MEXICO CITY - Colombian delivery app Rappi, which offers on-demand deliveries of food and other goods across Latin America, said on Monday it has launched a cryptocurrency payment pilot program in Mexico.

Rappi teamed with cryptocurrency platforms Bitpay and Bitso to back the new service, which will let users turn crypto into credits within the app to make purchases, Rappi said.

"It's a first step that will allow us to learn and continue incorporating the crypto world into Rappi," Rappi President Sebastian Mejia said in a statement.

Rappi, which operates in nine countries across Latin America, launched "Pay with Rappi" in Mexico last year to challenge Paypal and regional rival MercadoLibre by offering online payments.

It also provides some financial services in Mexico, Brazil, Peru and Chile, with plans to offer digital banking in Colombia this year.

  - Reuters