Payway
Payway S.A.U. is an Argentine payment acquiring platform serving 350,000+ merchants with POS terminals, QR acceptance, the Decidir e-commerce gateway, direct debit, early payment acceleration, and installment programs. The Buenos Aires-based company is BCRA-licensed and monetizes via transaction fees, terminal subscriptions, and acceleration rate spreads.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersBuenos Aires, Argentina
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Payway does
Payway S.A.U. is an Argentine payment acquiring platform headquartered in Buenos Aires (Lavardén 247, C1437FBE) that provides card-present and card-not-present acceptance services to more than 350,000 merchants across Argentina. The platform integrates smart POS terminals (Terminales Inteligentes) supporting chip, contactless/NFC, and magnetic stripe; QR code acceptance interoperable with all Argentine digital wallets; the Decidir SPS secure payment gateway for e-commerce with 3DS authentication and tokenization; the LaPos Web / CSP (Commerce Service Provider) interface for telephone and internet authorization; payment links; and direct debit (Débito Automático) for recurring collections. Underlying infrastructure includes a developer portal, the Mi Payway business management portal, and ancillary modules such as Cobro Anticipado (24-business-hour settlement acceleration), installment programs (Cuotas/Cuotas MiPyME with up to 3 interest-free installments), cash withdrawal, USD tourist acceptance, and digital tips.
The company monetizes primarily through transaction processing fees (aranceles) on Visa, Mastercard, Amex, and Cabal network transactions, supplemented by monthly terminal connectivity subscriptions (with differentiated active vs. inactive pricing based on volume thresholds), daily acceleration rates on the Cobro Anticipado service, installment financing fees, and recurring fees for LaPos Web/CSP and the Decidir e-commerce gateway. Go-to-market is self-service online onboarding at adherite.payway.com.ar, augmented by three 0810 phone lines and WhatsApp support, with new clients receiving a subsidized terminal for 12 months as an acquisition incentive. Distribution is exclusively domestic to Argentina, with horizontal segmentation primarily targeting SMEs (retail, restaurants, services) and dedicated vertical offerings for NGOs (free basic debit-automatic donation collection) and travel agencies (Lapos Web Travel).
The business claims to process more than 3,700 operations per minute across 100+ payment methods within an ecosystem of 160+ partners, and operates as a licensed payment program administrator (Administradora) under BCRA regulations. The legal entity is Payway S.A.U. (CUIT 30-71766440-6), a privately held single-member Argentine corporation (Sociedad Anónima Unipersonal) with no disclosed parent company, external investors, or funding rounds in the source material.
Payway firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Payway
- Legal name
- Payway S.A.U.
- Website
- https://payway.com.ar
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Payway S.A.U. is an Argentine payment acquiring platform serving 350,000+ merchants with POS terminals, QR acceptance, the Decidir e-commerce gateway, direct debit, early payment acceleration, and installment programs. The Buenos Aires-based company is BCRA-licensed and monetizes via transaction fees, terminal subscriptions, and acceleration rate spreads.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Payway industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Payment Processing
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232)
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Integrated Payment Processors (PSP/Acquirer) (FSAMABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Merchant Payment Gateways (API/Hosted Checkout) (FSAMACAA), QR Code & Alternative In-Store Acceptance (QR, APMs) (FSAMADAH), Bill Pay, Invoicing & Payables Platforms (BPAMAFAF)
Keywords
Where Payway is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Buenos Aires
- HQ country
- Argentina
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Payway business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Transaction Processing Fees (Aranceles): Merchants pay interchange fees (aranceles) on each transaction processed through their terminals or online payment solutions. Fees vary by card network (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Cabal) and transaction type. This is the primary revenue stream.
- Terminal Connectivity Service: Monthly fees charged per active terminal for connectivity services. Terminals with transaction volume above 20% of active terminal pricing are billed as active; those below are billed at a lower inactive rate.
- Cobro Anticipado (Early Payment Acceleration): Merchants pay a daily acceleration rate (Tasa de Aceleración) to receive funds within 24 business hours instead of standard settlement periods. Revenue derived from the spread between acceleration rate and actual settlement timeline.
- Cuotas Payway (Installment Plans): Installment payment processing where merchants pay financing costs and fees for offering installment plans to customers.
