### [Mercado Pago vs Stripe: Which One For WordPress Payment Forms?](https://wpforms.com/mercado-pago-vs-stripe/) **Published:** October 20, 2026 **Author:** Kacie Cooper **Excerpt:** Selling in Latin America and trying to decide between Mercado Pago and Stripe for your WordPress forms? We compare where each one works, installments, currency, and recurring payments, then tell you which one to use for each situation. **Content:** For years, the default answer to “which payment processor goes on my WordPress form?” was Stripe. Since August 2026, WPForms customers in seven Latin American countries have a second option built around how their buyers pay: Mercado Pago. The two overlap less than you’d expect. Mercado Pago is made for selling to buyers in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay, in local currency, with the option to split a purchase into monthly installments. Stripe is made for selling to anyone, anywhere, once or on a recurring schedule. Which one belongs on your form depends mostly on two things: where your business is registered and who’s buying. [Build Your WordPress Form Now](https://wpforms.com/pricing/) In this post, I’ll compare Mercado Pago vs Stripe on the points that decide it for a WordPress payment form: where each one works, installments, currency, recurring payments, checkout, and cost. Then I’ll give you a straight recommendation for each situation. ### Mercado Pago vs Stripe: Which Should You Use on Your WordPress Payment Forms? - [Mercado Pago vs Stripe at a Glance](#aioseo-mercado-pago-vs-stripe-at-a-glance) - [Where Your Business Is Based Decides a Lot](#aioseo-where-your-business-is-based-decides-a-lot) - [Installments: The Feature Latin American Buyers Look For](#aioseo-installments-the-feature-latin-american-buyers-look-for) - [Currency and Who You’re Selling To](#aioseo-currency-and-who-youre-selling-to) - [Recurring Payments and Subscriptions](#aioseo-recurring-payments-and-subscriptions) - [Checkout Experience on Your Form](#aioseo-checkout-experience-on-your-form) - [Fees: What You’ll Pay](#aioseo-fees-what-youll-pay) - [Setting Up Each One in WPForms](#aioseo-setting-up-each-one-in-wpforms) - [The Verdict: Which Should You Use?](#aioseo-the-verdict-which-should-you-use) - [FAQ](#aioseo-faq) #### Mercado Pago vs Stripe at a Glance Mercado Pago (WPForms addon)Stripe (WPForms addon)Who can use itBusinesses with a Mercado Pago account registered in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, or UruguayBusinesses in Stripe’s supported countries (in Latin America, that’s Brazil and Mexico)InstallmentsBuilt into the field. Buyers pick a plan after entering their cardMexico only: meses sin intereses for Stripe Mexico accounts charging in MXNCurrencyYour account country’s currency (ARS, BRL, CLP, COP, MXN, PEN, or UYU)Many currencies, suited to cross-border salesRecurring paymentsNot supported in this versionSupportedPayment methodsCredit and debit cardsCards, plus Link, Apple Pay, and Google Pay (with Stripe’s Payment Element)WPForms licensePro or EliteEvery plan (Lite adds a 3% WPForms fee)WPForms transaction feeNoneNone on Pro and aboveCard dataEntered in fields hosted by Mercado Pago, never touches your siteHandled by Stripe, never stored on your site### Where Your Business Is Based Decides a Lot Payment processors care about where the merchant is registered, not only where the buyer lives. That one detail settles the Mercado Pago vs Stripe question for a lot of businesses before features even come up. The WPForms Mercado Pago addon needs a Mercado Pago account registered in one of the seven supported countries. If your business is in the US, Canada, or Europe, it isn’t an option for your own sales, even if most of your customers live in Mexico or Colombia. Stripe has the opposite gap. Of those same seven countries, Stripe currently supports locally registered businesses in Brazil and Mexico only, according to its global availability page. A business registered in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, or Uruguay can’t open a local Stripe account. So you’re in one of three spots: - **Your business is in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, or Uruguay.** Mercado Pago is your option for on-form card payments in WPForms. The rest of this post explains what you get with it. - **Your business is in Brazil or Mexico.** You have a real choice, and you can use both. Keep reading. - **Your business is outside Latin America and sells into it.