According to PYMNTS.com, Walmart de México is integrating Aplazo’s buy now, pay later service into its digital payments platform with 1.5 million preapproved credit lines already established. Customers can register and get approval in under five minutes, choosing biweekly payment plans while instantly seeing total costs. Aplazo CEO Ángel Peña stated this targets over 60 million Mexican adults needing flexible financial options. Walmart’s Santiago Benvenuto emphasized this enhances eCommerce convenience and purchasing options. The move comes as PYMNTS Intelligence found Mexico is becoming mobile-first, with 29% of shoppers experiencing payment friction and 17% facing unexpected charges.
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The Mexican payment problem
Here’s the thing about Mexico’s retail market – it’s hitting that awkward growth phase where digital adoption is accelerating but payment infrastructure isn’t quite keeping up. Nearly one-third of online shoppers are running into payment issues, which is absolutely brutal for conversion rates. And that 17% experiencing unexpected charges? That’s higher than the global average, suggesting there’s something fundamentally messy about how payments are being handled.
Basically, you’ve got this perfect storm where consumers are ready to shop on their phones but keep getting tripped up at checkout. That creates exactly the kind of opening that BNPL players like Aplazo can exploit. They’re not just offering credit – they’re offering a smoother path to actually completing purchases.
Why Walmart is betting big
So why would Walmart, of all companies, jump into this? Look, Walmart Mexico isn’t just trying to sell more stuff – they’re trying to own the entire shopping ecosystem. When Santiago Benvenuto talks about “accelerating eCommerce,” what he really means is removing every possible barrier between seeing a product and owning it.
And let’s be real – 1.5 million preapproved credit lines isn’t some small test. That’s a massive commitment that suggests Walmart sees this as fundamental to their growth strategy in Mexico. They’re not just adding another payment option – they’re building financial infrastructure directly into their platform.
The BNPL reality check
Now, I’ve got to ask – is this actually “responsible credit” like Aplazo’s CEO claims? BNPL has faced plenty of criticism elsewhere for potentially encouraging overspending. The whole “choose your biweekly payments” thing sounds great until you realize people might be stacking multiple BNPL commitments across different retailers.
But here’s where this might be different: Walmart is integrating this directly into their existing digital payments app. That means they potentially have better visibility into someone’s overall spending patterns than standalone BNPL providers. Still, the proof will be in the default rates and whether this actually helps families “save money and live better” as promised.
The real test will be whether this integration actually reduces that 29% payment friction number. If it does, we’ll probably see every major retailer in Mexico scrambling to copy this model. If not? Well, it’ll just become another complicated payment option that confuses more than it helps.
