Rakuten Bank vs Mercado Pago Empresas.
Rakuten Bank (R77/100) and Mercado Pago Empresas (M69/100), scored on the same six pillars and compared row-by-row. Every cell is sourced from licence registers and live pricing pages, not opinion. A close tie.
| M Mercado Pago Empresas №41 · BACEN 69 /100 | R Rakuten Bank №13 · JFSA 77 /100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | ||
| Composite score Out of 100 | 69 /100 | 77 /100 |
| Fees | ||
| Monthly fee Cheapest paid tier (€0 if free) | €0 Free tier | €0 Free tier |
| FX markup Debit card abroad | 2.50% | Interbank |
| Free FX / month EUR equivalent | €0 | €0 |
| Free ATM Before fee kicks in | — | — |
| Protection | ||
| Banking licence Tier | Partner-bank BACEN | Full bank JFSA |
| Deposit guarantee Per depositor | €250,000 BR.FGC | €10,000,000 JP.DICJ |
| Reach | ||
| Markets served Licensed jurisdictions | 7 countries | 1 country |
| Crypto Coins available | 3 coins | No |
| Stocks & ETFs Self-directed | Yes | Yes |
| UX | ||
| Trustpilot Customer score | 3.5 ★ 30k reviews | — |
| App store iOS + Android avg | 4.7 ★ iOS 4.7 · And 4.6 | 4.3 ★ iOS 4.4 · And 4.2 |
| Read review → | Read review → | |
Pick Mercado Pago Empresas if…
The LATAM SMB-and-merchant payments platform with the deepest marketplace integration in the region — integrated with MercadoLibre / Mercado Livre, the largest e-commerce marketplace in Latin America. Multi-country coverage (BR, AR, MX, CO, CL, UY, PE) plus the marketplace network effect makes Mercado Pago Empresas the structural default for any LATAM-operating SMB that touches the MercadoLibre ecosystem. Free business account + card-acceptance terminals (Point) + online payment gateway + working-capital loans (Mercado Crédito) underwritten on platform sales data — the structural answer for any SMB selling on Mercado Livre / Mercado Libre marketplaces and the default e-commerce checkout across BR / AR / MX / CO / CL. Payment-institution model (not a bank), so customer funds are NOT FGC / national-DGS protected. Parent MercadoLibre (NASDAQ: MELI) is the dominant e-commerce + fintech platform across LATAM.
Pick Rakuten Bank if…
Largest Japanese internet-only bank by customer count (~14M+) and the only TSE Prime-listed pure-play net bank (TYO: 5838, IPO 21 April 2023 — the largest Japanese IPO in five years at the time). Originally chartered as eBank in 2001; acquired by Rakuten Group (TYO: 4755) in 2009. Structural moat is the Rakuten Points + Rakuten Card + Rakuten Securities + Rakuten Mobile + Rakuten Ichiba ecosystem — points cross-pollinate across the entire surface area. Full FSA Banking Act licence; statutory DICJ member at the JPY 10,000,000 ceiling.
- Best for fees Rakuten Bank won 1 of 4
- Best for protection Rakuten Bank won 2 of 2
- Best for reach Mercado Pago Empresas won 2 of 3
- Best for ux Mercado Pago Empresas won 2 of 2
Rakuten Bank vs Mercado Pago Empresas — FAQ
Quick answers to the four questions the search-bar asks most about a head-to-head.
Is Mercado Pago Empresas better than Rakuten Bank?
Mercado Pago Empresas and Rakuten Bank are tied 4–4 across 12 dimensions under our v3 methodology. Composite scores: Mercado Pago Empresas 69/100 vs Rakuten Bank 77/100. The right pick depends on which dimension you weight most heavily.
Is Mercado Pago Empresas or Rakuten Bank cheaper?
Monthly fee — Mercado Pago Empresas: €0; Rakuten Bank: €0. Card FX markup — Mercado Pago Empresas: 2.50%; Rakuten Bank: Interbank. Rakuten Bank wins more fee rows (1 of 4). See the Fees section of the matrix above for ATM caps and the rest.
Which is safer for deposits, Mercado Pago Empresas or Rakuten Bank?
Mercado Pago Empresas holds a Partner-bank licence under BACEN; deposit guarantee per depositor: €250,000. Rakuten Bank holds a Full bank licence under JFSA; deposit guarantee per depositor: €10,000,000. Rakuten Bank is the stronger pick on regulatory protection.
Where can I use Mercado Pago Empresas and Rakuten Bank?
Mercado Pago Empresas operates in 7 countries; Rakuten Bank operates in 1 country. Check each provider's signup page for the live country list — eligibility depends on residency, not just the licence footprint.
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