Fintech & payments regulation in Guatemala (2026)

Legal framework

Ley de Bancos y Grupos Financieros (Decreto 19-2002); Ley Orgánica del Banco de Guatemala (Decreto 16-2002); supervised by Superintendencia de Bancos (SIB) and Junta Monetaria / Banco de Guatemala

Key points: digital payments & fintech in Guatemala

1. 01No dedicated PSP/e-money licensing

   Guatemala has no specific legislation for non-bank payment service providers, e-money issuers (EMIs), or fintech firms; such entities must operate under general Guatemalan commercial law or obtain a full banking licence from the SIB, with no intermediate payment-institution authorisation available.

   consortiumlegal.com consortiumlegal.com

2. 02Banguat / Junta Monetaria as payment-system regulator

   The Banco de Guatemala (Banguat) holds statutory responsibility for the sound functioning of the national payment system under the Ley Orgánica del Banco de Guatemala (Decreto 16-2002); the Junta Monetaria issues binding resolutions affecting payment operations.

   banguat.gob.gt banguat.gob.gt

3. 03Credit Card Law, Decreto 2-2024

   Guatemala enacted Decreto 2-2024 (Ley de Tarjetas de Crédito) in 2024, regulating issuer-affiliate-cardholder relationships and consumer protections for credit cards; the Junta Monetaria implemented it through Resolution JM-56-2024 (Credit Card Regulation).

   congreso.gob.gt banguat.gob.gt

4. 04Draft e-money law not yet enacted

   The SIB proposed a draft law to regulate electronic money-issuing entities (operadores de dinero electrónico), requiring them to be constituted as joint-stock companies authorised by the Junta Monetaria; the bill had not been passed by Congress as of early 2026, leaving electronic wallets in a regulatory gap.

   dplnews.com prensalibre.com

5. 05No open banking or instant-payment rail

   The SIB has not introduced formal open banking regulation; local institutions are voluntarily upgrading APIs in anticipation of future rules. No national instant-payment rail or regulatory mandate for real-time retail transfers exists, though interoperability is a stated priority in ENIF 2024-2027.

   openbankingtracker.com ozoneapi.com

6. 06BNPL unregulated; ENIF targets inclusion

   Buy-Now-Pay-Later products face no specific regulation and are treated under general consumer-credit rules. Guatemala's National Financial Inclusion Strategy (ENIF) 2024-2027, presented June 2024, sets targets for interoperable digital payments, simplified account opening, and remittance modernisation as policy priorities.

   iupana.com trade.gov

Timeline of decisions

1. 17 Sept 2026Law
   Decreto 15-2026 AML Law Enters Into Force: VASPs Become Regulated Obligated Entities

   Guatemala's comprehensive new Anti-Money Laundering Law (Decreto 15-2026) took effect on September 17, 2026, for the first time explicitly designating virtual-asset service providers (crypto exchanges, custodians) as 'obligated persons' required to report to the SIB's Intendencia de Verificación Especial (IVE). This is the first binding AML compliance obligation imposed on crypto-fintech businesses in Guatemala.

   Consortium Legal

2. 17 Jun 2026Law
   Congress Enacts Decreto 15-2026: Consolidated AML/CFT Law Covering Virtual Assets

   Published in the Official Gazette on June 17, 2026, Decreto 15-2026 repealed two prior AML statutes and unified them into a single body of rules, expressly extending its scope to virtual-asset service providers for the first time. The law aligned Guatemala's AML framework with FATF Recommendation 15 on virtual assets.

   CriptoNoticias

3. 22 Oct 2025Decision · official
   Junta Monetaria Adopts JM-98-2025: New Technology-Risk Regulation for Banks, Adds AI and Cloud Rules

   Resolution JM-98-2025, approved October 22 and published October 30, 2025, replaced the 2021 technology-risk framework entirely, adding requirements on AI ethical use, hybrid/cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity governance, and third-party supplier management. It is Guatemala's first regulation to address artificial intelligence in financial services and set new cyber-resilience benchmarks for all SIB-supervised institutions.

   Leyes de Guatemala (Official Registry)

4. 27 May 2024Decision
   Junta Monetaria Issues JM-56-2024: Credit Card Regulation Implementing Decreto 2-2024

   Resolution JM-56-2024 established implementing rules for Guatemala's new Credit Card Law, covering payment-capacity assessment, mandatory consumer disclosures, SIB supervisory powers, and international card-security standards (PCI-DSS compliance). It applies to all SIB-supervised card issuers including banks and fintech-affiliated financial companies.

   Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias

5. 1 Feb 2024Law · official
   Congress Enacts Decreto 2-2024: New Credit Card Law (Effective September 2024)

   Guatemala's Congress passed Decreto 2-2024, a new Credit Card Law replacing the 2015 statute, establishing consumer protections, fee-cap rules, and security requirements for card issuers and processors. The law entered into force on September 1, 2024, directly tightening the legal environment for card-based digital payment services.

   Congreso de la República de Guatemala

6. 30 Jan 2024Guidance
   SIB and Banguat Publish Draft Electronic Money Operators Law — First Licensing Framework for Non-Bank E-Money

   Guatemala's Banking Superintendency (SIB) and Banco de Guatemala jointly released a draft law to create a dedicated licensing regime for electronic-money operators, covering authorization requirements, risk management, service limits, and mandatory 100%-backed guarantee deposits held at Banguat. As of early 2024 the bill had not yet been submitted to Congress, leaving digital-wallet providers operating in a legal gap.

   Consortium Legal

7. 1 Jul 2019Decision · official
   SIB Launches Innovation Hub — First Fintech Regulatory Engagement Center in Central America

   The Superintendencia de Bancos launched Guatemala's SIB Innovation Hub in July 2019, the first such fintech advisory channel in Central America, offering legal-framework guidance and AML compliance consultations to innovative companies. Within one year it had served approximately 40 fintech firms, catalysing the growth of Guatemala's fintech ecosystem from roughly 5 companies to over 30 by the mid-2020s.

   Superintendencia de Bancos de Guatemala

8. 1 Mar 2006Decision · official
   Banguat Launches National Payment System Modernization: ACH Clearing House and RTGS Go Live

   Guatemala's Banco de Guatemala rolled out its National Payment System Modernization in early 2006, implementing an electronic check clearing house (ACH) and a Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system. This infrastructure established the interbank backbone on which all subsequent digital payment services — including the GuateACH instant-transfer network — were built.

   Banco de Guatemala

9. 29 Apr 2002Law · official
   Decreto 19-2002: Ley de Bancos y Grupos Financieros — Primary Framework for Licensed Payment Services

   Guatemala's Banking and Financial Groups Law (Decreto 19-2002), enacted April 29, 2002, established the authorization regime for banks, financial societies, and financial groups, defining the services — including deposits, credit cards, and electronic transfers — that only licensed entities may offer. All digital-payment providers operating through supervised institutions remain subject to this foundational statute.

   Banco de Guatemala (Official Publication)

10. 1 Jan 2002Law · official
    Decreto 16-2002: Organic Law of the Bank of Guatemala — Banguat Mandated to Regulate the Payment System

    Guatemala's Ley Orgánica del Banco de Guatemala (Decreto 16-2002) established Banguat's constitutional mandate to organise, regulate, and supervise the national payment system, act as sole issuer of legal currency, and maintain monetary stability. This law forms the ultimate legal foundation for every subsequent payment-system and fintech regulation issued in Guatemala.

    Banco de Guatemala

Sources

1. 1.banguat.gob.gt/en/page/payment-system
2. 2.sib.gob.gt/
3. 3.consortiumlegal.com/2024/01/30/esfuerzos-regulatorios-en-materia-fintech-en-guatemala/
4. 4.congreso.gob.gt/assets/uploads/info_legislativo/decretos/0ede1-02-2024.pdf
5. 5.banguat.gob.gt/sites/default/files/banguat/Publica/Res_JM/2024/Res_JM-56-2024.pdf
6. 6.dplnews.com/guatemala-dinero-electronico-el-anteproyecto-de-ley-que-busca-regular
7. 7.openbankingtracker.com/country/guatemala
8. 8.ozoneapi.com/blog/the-status-of-open-finance-in-latin-america-in-2025/
9. 9.consortiumlegal.com/en/2022/08/16/electronic-wallets-in-guatemala/
10. 10.prensalibre.com/economia/dinero-electronico-el-anteproyecto-de-ley-que-busca-regular-
11. 11.iupana.com/2025/05/12/una-receta-de-inclusion-para-guatemala/
12. 12.trade.gov/market-intelligence/guatemala-fintech-opportunities