Hotmart and its payment gateway have saved many headaches for those trying to sell online courses from Latin America or Spain. The reality is that creators have often run into the problem of how to get paid without setting up a company in Delaware.
The thing is the platform acts as an all-in-oneIt not only sells courses, but also manages subscriptions, issues invoices, and pays you in your local currency. Furthermore, it accepts credit cards, debit cards, Pix (in Brazil), and even bank transfers.
However, it's not free. And if you want to know how to use Hotmart as payment gatewayIn the note I explain everything step by step.
What is HotPay, Hotmart's payment system?
HotPay is Hotmart's own exclusive payment systemIt was created specifically for the sale of digital products, such as online courses, ebooks, memberships, mentoring, etc.
Unlike traditional catwalks like Stripe Or PayPal, HotPay is designed from the ground up for the info-product ecosystem, natively integrating the following elements:
➡️ Payment processing.
➡️ Affiliate management and automatic commissions.
➡️ Immediate delivery of the digital product.
➡️ Management of refunds and chargebacks.
➡️ International payments.
The best part is that it works in over 188 countries, with their native currencies, so you can collect payment for your course from anywhere in the world.
Main features of HotPay
Besides offering various payment methods, including the most conventional options (such as debit and credit cards, and bank transfers), it also supports payments via PayPal, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. And here are some of its other features:
- Internationalized payments: The buyer pays in their local currency (MXN, COP, BRL, PEN, etc.) and the seller receives in the currency of their choice (usually USD or EUR).
- Local payment methods: supports more than 30 methods, including credit/debit cards (with fees), Pix (Brazil) and cash payments (OXXO in Mexico, Baloto in Colombia, etc.)
- All in oneYou don't need to integrate other tools, since everything—checkout, affiliates, delivery, and payments—works within Hotmart.
- Security and anti-fraud: It has its own real-time monitoring system to reduce fraud and chargebacks.
How the Hotmart payment gateway works internally
Herein lies HotPay's biggest differentiator: it's a payment system that's incredibly simple to use, yet offers tremendous potential for your online business. Let's take a look:
- First, the customer enters the checkout.
- HotPay then automatically adjusts the price and payment methods according to the buyer's country.
- Then, the payment is processed and Hotmart collects its commission + affiliate commissions (if any).
- The rest is deposited into your Hotmart balance.
- Finally, you withdraw the money to your bank account when it is available.
Payment methods available by country
| Country | Card | Transfer | Cash | Star method |
| Brazil | Yeah | Pix | No | Pix (instant) |
| Mexico | Yeah | Yeah | OXXO | OXXO (non-banked) |
| Colombia | Yeah | Yeah | Election | installment card |
| Chile | Yeah | Yeah | Simple | WebPay |
| Peru | Yeah | Yeah | PagoEfectivo | Card |
| Spain | Yeah | Yeah | No | Card / PayPal |
The integration of cash payments such as OXXO or Baloto is especially relevant, since in Mexico, around 37% of the adult population remains unbanked or underbanked, according to World Bank data.
Therefore, if your checkout only accepts cards, you are leaving out a real portion of the market.
Advantages and disadvantages of the Hotmart payment gateway
Like any technological platform, this system has its pros and cons:
Advantages
- Excellent for LATAM (local payments + cash).
- Very powerful affiliate system.
- All in one (checkout + platform + payments).
- Good approval rate in emerging markets.
Disadvantages
- Relatively high commission when you scale (9.9% + fixed).
- Total dependence on its ecosystem.
- Restrictions in high-risk niches (gambling, crypto, certain supplements, etc.).
- Longer release times than Stripe in some cases.
Security and fraud: what Hotmart manages for you
One of the most silent pains of selling online at scale is chargebacks or appeal rejections, which have operational costs, penalties, and a long etcetera.
To eliminate those frictionsHotPay incorporates a real-time risk analysis system which evaluates each transaction before approving it, including purchase pattern, geolocation, user behavior, buyer history, and signals of suspicious activity.
The goal is to block fraudulent transactions before they are processed, not after. When a refund or chargeback is received, Hotmart acts as an intermediary, receiving the dispute, centralizing the documentation, and notifying the seller.
This greatly reduces the operational burden for those who sell hundreds or thousands of units per month.
Fees: What Hotmart actually charges
Hotmart charges a commission for each sale processed. which covers the use of the platform, payment processing, anti-fraud infrastructure and automatic distribution of commissions to affiliates, if any.
The exact percentage varies by country. currency, payment method and product type, so it's always a good idea to check the updated rates in the panel before launching a campaign.
What many sellers don't properly calculate is the currency conversion layer. If you sell in dollars but withdraw in Mexican pesos or euros, there's an exchange rate difference that can erode your profit margin without you noticing until the moment of withdrawal.
The practical recommendation is to always calculate the net margin using these four elements:
Net margin = Selling price − Hotmart commission − Currency conversion − CAC (acquisition cost)
Ignoring any of these elements is the main reason why many infoproducts believe they have a profitable business and discover that they don't when they run the real numbers.
Withdrawal times: when you can access your money
Now then, Hotmart applies balance release periods before allowing withdrawalsThese periods exist to protect the platform against fraudulent refunds and transactions, and are standard on any payment platform that processes international volume.
The most common timeframes range from 7 to 30 days. Depending on the account history, the payment method used, and the level of risk associated with the account, accounts with a solid track record and a low refund rate typically qualify for shorter terms.
Once the balance is released, the most commonly used withdrawal methods are local bank transfer, international accounts (Wise, for example, is a common option among producers who operate in multiple markets) and the Hotmart Card in countries where it is available.
For whom does it make sense to use Hotmart as a payment gateway in 2026?
If you are an online educator, coach, or membership creator For info-product creators looking to scale internationally, the combination of HotPay, optimized checkout, and affiliate ecosystem is hard to beat in terms of price and ease of implementation.
However, if your business model operates in verticals with greater regulatory complexity or you need processing flexibility, it's worth evaluating gateways specializing in high-risk profiles, such as those offered by RiskPaygo.
The key, as always, is understanding exactly what you're paying for, when you can access your money, and which markets you want to serve before building your traffic and pricing strategy on top of that infrastructure.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can I withdraw my money from Hotmart?
The funds generated from a sale are not available immediately. Hotmart applies release periods of between 7 and 30 days depending on the account history, the payment method used, and the associated risk level.
Does Hotmart accept cash payments?
Yes, in several Latin American countries. In Mexico, you can collect payments through OXXO, in Colombia through Baloto, in Chile with Sencillito, and in Peru with PagoEfectivo. This integration is especially relevant in markets with a high proportion of unbanked users, where limiting checkout to card payments means excluding a significant portion of the target audience.
Is Hotmart suitable for selling online courses from Latin America?
Yes. In fact, one of Hotmart's greatest strengths is that it was designed specifically for digital creators in Latin America and Spain. You can sell courses, ebooks, memberships, or mentorships without needing to set up a company in the United States or integrate an external payment gateway.
What payment methods does Hotmart accept?
Hotmart allows you to collect payments via credit and debit cards, bank transfers, PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and local methods such as Pix in Brazil, OXXO in Mexico, or Baloto in Colombia.
Can I use another payment gateway in addition to Hotmart?
Not natively, because the platform operates with its own payment system, HotPay, and does not allow the integration of external gateways within the platform's ecosystem.
What if my niche has restrictions on Hotmart?
Sectors such as betting, certain supplements, financial services with aggressive models, or high-risk categories may encounter limitations in product approval or payment processing. In these cases, it's best to opt for high-risk payment gateways like RiskPaygo.
