canonical: https://jentic.com/apis/payulatam.com/payulatam

# PayU Latam Payments API

PayU Latam Payments API provides payment processing for merchants across Latin America. It supports credit and debit card transactions, bank transfers, QR code payments, and cash-based payment methods specific to each LatAm country. The API handles payment submission, authorization, capture, and transaction queries across Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Panama with local currency settlement.

## For AI agents

Submit payments, query transaction statuses, and process refunds for Latin American merchants across cards, bank transfers, and local cash methods.

## Scope

Does not handle subscription management, invoicing, or payouts - use for payment submission and transaction queries only.

## Capabilities

- Submit card, bank transfer, and cash payments across 7 Latin American countries
- Query transaction status and details by order ID, reference code, or transaction ID
- Process authorizations with deferred capture for card transactions
- Retrieve available bank lists for bank transfer payment methods
- Verify API connectivity and merchant credential validity via ping
- Handle local payment methods including OXXO, Boleto, PSE, and Baloto

## Use cases

### Latin American Card Payments

Process credit and debit card payments for customers across Latin America. PayU handles local acquiring in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Panama with support for Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, and local brands like Elo and Hipercard. Merchants submit payment requests via POST `/payments-api/4.0/service.cgi` with card details, amount, and currency. PayU returns authorization status with fraud screening results.

Example prompt: Submit a card payment for 150000 COP (Colombian Pesos) with card number, expiry, and buyer details via POST `/payments-api/4.0/service.cgi` using the SUBMIT_TRANSACTION command

### Local Cash and Bank Transfer Methods

Accept payments through cash vouchers and bank transfers popular in each LatAm market. PayU supports OXXO and SPEI in Mexico, Boleto Bancario in Brazil, PSE bank transfers in Colombia, and similar local methods. Each method generates a payment reference or voucher that the customer pays at a physical location or through their bank's online portal.

Example prompt: Create a PSE bank transfer payment for 80000 COP, retrieve the available banks list via POST `/payments-api/4.0/service.cgi`#getBanksList, and redirect the customer to the selected bank

### Transaction Queries and Reporting

Look up transaction details and status across multiple query methods. PayU provides transaction queries by order ID, reference code, and transaction ID through dedicated report endpoints. This enables reconciliation, customer support lookups, and automated status monitoring for payment operations across all supported Latin American markets.

Example prompt: Query the transaction status for reference code 'REF-2024-MX-001' via POST `/reports-api/4.0/service.cgi`#queryByReferenceCode and return the payment state and amount

### AI Agent Payment Operations via Jentic

AI agents use the PayU Latam API through Jentic to submit payments, query transactions, and manage LatAm payment flows without handling raw merchant credentials. Agents search by intent, receive typed schemas for PayU's command-based API structure, and execute calls with Jentic managing the apiLogin and apiKey injection. This enables automated payment workflows across 7 Latin American countries.

Example prompt: Search Jentic for 'process payment in Colombia', load the schema for POST `/payments-api/4.0/service.cgi`, and execute a SUBMIT_TRANSACTION command for 50000 COP

## Key endpoints

| Method | Path | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| POST | `/payments-api/4.0/service.cgi` | Submit a payment transaction |
| POST | `/payments-api/4.0/service.cgi#getBanksList` | Retrieve available banks for transfers |
| POST | `/payments-api/4.0/service.cgi#ping` | Test API connectivity |
| POST | `/reports-api/4.0/service.cgi#queryByOrderId` | Query transaction by order ID |
| POST | `/reports-api/4.0/service.cgi#queryByReferenceCode` | Query transaction by reference code |
| POST | `/reports-api/4.0/service.cgi#queryByTransactionId` | Query transaction by transaction ID |

## Key resources

- **Payments** — Submit card, bank transfer, and cash payments with authorization and capture
- **Reports** — Query transactions by order ID, reference code, or transaction ID
- **Banks** — Retrieve available banks for transfer-based payment methods
- **Ping** — Verify API connectivity and credential validity

## Why Jentic

- **Setup:** Wiring the PayU Latam Payments API by hand means learning its command-based service.cgi structure, placing apiLogin and apiKey in the request payload, and choosing the sandbox or production host yourself. Through Jentic you install once, import PayU Latam from the API Directory, store the merchant credentials once, and your agent calls it.
- **Permission scoping:** PayU Latam sends its command and target details in the request body of a single service endpoint, so scope the agent by the operations it needs, such as querying an order by id or reference code. You choose that set, so payment submission is not included unless you add it.
- **Credential handling:** Your PayU Latam apiLogin and apiKey are stored once, encrypted, by your own Jentic One instance and injected into the request payload at execution time. They never enter the agent's prompt, logs, or context.
- **Discovery method:** Agents search Jentic by intent such as 'process a payment in Colombia' or 'query an order by reference code', and Jentic returns the matching PayU Latam operation with its input schema for the command-based structure so the agent calls the right endpoint without reading the reference docs.

## Related APIs

- **Stripe API** — Global payment processor expanding into LatAm but with fewer local cash methods
- **Flutterwave API** — African payment gateway for merchants operating in both LatAm and African markets
- **Paystack API** — African payment gateway with similar regional focus but for Sub-Saharan Africa

## FAQ

### What authentication does the PayU Latam API use?

The PayU Latam API uses merchant authentication with apiLogin and apiKey credentials included in the request body of each API call. Through Jentic, these credentials are stored encrypted and injected automatically into the request payload so agents do not handle raw merchant keys.

### Which countries does the PayU Latam API support?

PayU Latam supports merchants in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Panama. Each country has specific local payment methods available alongside international card brands. The API endpoint and account ID vary by country.

### What are the rate limits for the PayU Latam API?

PayU Latam applies per-merchant rate limits of approximately 100 transactions per minute for payment submissions. Report query endpoints have separate limits. High-volume merchants can request increased thresholds through their PayU account manager.

### How do I query a transaction status through Jentic?

Search Jentic for 'query PayU transaction', load the schema for POST `/reports-api/4.0/service.cgi`#queryByReferenceCode, and execute with the reference code. Jentic injects your apiLogin and apiKey automatically and returns the transaction state, amount, and payment method details.

### Does the PayU Latam API support cash payment methods?

Yes. PayU supports cash-based methods including OXXO in Mexico, Boleto Bancario in Brazil, Baloto and Efecty in Colombia, and PagoEfectivo in Peru. Each method generates a voucher or reference code that the customer pays at a physical location within a defined expiry window.

### Can I limit what my agent is allowed to do with the PayU Latam Payments API?

Yes. Because you run Jentic One yourself, your own rules decide which PayU Latam operations and merchant credentials the agent may use. Since PayU Latam sends its command and target in the request body of one service endpoint, you scope the agent to the specific operations it needs, such as querying a transaction by order ID or reference code. Payment submission is not available to the agent unless you explicitly add it to that allowed set.