Temenos executive says Latin America leads in digital payments

Latin American banking markets are setting a fast pace in digital adoption and payments, according to Rodrigo Silva, president for the Americas at Temenos. Speaking to Finextra TV at the Temenos Community Forum, Silva said the region’s young population has helped make it an early mover in digital financial services, with banks now facing pressure to make those services easier to use across customer journeys.

Silva described Latin America as a broad market rather than a single uniform banking bloc. He said the region includes many countries with different approaches to financial services, regulation and market development, but identified younger demographics as a common factor across markets.

That population profile has supported adoption of digital banking and payment tools, Silva said. In his view, Latin American markets have become pioneers in the use of digital channels, particularly in payments, as consumers show a willingness to use newer forms of financial interaction.

The challenge now, according to Silva, is less about persuading customers to try digital channels and more about improving how those channels work in practice. He said financial institutions need to make digital experiences feel more connected and less fragmented for customers.

For banks and financial technology providers, that distinction matters. A market can record high adoption of digital tools while still leaving users to move between separate applications, processes or service points. Silva’s comments point to a shift from access and uptake toward the quality of the overall experience.

The remarks also underline the difficulty of treating Latin America as a single commercial or policy category. Silva said countries in the region take different approaches, which means banking strategies must account for local market conditions even where customer demographics and digital behaviour share common themes.

Finextra TV published the interview as sponsored content created by its editorial team with input from subject matter experts at the funding sponsor. The discussion formed part of its coverage from the Temenos Community Forum and focused on banking trends in the Latin American market.

No specific country rankings, transaction volumes or adoption rates were cited in the Finextra TV summary of Silva’s remarks. His central argument was that a young customer base has helped Latin America move early in digital banking and payments, while the next phase will depend on whether institutions can make those digital services more seamless for users.

This story draws on original reporting from Finextra Research.