Peanut Is Coming to Peru
Pay at 2.7M merchants via Yape — no DNI or Carné de Extranjería needed. Sign up to get notified when Peanut launches.
Peru runs on Yape. Over 14 million people use it to pay at bodegas, supermarkets, restaurants, and street vendors across the country. But for visitors, tourists, and people sending money from abroad, there is a wall: you need a DNI (for Peruvians) or a Carné de Extranjería (for foreigners) to access most local financial services including Yape. Getting either takes paperwork, waiting, and bureaucracy that most travelers skip entirely. Credit cards work at larger establishments, but cash is still essential in many areas, and card fees pile up fast.
Peanut will change that. When we launch in Peru, you will be able to pay via Yape at 2.7 million merchants — without a DNI, without a Carné de Extranjería, and without a Peruvian bank account. Just verify with your passport in under 2 minutes. Your digital dollars will convert to soles at the market rate, and the merchant will see a normal Yape payment. Whether you are visiting Cusco, living in Lima, or sending money to family from the US or Spain, Peanut will let you move money into Peru faster, cheaper, and with less friction than traditional options.
How It Will Work
- 1
Deposit from anywhere
Send digital dollars from any exchange or wallet via Solana, Arbitrum, Base, Tron, or Ethereum. Gas fees covered by Peanut. Or deposit from your bank via SEPA (Europe), ACH (US), or wire transfer. All deposits are free.
- 2
Your balance stays in dollars
Your balance will be held in digital dollars until you are ready to spend. No fluctuation between deposit and payment.
- 3
Pay via Yape
Scan a Yape QR code at any of Peru's 2.7 million merchants. Your dollars will convert to soles at the market rate. No fees from Peanut.
- 4
Instant settlement
The merchant will receive soles instantly via Yape. They will see a normal Yape payment — Peanut will be invisible on their end.
What Payment Methods Are Coming
Yape
Yape is Peru's dominant mobile payment app, operated by Banco de Credito del Peru (BCP) — the country's largest bank. With 14 million users and 2.7 million merchant users, Yape has become the default way to pay in Peru. QR codes are everywhere: at bodegas and corner shops, supermarkets, restaurants, cafes, street vendors, markets, and increasingly online.
What makes Peru's QR ecosystem especially strong is mandated interoperability. Since 2023, Yape, Plin (BBVA/Scotiabank/Interbank), and BIM all work together — one QR code can be scanned by any participating wallet. This is the most advanced QR interoperability in Latin America, and it means Peanut will plug into a payment network that reaches virtually every merchant accepting digital payments in Peru.
How it will work with Peanut: Open the Peanut app, tap "Pay," and scan the merchant's Yape QR code. Review the amount in PEN and the exchange rate. Confirm — the payment will arrive instantly. The merchant sees a normal Yape transaction on their end.
No DNI or Carné de Extranjería needed. Most Peruvian payment systems require local identification to set up. Peanut will accept passport verification from any country, removing the paperwork barrier for tourists, digital nomads, and anyone sending money to Peru.
Exchange Rate: What to Expect
When Peanut launches in Peru, your digital dollars will convert directly to Peruvian soles at the market rate. This bypasses the markups that credit cards, banks, and traditional remittance services add to every transaction.
Credit cards and bank transfers convert through intermediate steps that add cost at each stage. Peanut will convert digital dollars to soles directly — a shorter, more efficient path that typically results in a better rate for you.
Rate lock: The rate you see on the confirmation screen will be the rate you pay. It will lock at the moment of payment — no slippage, no post-transaction adjustments.
No fees. Peanut will charge nothing on deposits, payments, or withdrawals. The rate is the rate — there will be no separate fee line. Gas fees on network deposits and withdrawals are covered by Peanut.
Compare what you will save versus other services:
Who Will Use Peanut in Peru
Tourists
You land in Lima or fly into Cusco to visit Machu Picchu. Yape QR codes are at every shop, restaurant, and market — but without a DNI or Carné de Extranjería, you cannot sign up for Yape or access local payment apps. Credit cards work at hotels and larger restaurants, but smaller establishments, street vendors, and local markets prefer Yape or cash. Airport exchange counters and ATM withdrawals come with hefty fees and poor rates.
Peanut will give you Yape access from the moment you arrive. Verify with your passport, deposit digital dollars or transfer from your bank, and start scanning QR codes at 2.7 million merchants. Pay like a local from day one — at bodegas, in markets, at street food stalls — without carrying stacks of soles or overpaying with your foreign card.
Remittances (US and Spain)
The US-to-Peru corridor is one of the largest in the region, and Spain is a significant origin due to the Peruvian diaspora in Europe. Sending money to Peru through traditional channels — Western Union, bank wires, or remittance apps — means dealing with fees of 3-10%, unfavorable exchange rates, and delivery times measured in hours or days.
With Peanut, you will send digital dollars directly. Your recipient in Peru can receive funds via Yape — instantly, at the market rate. No waiting for bank processing. No watching 5-10% of the transfer disappear in fees. For a family in Lima receiving regular support from the US, the savings add up to hundreds of dollars per year.
Info
Get Notified
Peanut is not yet live for spending in Peru, but you can sign up now to get notified as soon as we launch. When the service goes live, you will be able to pay at 2.7 million merchants via Yape — without local ID, without a Peruvian bank account, and at a better rate than cards or traditional transfer services.
Today, you can already use Peanut to deposit and withdraw digital dollars in Peru via supported networks (Solana, Arbitrum, Base, Tron, Avalanche, Polygon, Ethereum). Spending via Yape is what is coming next.
Verification: When spending launches, you will verify with a passport or national ID card from any country. No DNI required, no Carné de Extranjería required. Verification takes under 2 minutes for most users, powered by Persona (SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR, ISO 27001). Peanut never sees or stores your identity documents.
FAQ
When will Peanut launch in Peru?+
Peanut is actively working on integrating Yape for local spending in Peru. We do not have an exact launch date yet, but you can sign up now to be notified as soon as the service goes live. In the meantime, you can already deposit and withdraw digital dollars via supported networks.
What payment methods will Peanut support in Peru?+
Peanut will integrate with Yape, Peru's dominant mobile payment app with 14 million users and 2.7 million merchants. Thanks to Peru's mandated QR interoperability, Peanut's Yape integration will also work with Plin and BIM QR codes — giving you access to virtually every digital payment-accepting merchant in the country.
How do I get early access to Peanut in Peru?+
Sign up at peanut.me to get notified when Yape spending launches. You can also start using Peanut today for digital dollar deposits and withdrawals — the account you create now will have full spending access when Peru goes live.
Do I need a DNI or Carné de Extranjería to use Peanut in Peru?+
No. Peanut will accept passport or national ID verification from any country. You will not need a DNI (for Peruvians), a Carné de Extranjería (for foreigners), or a Peruvian bank account. This is one of Peanut's core differentiators — local payment access without local paperwork.
Will Peanut work at smaller merchants and markets in Peru?+
If the merchant has a Yape QR code, Peanut will work there. While Yape adoption is highest in Lima and major cities like Cusco, Arequipa, and Trujillo, the network of 2.7 million merchants extends throughout urban Peru. In rural areas and traditional markets where cash still dominates, you may need soles. But for most everyday spending in populated areas, Yape coverage is excellent.
Can I send money to someone in Peru who does not have Peanut?+
Yes. You will be able to share a Peanut Link via WhatsApp, text, or email. Your recipient clicks the link, claims the funds, and can withdraw to their bank account or Yape. They receive soles at the market rate with no extra fees. No Peanut app required on their end.
