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QR Payments Led Argentina’s Holiday Purchases, Banking Data Show

Interoperable wallets introduced in 2024 helped propel a countrywide shift to QR‑initiated instant payments across retail and public transport.

Overview

  • Between December 17 and 31, QR transactions rose 79% year over year, users paying with QR increased 84%, total amounts surged 143.02%, and the average ticket climbed 36.03%, according to Coelsa.
  • Immediate transfers, mostly triggered by QR, grew 22% in volume and 66.35% in value, with the average ticket up 35% and usage extending to more than 24.8 million people, a 19% increase from 2024.
  • Electronic checks (ECHEQ) also advanced in the same period, with transactions up 15.21%, total amounts up 46.35%, and the average amount up 12.13% year over year.
  • Public transport QR (VQR) adoption accelerated, rising 708% in December and reaching about 3.1 million trips per month after a rollout that began in May 2025 on buses and the subway.
  • Central bank data to November recorded 75.8 million interoperable QR transfer operations totaling roughly 1.6 trillion pesos, reinforcing the sustained expansion following the 2024 interoperability shift.