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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2026
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of presentation
The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“U.S. GAAP”) and include the accounts of the Company, its wholly-owned subsidiaries and consolidated Variable Interest Entities (“VIEs”). These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements are stated in U.S. dollars, except for where otherwise indicated. Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated for consolidation purposes.
These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements reflect the Company’s consolidated financial position as of June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025. These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements include the Company’s consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income and equity for the six and three-month periods ended June 30, 2026 and 2025 and statements of cash flows for the six-month periods ended June 30, 2026 and 2025. These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements include all normal recurring adjustments that Management believes are necessary to fairly state the Company’s financial position, operating results and cash flows.
Because all of the disclosures required by U.S. GAAP for annual consolidated financial statements are not included herein, these unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2025, contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) (the “Company’s 2025 10-K”). The Company has evaluated all subsequent events through the date these unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements were issued. The interim condensed consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, equity and cash flows for the periods presented herein are not necessarily indicative of results expected for any future period. For a more detailed discussion of the Company’s significant accounting policies, see Note 2 to the financial statements in the Company’s 2025 10-K. During the six-month period ended June 30, 2026, there were no material updates made to the Company’s significant accounting policies.
Use of estimates
The preparation of these unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires Management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Estimates are used for, but not limited to, accounting and disclosures for allowance for doubtful accounts and chargeback provisions, inventories valuation reserves, recoverability of goodwill, intangible assets with indefinite useful lives and deferred tax assets, impairment of cash and cash equivalents, short-term and long-term investments, impairment of long-lived assets, separation of lease and non lease components for aircraft leases, asset retirement obligation, compensation costs relating to the Company’s long term retention program, fair value of certain loans payable and other financial liabilities, fair value of loans receivable, fair value of derivative instruments, income taxes, contingencies and determination of the incremental borrowing rate at commencement date of lease operating agreements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Supplier finance programs
The Company and certain financial institutions participate in a supplier finance program that enables certain of the Company’s suppliers, at their own election, to request the payment of their invoices to the financial institutions earlier than the terms stated in the Company’s payment policies. As of June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025, the obligations outstanding that the Company has confirmed as valid to the financial institutions amounted to $819 million and $616 million, respectively.
For further information related to Supplier Finance Programs please refer to Note 4 to the consolidated financial statements in the Company’s 2025 10-K.
Revenue recognition
Revenue recognition criteria for the services provided and goods sold by the Company are described in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements in the Company’s 2025 10-K.
The gain arising from sales of credit card receivables, net of the costs recognized on sale of such credit card receivables, is $823 million and $456 million, and $525 million and $270 million, for the six and three-month periods ended June 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively. See Note 4 – Loans receivable, net of these interim condensed consolidated financial statements for further details on the sales of loans receivables.
Revenues recognized under ASC 606, Revenue from contracts with customers, amounted to $13,120 million and $7,055 million for the six and three-month periods ended June 30, 2026, respectively and $8,994 million and $4,803 million for the six and three-month periods ended June 30, 2025, respectively. Revenues not recognized under ASC 606 amounted to $5,894 million and $3,114 million for the six and three-month periods ended June 30, 2026, respectively and $3,731 million and $1,987 million for the six and three-month periods ended June 30, 2025, respectively.
Contract balances
Timing of revenue recognition may differ from the timing of invoicing to customers. Receivables represent amounts invoiced and revenue recognized prior to invoicing when the Company has satisfied the performance obligation and has the unconditional right to payment. Accounts receivable and credit card receivables and other means of payments are presented net of allowance for doubtful accounts and chargebacks of $88 million and $63 million as of June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively. See Note 4 – Loans receivable, net of these unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements for information related to the allowance for doubtful accounts with respect to the Company’s loans receivable.
Contract liabilities from contracts with customers consist of fees received related to unsatisfied performance obligations at the end of the period in accordance with ASC 606. Due to the generally short-term duration of contracts, the majority of the performance obligations are satisfied in the following months. Contract liabilities from contracts with customers as of December 31, 2025 was $133 million, of which $131 million was recognized as revenue during the six-month period ended June 30, 2026.
As of June 30, 2026, total contract liabilities from contracts with customers recognized within current other liabilities was $172 million, mainly due to fees related to classified advertising services billed, subscriptions and loyalty programs, shipping services and inventory sales that are expected to be recognized as revenue in the coming months.
As of June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025, the assets under management of the Company related to mutual funds amount to $5,568 million and $4,536 million, respectively.
