Visa to acquire a majority stake in Mexico payments processor Prosa

By Delisha Fernandes

Visa has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a majority interest in Prosa, a payments processor in Mexico, to accelerate the adoption of secure and innovative digital payments in the country.

Under the agreement, Prosa will continue to operate as an independent company with its own technology infrastructure, while Visa looks to expand Prosa’s product offerings with new digital solutions and expertise in managing a global network.

Visa’s investment in Prosa is expected to enable global payments ecosystem players to take a more active role in Mexico’s payment landscape, increasing the range of possibilities for both consumers and merchants. Under the acquisition agreement, Prosa’s existing shareholders including Banorte, HSBC Mexico, Invex, Santander Mexico, Scotiabank Mexico and Banjército will continue to own the remaining portion of the company.

“Technology and innovation are the foundation of our business and at the core of what we do. As such, this investment is part of our ‘network of networks’ strategy where we leverage best-in-class technologies from around the world to complement our own,” said Eduardo Coello, Regional President for Visa Latin America and the Caribbean. “With the enhanced technology infrastructure provided by Visa’s global payments network, we are setting the groundwork to develop new, innovative ways to pay and be paid for consumers and small businesses alike alongside local issuers and acquirers in Mexico.”

Visa’s investment in Prosa is also expected to allow Prosa’s partners to offer micro and small businesses products that will give them the benefit of new digital options to expand their acceptance, including several Visa products to transform transaction data into actionable information for them to make informed business decisions, optimize revenues and processes, and enrich overall cardholder experience.

New services to be rolled out in time will include those aimed at allowing both consumers and merchants to count on more efficient and reliable e-commerce transactions thanks to Visa’s suite of comprehensive, AI-powered fraud risk management tools.