Tide vs Mercado Pago Empresas.
Tide (T70/100) 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. Mercado Pago Empresas leads Tide 4-3.
| M Mercado Pago Empresas №38 · BACEN 69 /100 | T Tide №36 · FCA 70 /100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | ||
| Composite score Out of 100 | 69 /100 | 70 /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 FCA |
| Deposit guarantee Per depositor | €250,000 BR.FGC | £85,000 GB.FSCS |
| Reach | ||
| Markets served Licensed jurisdictions | 7 countries | 2 countries |
| Crypto Coins available | 3 coins | No |
| Stocks & ETFs Self-directed | Yes | No |
| UX | ||
| Trustpilot Customer score | 3.5 ★ 30k reviews | 4.3 ★ 35k reviews |
| App store iOS + Android avg | 4.7 ★ iOS 4.7 · And 4.6 | 4.7 ★ iOS 4.7 · 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 Tide if…
The UK SMB-default neobank by member count. Free UK business current account with sort code + Mastercard debit, built-in HMRC tax tools and invoicing, and the deepest UK accountant-integration set (Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, FreeAgent). The product depth (invoicing, VAT estimates, tax-aside automation, accountant access, business-loan partner panel) is the strongest in the UK SMB category. EMI-licensed, not a chartered bank — the structural trade-off versus Starling Business is that Tide funds on the current account are safeguarded under EMI rules, not FSCS-deposit-insured. That is the most-misread structural fact about Tide.
- Best for fees Tide 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 Tide won 1 of 2
Tide 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 Tide?
Under our v3 methodology, Mercado Pago Empresas leads Tide 4–3 across 12 dimensions. Composite scores: Mercado Pago Empresas 69/100 vs Tide 70/100. 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 Tide cheaper?
Monthly fee — Mercado Pago Empresas: €0; Tide: €0. Card FX markup — Mercado Pago Empresas: 2.50%; Tide: Interbank. Tide 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 Tide?
Mercado Pago Empresas holds a Partner-bank licence under BACEN; deposit guarantee per depositor: €250,000. Tide holds a Partner-bank licence under FCA; deposit guarantee per depositor: £85,000. Mercado Pago Empresas is the stronger pick on regulatory protection.
Where can I use Mercado Pago Empresas and Tide?
Mercado Pago Empresas operates in 7 countries; Tide operates in 2 countries. Check each provider's signup page for the live country list — eligibility depends on residency, not just the licence footprint.
Want a 3- or 4-way comparison?
The dynamic compare picker handles up to four banks. Add this pair plus one or two more and we'll resolve every row.