- E-commerce/Phone Sales Processing: Monthly subscription fee plus per-transaction fees for LaPos Web and CSP services enabling phone and online transaction processing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | Monthly | Terminal POS with subsidized first year |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | QR Code Payment |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | NGO/Debit Automatic Service Basic |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Cobro Anticipado (Early Payment) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Payway product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Payway operates a payment acquisition platform serving Argentine merchants with POS terminals, QR code acceptance, an e-commerce gateway (Decidir SPS), payment links, telephone sales, and recurring automatic debit. The platform is complemented by a merchant management portal (Mi Payway), early payment acceleration (Cobro Anticipado), installment programs, and developer APIs (LAPOS WEB/CSP). It processes 100+ payment methods across 350,000+ merchants at 3,700+ operations per minute.
Product overview
Payway is a payment acceptance platform operated by Payway S.A.U. based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The platform offers an integrated suite of payment solutions comprising core POS terminal services (Terminales Inteligentes), QR code payments (QR Payway), online/e-commerce processing (Vender Online), payment links, telephone sales, and automatic debit. The ecosystem is complemented by value-added services including early payment acceleration (Cobro Anticipado), installment programs (Cuotas/Cuotas MiPyME), cash withdrawals, tourist dollar payments, and business management tools through the Mi Payway portal. The platform processes over 100 payment methods across more than 350,000 merchant locations, handling over 3,700 operations per minute, and supports development integration via LAPOS WEB/CSP and the Decidir payment gateway APIs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Terminales Inteligentes (Smart POS Terminals) POS terminals provided by Payway for processing card payments in physical locations. Supports chip, magnetic stripe, and contactless (NFC) payment methods as well as QR acceptance and digital wallet integration. Targeted at Argentine merchants across retail, hospitality, and services.
- QR Payway QR code payment solution enabling merchants to accept payments via QR codes scanned with customers' mobile wallets. Supports all digital wallets and payment methods in Argentina. Targeted at SMB merchants seeking low-cost acceptance.
- Vender Online (Online Payment Processing) E-commerce payment processing solution enabling merchants to accept online card payments through their websites or mobile applications. Targeted at merchants selling products or services online.
- Cobrar con Link de Pago (Payment Links) Payment link feature that allows merchants to send payment links via SMS, email, or messaging apps to collect remote payments. Targeted at merchants needing to accept remote/untethered payments without a website.
- Ventas Telefónicas (Telephone Sales) Telephone sales payment solution enabling merchants to process card payments received over the phone. Approximately 30-second response time for authorization requests. Targeted at merchants handling MOTO (mail order/telephone order) transactions.
- Débito Automático (Automatic Debit) Recurring direct debit service allowing merchants and NGOs to automatically charge customer credit/debit cards on a scheduled basis for subscriptions, invoices, or recurring donations. Basic service is free for NGOs and collaborators; Professional tier supports cross-acquirer reconciliation.
- Cobro Anticipado (Early Payment Acceleration) Early payment service allowing merchants to receive funds from sales within 24 business hours instead of standard settlement periods, for a daily acceleration rate (Tasa de Aceleración). Merchants can opt out if rates change. Targeted at any merchant needing faster cash flow.
- LAPOS WEB / CSP (Commerce Service Provider) Web-based Commerce Service Provider (CSP) system allowing merchants to manage credit card transaction authorizations via internet and telephone, with approximately 30-second response time. Targeted at merchants and travel agencies needing technical integration for card-not-present processing.
- Sistema de Pago Seguro Decidir (Decidir SPS) Secure payment gateway for e-commerce enabling merchants to process card transactions online with 3DS authentication and tokenization support, with approximately 60-second response time. Embedded in merchant websites for online transaction processing.
- Soluciones para ONG (NGO Solutions) Specialized payment solution bundle for non-governmental organizations to accept donations via automatic debit, terminals, QR codes, and online payments. Includes dedicated onboarding and pricing.
Quantifiable outcome
- 24-hour fund settlement available through Cobro Anticipado service
Companies that use Payway
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Payway technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Payway partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- 160+ Unnamed PartnerscorePayway's ecosystem includes more than 160 partners that support its payment network. These partners encompass payment networks (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Cabal, Prisma), acquirer banks (Acreditadores), and issuer banks (Bancos Emisores) that form the integrated payment infrastructure. The partner page is referenced at /partners-0 on the Payway website.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Payway competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- dLocal: dLocal is a LatAm-focused payment processor enabling global merchants to accept emerging-market payment methods including Argentina — comparable to Payway as a payment-infrastructure player in the Argentine market, though focused on cross-border rather than domestic SMB acquiring.
