Mercado Pago has transformed the personal finance landscape in Argentina and Brazil by launching digital accounts for teenagers aged 13 to 17. These accounts, opened with prior consent from a responsible adult, let young people make payments using QR codes or prepaid cards. In Argentina, the money can also be invested in a Mutual Investment Fund, managed and supervised by the BIND financial services ecosystem.

Currently, parental control is only available in Argentina, but there are plans to implement it in Brazil later this year.

According to a survey by the consultancy Provokers, 7 out of 10 young people with a Mercado Pago digital account say it helps them learn how to manage their money and control their spending.

We recognize that financial inclusion for young people comes with benefits, but also challenges—like the risk of minors being exposed to online gambling. That is why we constantly work to strengthen our protection measures. We have added parental control features to some products and block payments and transfers made by minors to gaming platforms. Our specialized security and fraud teams also require that all platforms offering gaming activities and processing their payments through Mercado Pago’s payment gateway validate identity documents to prevent minors from creating and accessing an account.

Recognizing that fostering financial education is the key to narrowing social disparities, ensuring responsible utilization of financial services, and empowering young individuals to make informed decisions about their personal finances, Mercado Pago has teamed up with Junior Achievement. Together, they are delivering fundamental financial education concepts to thousands of students aged 16 to 18 in public schools across five countries: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Uruguay.

The program is organized into four modules on Junior Achievement’s virtual campus, featuring interactive activities and games. In most cases, participants also receive personalized support from a team of teachers and have the chance to meet with Mercado Pago volunteers to share experiences and stories about how financial education has impacted their lives.

The First Financial Education Olympics in Argentina With the support of Junior Achievement and edtech Lufindo, we held Argentina’s first Financial Education Olympics in 2024, aimed at students aged 16 to 18. Over 4,000 high school students took part.