Mercado Pago Empresas vs Relay.
Mercado Pago Empresas (M69/100) and Relay (R68/100), scored on the same six pillars and compared row-by-row. Every cell is sourced from licence registers and live pricing pages, not opinion. Mercado Pago Empresas leads Relay 6-2.
| M Mercado Pago Empresas №38 · BACEN 69 /100 | R Relay №43 · FDIC 68 /100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | ||
| Composite score Out of 100 | 69 /100 | 68 /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 | Partner-bank FDIC |
| Deposit guarantee Per depositor | €250,000 BR.FGC | Safeguarded No DGS |
| Reach | ||
| Markets served Licensed jurisdictions | 7 countries | 1 country |
| Crypto Coins available | 3 coins | No |
| Stocks & ETFs Self-directed | Yes | No |
| UX | ||
| Trustpilot Customer score | 3.5 ★ 30k reviews | — |
| App store iOS + Android avg | 4.7 ★ iOS 4.7 · And 4.6 | 4.7 ★ iOS 4.8 · And 4.6 |
| 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 Relay if…
The Profit-First-aligned multi-checking neobank — 20 real checking accounts (not virtual envelopes) and 50 debit cards under one login, with granular multi-user roles. Where Mercury / Bluevine / Novo all give you one operating account plus virtual sub-pockets, Relay gives you 20 separately-FDIC-mapped checking accounts that auto-transfer between each other on percentage- or amount-based rules. That is the structural fit for Mike Michalowicz's Profit First method (Income / Profit / Owner's Pay / Tax / OpEx envelopes), and Relay has been the official Profit First banking platform since 2023. Sponsor bank is Thread Bank (TN-chartered) with a $3M sweep — Thread's May 2024 FDIC consent order was terminated December 2025 with no customer-funds incident at Relay.
- Best for fees Relay won 1 of 4
- Best for protection Mercado Pago Empresas won 1 of 2
- Best for reach Mercado Pago Empresas won 3 of 3
- Best for ux Tied
Mercado Pago Empresas vs Relay — FAQ
Quick answers to the four questions the search-bar asks most about a head-to-head.
Is Mercado Pago Empresas better than Relay?
Under our v3 methodology, Mercado Pago Empresas leads Relay 6–2 across 12 dimensions. Composite scores: Mercado Pago Empresas 69/100 vs Relay 68/100. Mercado Pago Empresas is stronger overall, but the right pick depends on which row matters most to you — fees, protection, reach, or app quality.
Is Mercado Pago Empresas or Relay cheaper?
Monthly fee — Mercado Pago Empresas: €0; Relay: €0. Card FX markup — Mercado Pago Empresas: 2.50%; Relay: Interbank. Relay 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 Relay?
Mercado Pago Empresas holds a Partner-bank licence under BACEN; deposit guarantee per depositor: €250,000. Relay holds a Partner-bank licence under FDIC; deposit guarantee per depositor: Safeguarded. Mercado Pago Empresas is the stronger pick on regulatory protection.
Where can I use Mercado Pago Empresas and Relay?
Mercado Pago Empresas operates in 7 countries; Relay 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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