Direct peers
- Naranja X: Naranja X is an Argentine payment and fintech platform (extension of Tarjeta Naranja) offering accounts, cards, QR payments, and merchant acquiring services — directly overlapping with Payway in SME payment acceptance in Argentina.
- Mercado Pago: Mercado Pago is Argentina's dominant digital wallet and full-stack payment processor (POS, QR, online), serving SMEs and consumers with deeply embedded reach via MercadoLibre — directly competing with Payway across QR acceptance, POS terminals, and online gateway services.
- MODO: MODO is an Argentine interbank payment platform launched by major local banks that enables QR-based payments from multiple bank apps — a direct competitor to Payway's QR Payway for in-store acceptance across the same SME merchant base.
- Getnet: Getnet is Santander's merchant-acquiring platform in Argentina, offering POS terminals and online payment processing to SMEs — directly comparable to Payway in the SME acquiring segment with similar product breadth.
Broad incumbents
- Fiserv: Fiserv (which absorbed First Data) is a global payments/merchant-acquiring giant with Argentine operations offering POS terminals and processing infrastructure — competing broadly with Payway in the Argentine acquiring market as a multi-country incumbent.
- Worldline: Worldline is a European-headquartered global payment processor and terminal provider (formerly Ingenico) serving merchants with acquiring and POS solutions — a broad incumbent in the payment-infrastructure space relevant to Payway's terminal and processing business.
- Global Payments: Global Payments is a worldwide merchant acquirer and processor with presence in Argentina offering POS, gateway, and integrated payment services — comparable as a broad incumbent competing for the same SME merchant wallet as Payway.
- Stone Co. Stone Co. is a major Brazilian acquirer serving SMBs with POS terminals, QR, and online processing — a broad regional incumbent with a comparable SME-focused acquiring model, providing a useful LatAm benchmark for Payway's strategy and unit economics.
- PagBank (PagSeguro): PagBank/PagSeguro is a leading Brazilian SMB-focused acquirer and digital account provider offering POS, QR, and online payments — a broad LatAm incumbent with a comparable SME acquiring and multi-channel acceptance model to Payway.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Payway social profiles
Digital presencePayway financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Payway leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Payway funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Payway M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Payway
What does Payway do?
Payway operates a payment acquisition platform serving Argentine merchants with POS terminals, QR code acceptance, an e-commerce gateway (Decidir SPS), payment links, telephone sales, and recurring automatic debit. The platform is complemented by a merchant management portal (Mi Payway), early payment acceleration (Cobro Anticipado), installment programs, and developer APIs (LAPOS WEB/CSP). It processes 100+ payment methods across 350,000+ merchants at 3,700+ operations per minute.
Is Payway a public or private company?
Payway is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Payway founded?
Payway was founded in 2021. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Payway based?
Payway is headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the Latin America region.
How does Payway make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Transaction Processing Fees (Aranceles) is the primary driver. The others are terminal Connectivity Service, cobro Anticipado (Early Payment Acceleration), cuotas Payway (Installment Plans) and E-commerce/Phone Sales Processing.
Who are Payway's main competitors?
dLocal is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Naranja X, Mercado Pago, MODO and Getnet. Broad incumbents are Fiserv, Worldline, Global Payments, Stone Co. and PagBank (PagSeguro).
Does Payway have an API?
Yes. Payway provides developer access through its developer portal (https://developers-ventasonline.payway.com.ar/portal/login). The platform offers several APIs including LAPOS WEB (Commerce Service Provider) for managing card authorization transactions via internet and telephone, and the Sistema de Pago Seguro Decidir (Decidir Payment System) for e-commerce transactions. The legal documentation outlines authentication requirements including 3DS authentication and tokenization for secure payment processing. Developer documentation is at developers-ventasonline.payway.com.ar/portal/login.
What industry is Payway in?
Payway's product category is Payment Processing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMABAA, Integrated Payment Processors (PSP/Acquirer), with a secondary code of FSAMACAA, Merchant Payment Gateways (API/Hosted Checkout). Its NAICS code is 52232 and its SIC code is 6199.