Visa Empowers Small Businesses in Latin America & the Caribbean with New Value Proposition to Accelerate their Growth and Digital Transformation

Miami, August 27, 2025 – Latin America’s 93 million small and medium businesses (SMBs) are the region’s economic heartbeat, fueling 60% of formal employment and propelling entrepreneurship at a remarkable pace. Recognizing the significant growth potential within this segment, Visa today unveiled its new value proposition for SMBs, reinforcing its commitment to empowering their digital transformation and growth. 

Through a modular and flexible portfolio of innovative solutions and services, Visa aims to address their unique needs—from making payments seamlessly and monitoring expenses to accessing funding and managing cash flow—equipping SMBs with the resources they need to run and scale their businesses with efficiency, agility, and trust in today’s interconnected digital economy.

A crucial element of this new value proposition is Visa’s new partnership with Uplinq, the first global credit assessment and scoring platform for small business lenders. This collaboration will enable issuers in Latin America and the Caribbean to enhance SMB credit assessment by leveraging Uplinq’s advanced AI and data-driven underwriting models. Together, Visa and Uplinq will open new pathways for SMB growth, expanding access to credit and ensuring SMBs have ready access to the affordable working capital they need.

“Visa’s commitment to SMBs is stronger than ever. With our new value proposition, we are not just providing innovative solutions; we’re unlocking new gateways for SMBs to innovate, expand, formalize and thrive in this digital economy,” said Ana Rojas, Head of Commercial & Money Movement for Visa Latin America and the Caribbean. “As we look ahead, the opportunities are immense for the entire banking and financial ecosystem. Together, we’ll continue powering their growth and transformation, shaping a more prosperous future for all.”

Visa’s new comprehensive portfolio for SMBs includes unique, modular and flexible business solutions tailored to each small business owner’s growth stage and needs. Solutions and services include:

• Visa’s suite of SMB-focused business cards: Visa’s business cards are tailored to the unique needs and growth stage of the SMB: Visa Business Debit and Prepaid for early-stage businesses, Visa Business Credit for SMBs seeking to expand and have access to working capital and Visa Business Premium to access exclusive benefits.

• Simplifying payment acceptance for SMBs: Visa empowers SMBs with simple, secure and modern payment acceptance experiences through Tap to Phone, Tap to Pay and Click to Pay. These solutions give SMBs the tools to accept payments anytime, anywhere, driving growth and enabling them to compete in today’s digital economy. 
• Visa Spend Clarity: This solution consolidates transactional data allowing SMBs to track, control and optimize spending, digitize accounting and inventory, and generate custom reports while managing cash flow more efficiently — which is especially relevant since 71% of SMBs are interested in a mobile expense management tool.
• Visa Business Cashback: Visa Business Cashback is a purchase experience that rewards SMBs’ owners with a cashback percentage on purchases made with their Visa Business cards at participating merchants, helping them maximize their everyday business savings.
• Merchant offers and promotions: Domestic and International Visa Business offers across high-relevance categories like logistics, tech and marketing. SMBs can reduce costs, engage customers and improve their business management. Visa Business offering is free of charge and easy to access using Visa Business cards. 
• Business centric benefits: Specifically designed for SMBs – these include cybersecurity protection, digital assistant services, enhanced purchase protection and extended warranty, all tailored to the unique needs of business owners in the region.
• Financial education: With Visa’s Practical Business Skills Program, Visa provides SMBs with free access to the skills, resources and knowledge they need to manage their business in an integral way.
  
  

Expanding SMB smart access to credit with AI

Building on a partnership initiated in 2023 to expand SMB access to working capital in the U.S. and Canada, Visa and Uplinq now bring Uplinq's innovative underwriting technology to Visa’s bank clients in the region.

Traditional underwriting methods often pose barriers to assessing small business creditworthiness, but with over $1.4 trillion in loans underwritten, Uplinq can help issuers better evaluate SMB applicants and provide affordable credit. A recent case study shows that Visa’s financial institution clients using Uplinq’s AI-powered platform have achieved a 50% reduction in underwriting costs, 15x fewer credit losses, and a threefold increase in profitability. By partnering with Uplinq in the region, Visa will empower local issuers to unlock new credit opportunities, bridging data gaps, and fostering inclusive growth in the SMB segment.

Small Businesses, Big Stories

Visa is also proud to release a new video series of inspiring stories showcasing the powerful and transformative journeys of small businesses across Latin America and the Caribbean. These videos will be shared on social media and other platforms, amplifying the voices of entrepreneurs who are making a difference in their communities.

The first story features, for example, a floristry in Colombia, demonstrating how transitioning from cash to digital payments has revolutionized their daily endeavors—making transactions easier, streamlining invoicing, and empowering them to grow. These stories exemplify how embracing digital tools not only simplifies daily small business activities but also unlocks new opportunities for success and community impact. Through these small business stories, Visa celebrates the resilience, innovation, and potential of small businesses shaping the region’s future. 

Visa supports great entrepreneurs in their small steps, wherever they want to be. 
Click here to access the first video

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About Visa
Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com. 

Media contact
Catalina B. Camps
Visa Latin America and the Caribbean
[email protected]