Through Resolution No. 8, Minutes No. 31, dated July 13, 2026, the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Paraguay (“BCP”) approved the new Regulation establishing the National Payments System Fee Framework (the “Regulation”), aligning the existing regulatory framework with Law No. 7503/2025 “National Payments System”.
Unlike the previous regime, which was limited to certain services provided through the Paraguayan Payment System (“SIPAP”), the Regulation significantly broadens its scope of application, encompassing not only services processed through SIPAP, but also acquiring, network operation and processing services within the card payments ecosystem, as well as payment services involving debit and/or credit transactions to accounts carried out through proprietary systems authorized by the BCP.
One of the Regulation's main objectives is to prevent regulatory arbitrage between functionally equivalent services and to ensure that fees adequately reflect the economic nature and costs associated with each service. In particular, the BCP identified that certain transactions initiated through QR codes were being marketed as debit card payments when, in fact, they correspond to account-to-account transfers with considerably simpler and less costly operational structures.
In this context, the Regulation introduces a differentiated fee regime for the various payment services. Among its most significant developments is the establishment of a maximum fee cap of 1.5% for payment initiation services, payment requests and direct debits carried out through proprietary systems, applicable exclusively to the beneficiary merchant.
Another noteworthy aspect is the expansion of the entities subject to the Regulation. The new fee framework applies to payment service providers regulated by the BCP.
Finally, although the Resolution entered into force upon its publication, the BCP granted entities a transition period until January 1, 2027, to implement the adjustments necessary for compliance. Failure to comply with the provisions of the Regulation may trigger the application of the sanctions set forth under the applicable legal framework.