Foreign currency translation
All of the Company’s foreign operations have determined the local currency to be their functional currency, except for Argentina, which has used the U.S. dollar as its functional currency since July 1, 2018. Accordingly, the foreign subsidiaries with local currency as functional currency translate assets and liabilities from their local currencies into U.S. dollars by using period-end exchange rates while income and expense accounts are translated at the average monthly rates in effect during the period, unless exchange rates fluctuate significantly during the period, in which case the exchange rates at the date of the transaction are used. The resulting translation adjustment is recorded as a component of other comprehensive income (loss). Gains and losses resulting from transactions denominated in non-functional currencies are recognized in earnings. Net foreign currency transaction results are included in the interim condensed consolidated statements of income under the caption “Foreign currency losses, net.”
The following tables summarize the changes in foreign currency translation during the six and three-month periods ended June 30, 2026 and 2025:
Six Months Ended June 30,Three Months Ended June 30,
2026202520262025
(In millions)
Balance at beginning of period$(507)$(926)$(380)$(765)
Gains on foreign currency translation21037183210
Balance at end of period$(297)$(555)$(297)$(555)
Argentine currency status and macroeconomic outlook
As of July 1, 2018, the Company transitioned its Argentine operations to highly inflationary status in accordance with U.S. GAAP, and changed the functional currency for Argentine subsidiaries from Argentine Pesos to U.S. dollars, which is the functional currency of their immediate parent company. Argentina’s inflation rate for the six and three-month periods ended June 30, 2026 and 2025 was 16.8% and 6.8% and 15.1% and 6.0%, respectively. Additionally, Argentina’s average inter-annual inflation rate for the six and three-month periods ended June 30, 2026 was 32.9% and 33.0%, respectively.
The Company uses Argentina’s official exchange rate to account for transactions in the Argentine segment, which as of June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025 was 1,482.00 and 1,455.00 Argentine Pesos, respectively, against the U.S. dollar. During the six-month periods ended June 30, 2026 and 2025, Argentina’s official exchange rate against the U.S. dollar increased by 1.9% and 16.8%, respectively. The average exchange rate for the three-month periods ended June 30, 2026 and 2025 was 1,410.26 and 1,151.04, respectively, resulting in an increase of 22.5%. The average exchange rate for the six-month periods ended June 30, 2026 and 2025 was 1,414.01 and 1,104.02, respectively, resulting in an increase of 28.1%.
Argentine exchange regulations
In the second half of 2019, the Argentine government instituted exchange controls restricting the ability of companies and individuals to exchange Argentine Pesos for foreign currencies and their ability to remit foreign currency out of Argentina. An entity’s authorization request to the Central Bank of Argentina (“CBA”) to access the official exchange market to make foreign currency payments may be denied depending on the circumstances. As a result of these exchange controls, markets in Argentina developed trading mechanisms, in which an entity or individual buys U.S. dollar denominated securities in Argentina (i.e. shares, sovereign debt) using Argentine Pesos, and subsequently sells the securities for U.S. dollars, in Argentina, to access U.S. dollars locally, or outside Argentina, by transferring the securities abroad, prior to being sold (the latter commonly known as “Blue Chip Swap Rate”).
On April 11, 2025, the Argentine government announced a series of measures aimed at easing regulations related to access to the foreign exchange market. Among other modifications, these measures included the establishment of floating bands (which started between $1,000 and $1,400 Argentine Pesos, a range that was updated at a rate of 1% per month until December 2025) within which the dollar exchange rate in the foreign exchange market may fluctuate, the elimination of foreign exchange restrictions applicable to individuals, the ability of companies to transfer dividends abroad to non-resident shareholders related to fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2025 and provide greater flexibility to make payments abroad for imports of goods and services. Effective January 1, 2026, the floating bands are updated monthly in accordance with the most recently published monthly inflation rate.
On September 26, 2025, the CBA imposed a restriction that prohibits purchasing securities on the Argentina Stock Market that are to be settled in foreign currency for a period of 90 days following the purchase of foreign currency in the official exchange market. As of June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025, the spread between the official exchange rate and the Blue Chip Swap Rate was 5.1% and 4.6%, respectively.
Income taxes
The Company's accounting policy for income taxes is described in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements in the Company’s 2025 10-K.
The Company’s consolidated estimated effective tax rate for the six and three-month periods ended June 30, 2026, as compared to the same periods in 2025, decreased from 28.5% to 25.5% and from 27.0% to 23.2%, respectively, mainly as a result of higher non-taxable gains attributable to tax benefits, along with greater tax deductions arising from permanent differences in the Brazilian segment.