** [Stripe](https://stripe.com/global) is the one you can use, since the Mercado Pago addon needs an account registered in a supported country. If you build sites for clients, it’s the client’s registration that counts, not yours. A US agency building an order form for a bakery in Buenos Aires should set it up with the bakery’s Mercado Pago account. ### Installments: The Feature Latin American Buyers Look For Across Latin America, buyers are used to splitting a card purchase into monthly installments. You’ll hear it called cuotas in Argentina, parcelas in Brazil, and meses sin intereses in Mexico. Paying for a course, a piece of equipment, or an event package in 3, 6, or 12 monthly chunks is normal, and a checkout without that choice can feel like it’s missing something. The Mercado Pago field handles this for you. Once a buyer types a complete card number, the field checks which plans that card qualifies for and shows them right there on your form. There’s nothing to configure on your end. What shows up depends on the card and the amount. Debit cards usually don’t offer installments, and smaller purchases may only qualify for a single payment, so don’t be surprised if a $10 order shows one option. ![Mercado Pago checkout: card number 5474 9254 3267 0366, exp 11/30, security code 123, name Sullie, 6 installments](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/on-page-card-payments-with-installments-1024x702.png)Stripe can do installments too, with a narrower reach. If you have a Stripe Mexico account and charge in pesos, Stripe can offer meses sin intereses to buyers paying with an eligible Mexican consumer credit card. Like Mercado Pago, the plan options show up after the card number goes in. Outside Mexico, Stripe doesn’t offer installments in these markets, so if your buyers in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, or Uruguay expect to pay in cuotas or parcelas, Mercado Pago is the processor built for it. ### Currency and Who You’re Selling To Mercado Pago charges in the currency of the country where your account is registered. A Mexican account charges in pesos, a Brazilian account in reais, and so on. Your WPForms currency setting has to match, and if it doesn’t, WPForms shows a warning and pauses payments until you fix it. For local buyers, this is a plus. They see the price in their own currency and pay exactly that, without a conversion fee from their bank showing up on the statement later. Stripe is the better fit when your buyers are spread across countries. It accepts cards from customers around the world, so a Mexico-based consultant with clients in Texas and Spain can take those payments in the same checkout flow. Your WPForms currency is set once for the whole site under **WPForms » Settings » Payments**. If you run both processors, both charge in that currency, so plan for it before you build forms for two different audiences. ![Payments settings: Currency label with a drop-down showing Mexican Peso (MXN $)](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/wpforms-currency-setting-1024x349.png)### Recurring Payments and Subscriptions This is where Stripe pulls ahead. The WPForms Stripe addon handles recurring payments, so you can sell monthly memberships, take recurring donations, or bill a retainer on the same form people use to sign up. The Mercado Pago addon handles one-time payments. It doesn’t process recurring subscriptions in this version, and it doesn’t take Pix or Mercado Pago wallet balances either, so Brazilian buyers who prefer Pix will need to pay by card. If you’re in Brazil or Mexico and need recurring billing, put Stripe on those forms. If you’re in one of the other five countries, plan your recurring offers around one-time charges for now. ### Checkout Experience on Your Form Both processors keep buyers on your page. Nobody gets bounced to an outside checkout and asked to find their way back. With Mercado Pago, the card inputs inside your form are hosted by Mercado Pago. Card details go straight to them, and WPForms only receives a single-use token plus the card brand and last four digits. Your site needs HTTPS for the field to load at all. Stripe works the same way in principle: card details are handled by Stripe and never stored on your WordPress site. Brand recognition matters too. Mercado Pago is the payment name a lot of buyers in the region already know from shopping on Mercado Libre, and seeing it on a small business’s form can make them more comfortable entering a card. ![Bakery order summary with items and total $840.00 MXN on the left; payment form with card fields on the right.](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/tab1-order-form-1024x749.png)### Fees: What You’ll Pay WPForms doesn’t add a transaction fee to Mercado Pago payments on any plan that includes the addon (Pro and Elite), and it doesn’t add one to Stripe payments on Pro or above. You pay each processor’s own rates and nothing else. Those rates vary by country, card type, and payout options, and installment plans can change the math. Check the Mercado Pago and Stripe pricing pages for your country before you decide, since any number we printed here could be out of date by the time you read it. If you’re on WPForms Lite, Stripe payments carry a 3% WPForms fee on top of Stripe’s own. Upgrading to a paid license removes it. ### Setting Up Each One in WPForms Both take a few minutes, and neither needs WooCommerce. Your payment form is a regular WPForms form. #### **To set up Mercado Pago:** 1. Create an application in the Mercado Pago Developer Dashboard and copy its Public Key and Access Token. Then, in WordPress, install the Mercado Pago addon, go to **WPForms » Settings » Payments**, and paste in your keys. 2. Set your WPForms currency to match your Mercado Pago account’s country. 