meta_id 3325196

On July 14, 2026, the Central Bank of Paraguay (BCP) approved a tariff regulation for payment services designed to enhance transparency, order the market, and provide greater protection to merchants, users, and participants in the National Payments System (Sistema Nacional de Pagos). The regulation addresses information asymmetries, low cost comparability, risks of ambiguous or duplicate charges, and potential competitive distortions that existed under the previous framework. The measure implements Law No. 7,503/2025 on the National Payments System and Law No. 5,476/2015, establishing transparent information rules, authorised charge denominations, and tariff caps for commissions, fees, and penalties linked to payment services. The new framework applies to participants and providers operating payment services processed through Paraguay's Payment System (SIPAP), card acquiring, networks and processing, proprietary systems, and other authorised payment services. Key tariff caps include: Payment Initiation Service Providers (PISP), payment requests, direct debits, and interbank transfers on proprietary systems capped at 1.5 percent of transaction amount including value-added tax; sponsoring participants capped at 1 percent of transaction amount with a maximum of ₲5,500. Quick response (QR) code payments using underlying credit transfers are subject to a maximum commission of 1.5 percent of transaction amount including value-added tax, regardless of whether they operate on public or private infrastructure, ensuring equal conditions for comparable services. The regulation mandates transparency as its central principle: providers must publish updated tariffs, clearly disclose commissions, fees and penalties, technically justify charges, and ensure each charge is verifiable and corresponds to an actual service. The BCP adopted this framework through Resolution No. 7 and Resolution No. 8, both dated July 13, 2026.