Sustentabilidad Mercado Libre - Personal Finance for Young People

Initiative

Personal Finance for Young People

About the initiative

Mercado Pago has transformed the personal finance landscape in Argentina and Brazil with the launch of a digital account for individuals aged 10 to 17. This account allows young users to make payments using QR codes or a prepaid card. In Argentina, funds can also generate returns by being invested in a mutual fund directly through the app.

Opening these accounts requires authorization from parents or guardians, who have access to parental control tools to support young users’ financial experience. They can monitor spending in real time, set alerts, suspend the account when necessary, and access a monthly transaction summary. In addition, we have strengthened prevention measures to avoid misuse, including identity verification for gaming platforms and automatic filters that block payments and transfers to these types of services.

Building on this foundation, we promote educational initiatives aimed at sparking young people’s interest in financial skills, digital security, and the prevention of risks associated with online gambling.

In this context, the Financial Education Olympics in Argentina stand out as a hands-on learning experience. In 2025, more than 8,000 students from 309 schools worked on real-world challenges and developed solutions such as anti-digital fraud campaigns and financial education tools, combining learning and creativity. Winning schools received technological equipment to help strengthen classroom education.

Key results

Over 8,000

Young people participated in the Financial Literacy Olympics.

300+

Schools impacted.

Learn more about our initiatives

User Experience

To offer the best experience to our users, every interaction—from search to payment and shipping - is designed to be simple, seamless, intuitive, secure, and conversion-focused.

Sustainable Products

We work to be the top choice for purchasing sustainable products in Latin America, supporting brands and offering the widest variety across more than 30 categories.

Inclusion and financial educationI

We extend our financial services to millions of people, ensuring that everyone, regardless of where they are or their limitations, can access products, services, and essential tools for your financial well-being.

Security and ethical use of our ecosystem

We ensure the confidentiality, integrity, availability, and ethical use of our technological infrastructure, with a focus on the trust and security of those who choose us.

We are acting today

We know the challenge is huge, but we also know that the time to act is right now.

Download Report 2025