3. Open your form, make sure it has a payment item field (like Single Item or Multiple Items), and add the MercadoPago field. 4. Under **Payments » Mercado Pago**, turn on Mercado Pago payments and map your customer name and email fields. 5. Switch on **Test Mode** with your TEST- keys and run a sample payment before going live. ![Form builder UI editing a Mercado Pago payment field; left sidebar navigation (Setup, Fields), center field options with label and description, and a right panel showing a card payment form (card number, expiration, security code, name, email) with confirmation checkboxes and a Submit button.](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/the-mercado-pago-form-field-1024x642.png)#### **To set up Stripe:** 1. Go to **WPForms » Settings » Payments** and click **Connect with Stripe**. 2. Add the Stripe Credit Card field to your form. 3. Under **Payments » Stripe**, turn on Stripe payments, and choose one-time or recurring. ![Stripe Card Element option](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Stripe-Card-Element-1024x422.png)### The Verdict: Which Should You Use? In the Mercado Pago vs Stripe decision, neither one wins across the board. They’re built for different sales. #### **Use Mercado Pago if:** - Your business is registered in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, or Uruguay - Your buyers are local and pay in local currency - You sell higher-ticket items where installments help people say yes #### **Use Stripe if:** - Your business is outside Latin America - You sell across borders - You need recurring payments for memberships, donations, or retainers If you’re in Brazil or Mexico, you don’t have to pick just one. A WPForms Pro license includes both addons, so you can put Mercado Pago on your one-time order and booking forms for local buyers and use Stripe on your subscription forms. ### FAQ #### Is Mercado Pago better than Stripe? Neither is better across the board. Mercado Pago is the stronger choice for businesses in its seven supported countries selling to local buyers, especially when installments matter. Stripe is stronger for cross-border sales and recurring payments. #### Can I use Mercado Pago and Stripe on the same WordPress site? Yes. Both addons are included with WPForms Pro and Elite. Keep in mind that your WPForms currency is a site-wide setting, so both processors charge in the same currency. #### Does Mercado Pago work for businesses in the United States? Not through WPForms. The Mercado Pago addon needs an account registered in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, or Uruguay. US-based businesses can use Stripe, Square, PayPal Commerce, or Authorize.Net instead. #### Why don’t my buyers see installment options? Installment plans appear only after a buyer enters a complete card number, because Mercado Pago uses the card to work out which plans it qualifies for. Debit cards and smaller amounts often only qualify for a single payment. #### Does WPForms charge a fee on Mercado Pago payments? No. WPForms adds no transaction fee of its own to Mercado Pago payments. You pay only Mercado Pago’s processing rates for your country. #### Can I test Mercado Pago payments before going live? Yes. Turn on Test Mode and use the TEST- credentials from your Mercado Pago application. Test payments show up under WPForms » Payments with the Test Data toggle on, not in your Mercado Pago dashboard. ### Next, Compare Stripe and PayPal Selling across borders and leaning toward Stripe? Our [Stripe vs PayPal comparison](http://stripe-vs-paypal-which-one-is-better/) walks through which of those two fits your forms best. [Build Your WordPress Form Now](https://wpforms.com/pricing/) Ready to build your form? Get started today with the easiest WordPress form builder plugin. [WPForms Pro](https://wpforms.com/pricing) includes lots of free templates and offers a 14-day money-back guarantee. If this article helped you out, please follow us on [Facebook](https://facebook.com/wpforms) and [ X (Twitter)](https://twitter.com/easywpforms) for more free WordPress tutorials and guides. **Categories:** Integrations **Tags:** mercado pago, order forms, stripe, wordpress form, wpforms pro ---