A valuation allowance is recorded when, based on the available evidence, it is more likely than not that all or a portion of the Company’s deferred tax assets will not be realized. In accordance with ASC 740, Management periodically assesses the need to either establish or reverse a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets considering positive and negative objective evidence related to the realization of the deferred tax assets. In its assessment, Management considers, among other factors, the nature, frequency and magnitude of current and cumulative losses on an individual subsidiary basis, projections of future taxable income, the duration of statutory carryforward periods, as well as feasible tax planning strategies, which would be employed by the Company to prevent tax loss carry-forwards from expiring unutilized.
Knowledge-based economy promotional regime in Argentina
The Company recorded an income tax benefit related to the Knowledge-based economy promotional regime in Argentina (the “Regime”) of $29 million and $16 million, and $37 million and $19 million, during the six and three-month periods ended June 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively. The aggregate per share effect of the income tax benefit amounted to $0.57 and $0.32, and $0.72 and $0.36 for the six and three-month periods ended June 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively. Furthermore, the Company recorded a social security benefit of $13 million and $14 million during the six and three-month periods ended June 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively. The Regime is effective until December 31, 2029.
Fair value option applied to certain financial instruments
Under ASC 825, U.S. GAAP provides an option to elect fair value with impact on the statement of income as an alternative measurement for certain financial instruments and other items on the balance sheet.
The Company has elected to measure certain financial assets at fair value with impact on the statement of income for several reasons including to avoid the mismatch generated by the recognition of certain linked instruments / transactions, separately, in the interim condensed consolidated statements of income and interim condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income and to better reflect the financial model applied for selected instruments. The Company’s election of the fair value option applies to: i) foreign government debt securities and ii) U.S. government debt securities.
Additionally, the Company has elected to measure the liability related to the Meli Dólar program, which corresponds to the holding by third-parties of the Company’s stablecoin, at fair value.
Earnings per share
For the six and three-month periods ended June 30, 2026, the weighted average of outstanding common shares for the diluted earnings per share includes the effect of 123 and 130 incremental shares of the Company's common stock, respectively, issuable upon vesting of restricted stock units granted to non-employee directors. No potential dilutive common shares were outstanding during the comparative periods ended June 30, 2025, as the RSUs were granted in the third quarter of 2025.
Recently Adopted Accounting Standards
On July 30, 2025, the FASB issued the ASU 2025-05 “Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses for Accounts Receivable and Contract Assets.” The amendments in this update provide entities with a practical expedient when estimating expected credit losses on current accounts receivable and/or current contract assets arising from transactions under Topic 606, including those assets acquired in a transaction accounted for under Topic 805, Business Combinations. In developing reasonable and supportable forecasts as part of estimating expected credit losses, all entities may elect a practical expedient that assumes that current conditions as of the balance sheet date do not change for the remaining life of the asset. The amendments are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2025, and interim reporting periods within those annual reporting periods. Early adoption was permitted in both interim and annual reporting periods in which financial statements had not yet been issued or made available for issuance. The practical expedient is applied prospectively. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
Recently issued accounting pronouncements not yet adopted
On November 4, 2024, the FASB issued the ASU 2024-03 “Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income—Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses.” The amendments in this update improve financial reporting by requiring disclosure of additional information about certain costs and expenses in the notes to financial statements at interim and annual reporting, such as the amounts of purchases of inventory, employee compensation, depreciation and intangible asset amortization included in each relevant expense caption; a qualitative description of the amounts remaining in relevant expense captions that are not separately disaggregated quantitatively; the total amount of selling expenses and, in annual reporting periods, an entity’s definition of selling expenses. The amendments are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim reporting periods within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027 (as clarified by ASU 2025-01). Early adoption is permitted. The amendments should be applied either prospectively to financial statements issued for reporting periods after the effective date of this update or retrospectively to any or all prior periods presented in the financial statements. The Company is assessing the effects that the adoption of this accounting pronouncement may have on its consolidated financial statements.
On September 18, 2025, the FASB issued the ASU 2025-06 “Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Internal-Use Software.” The amendments in this update remove all references to software development methods (prescriptive and sequential software development stages (referred to as “project stages”)) throughout Subtopic 350-40. Therefore, an entity is required to start capitalizing software costs when management has authorized and committed to funding the software project, and it is probable that the project will be completed and the software will be used to perform the function intended. The amendment specifies that the property, plant and equipment disclosure requirements under ASC 360-10 apply to all capitalized software costs accounted for under ASC 350-40, regardless of how the costs are presented in the financial statements. The amendments are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027, and interim reporting periods within those annual reporting periods. Early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of an annual reporting period. The amendments can be applied on a prospective transition approach, a modified transition approach (based on the status of the project and whether software costs were capitalized before the date of adoption), or a retrospective transition approach. The Company is assessing the effects that the adoption of this accounting pronouncement may have on its consolidated financial statements.