 2030. We are talking about 2027,” she affirmed, describing the advancement of agents capable of selecting products, adding them to a cart, and completing payments automatically.
Visa's investment confirms the interest of large global companies in Argentina's potential and in the modernization of key sectors of the economy.
Visa completed one of the most significant investments in recent years in the Argentine payment market, with a disbursement of US$1.5 billion to acquire Prisma Medios de Pago and Newpay. The operation represents a strong long-term bet on the country and aims to modernize local infrastructure, strengthen security, and accelerate the digitalization of the financial system.
The CEO of Visa Argentina and Southern Cone, Gabriela Renaudo, explained that the decision responds to a strategic view of Argentina's potential, beyond the electoral context of 2027. “We invested US$1.5 billion to acquire two companies: Prisma and Newpay. We believe that Argentina's potential transcends the electoral year, and that is why we continue to invest,” she stated.
The acquisition of Prisma and Newpay allows Visa to advance on two central pieces of the payment ecosystem. Prisma operates as an issuer processor of credit, debit, and prepaid cards, while Newpay manages immediate transfers, PagoMisCuentas, and the Banelco network.
According to Renaudo, the company's goal is to accelerate the digitalization of payments in Argentina, strengthen security systems, and bring local infrastructure up to Visa's global standards. The operation was closed just three months ago, so the company is still in the first stage of integrating both assets.
