Peruvian fintech Yape has set ambitious plans to reach 50 per cent of Bolivia’s population by 2028, positioning itself as the country’s dominant digital wallet. The company, which entered the Bolivian market just two years ago, also revealed intentions to launch digital credit services in 2026 to drive financial inclusion in a largely informal economy.
Yape has already surpassed a critical mass of adoption in the market, boasting more than 3.7 million users, of whom 1.7 million are affiliated merchants. The rapid expansion comes in a market marked by high informality and low financial inclusion, where the fintech is moving to fill the gap left by traditional banking services.
Adapting to local needs
Speaking at the Latam Epayment Summit 2025, organized by Capece, Carlos Andrés Lepesqueur, country head of Yape Bolivia, outlined the company’s strategic vision.
“We aim for 50 per cent of Bolivians to be using Yape within the next three years. We want one million new users to gain access to simple credit solutions. We also want to help accelerate e-commerce, as Bolivia presents a huge opportunity due to the low penetration of card-based payments,” Lepesqueur said.
The platform expects to reach 5.5 million users in 2026 and six million by 2028, in a country with a population of approximately 12 million. Lepesqueur explained that Yape’s success is rooted in its ability to adapt to the local environment, specifically targeting the high levels of informal commerce.
Unlike Peru, where economic activity is heavily concentrated in Lima, Bolivia operates along a central economic corridor comprising La Paz, Cochabamba, and Santa Cruz. These cities together represent 60 per cent of the population and 73 per cent of the country’s GDP, a factor Yape has integrated into its growth strategy.
Digital credit expansion
A key pillar of Yape’s future growth in Bolivia is the introduction of digital credit services, set to begin next year following a model already implemented in Peru. Initially, the focus will be on high-activity merchants within the platform, with the service later expanding to individual users.
“We would love to provide access to one million customers who have historically been excluded from the Bolivian financial system by 2028,” Lepesqueur added.
While the company is still fine-tuning its strategy and completing regulatory requirements, the roadmap is clear. “By mid-2026, we could start with single-installment credit products and gradually scale toward multi-installment loans with higher ticket values,” Lepesqueur explained.
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