Mastercard Offers 50% Payout to Settle Will Bank Dispute

Brazil’s central bank ordered the liquidation of Will Bank, a fintech lender controlled by the Banco Master group, on Jan. 21, 2026, after its financial position deteriorated and it failed to meet payment-settlement obligations. Merchant acquirers had already advanced funds to retailers for Mastercard-branded card transactions, leaving them exposed when Will Bank collapsed. The dispute is significant because it tests how losses are allocated among issuers, card networks and acquirers in Brazil’s payments system.

Mastercard has proposed paying affected Brazilian acquirers 50% of their claimed amounts and providing fraud-prevention services for several years, seeking to limit disruption across the payments ecosystem. The company has not disclosed the proposal’s total cash value or the precise duration of the services. Implementation would depend on the liquidator transferring related funds, leaving the final recovery and payment timetable uncertain while Mastercard and the acquirers work toward a settlement.