The cell phone is consolidating as the preferred wallet of Paraguayans. Data from the processor Bancard show that in April 2026, 20.2 million QR transactions were carried out on its network, an annual growth of 61%. Currently, more than 3.7 million users have used the method in the last three months, and more than 181 thousand commercial establishments accept the modality.
QR already accounts for 68.1% of electronic payments in the country — that is, 7 out of 10 digital transactions. The rate represents an advance of 10.1 percentage points compared to April 2025. Adoption is cross-cutting: in the various consumer sectors, QR penetration varies between 62% and 71%, far surpassing physical cards, whose share is between 29% and 38%.
Of the total QR transactions, 35% occurred in supermarkets, 17% at service stations and 13% in restaurants. The remainder was distributed among pharmacies, stores, beverage sales and confectioneries. In e-commerce, 8 out of 10 online purchases already use the code, simplifying the process by avoiding manual entry of card data.
Bancard executives highlighted that QR is transforming financial and commercial inclusion, especially for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). The technology allowed thousands of small businesses — such as fairs, taxis, apps, entrepreneurs and micro-commerce — to start accepting digital payments. The solution is available at 18 banks, 5 financial institutions, 42 cooperatives and 10 other applications.
Digital payment data become a thermometer of the economy, allowing anticipation of consumption trends, tourism, inflation and household behavior almost in real time, following a global trend observed by large payment networks.