Everything you need to know about Cordial

Even amidst a mixed overall economic picture, Latin American e-commerce is booming. Due in part to high internet and mobile penetration rates, the region is attractive to merchants across multiple major retail sectors.

The e-commerce landscape is characterized by a combination of small businesses and larger national and regional platforms, but is also notable for its openness to cross-border e-commerce: in a recent PayU survey, nearly one quarter of Colombians said they had bought e-commerce products internationally within the past year. More than 60 percent of those cross-border buyers reported buying online from merchants in the United States.

The market picture in Argentina is similar – however in order to reach local customers, e-commerce businesses must understand the local payment landscape and offer customers the payment methods they prefer to use.

Within Argentina, alternative payment methods like Rapipago and Pago Fácil are important to be aware of for merchants entering the market. While more traditional, another important payment method to include in the checkout mix in Argentina is Cordial, a popular local credit card.

Read on for more details about this popular local payment method and how merchants can add Cordial to their e-commerce store.

What is Cordial?

Cordial is an Argentinian credit card co-branded with MasterCard. It’s an international card that allows customers to make purchases in online stores identified with the Mastercard logo in Argentina and the world. Moreover, customers get to enjoy discounts and exclusive Mastercard promotions.

Cordial Financial Company S.A. (CCF) was established in 2011 with the incorporation of GE Money, a financial services division of General Electric, into the Supervielle Group. The bank offers financial solutions in 20 Carta Automática branches and through strategic partners, reaching more than 130 points of sale, with more than 1,100 employees throughout the country and leading the ranking of private credit card issuing entities. 

How does Cordial work?

Checking out with Cordial is the same as for any other card payment. Customers must write their card numbers on the appropriate fields and enter the card’s expiration date and cardholder name as it appears on the cards. Next, they enter the security numbers printed on their cards’ backs as part of standard credit card procedures.

Why do merchants and consumers use Cordial?

Like much of Latin America, Argentina is characterized by high internet penetration and the growing popularity of e-commerce. And while alternative payment methods are an important part of selling online in any Latin American country, credit and debit cards are still an important online payment method for those who have them. 

For merchants, accepting Cordial is one way to localize the checkout experience and reach an important segment of the Argentinian market.

How can merchants start accepting Cordial?

Cordial is a credit card issued locally in Argentina. In order to accept Cordial and other important local payment methods, merchants should choose a payment gateway that gives the option to offer these payment methods at checkout.

PayU allows merchants to accept Cordial and hundreds of other local payment methods around the world, all through one global payment platform. Through the PayU Hub, merchants benefit from both global reach as well as local expertise, including the ability to offer a wide range of local and alternative payment methods to reach customers in any international market.