XML 39 R27.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.22.2.2

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies) | 9 Months Ended
--- | ---
Sep. 30, 2022
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Basis of Presentation | Basis of presentation The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP) and include the accounts of the Company, its wholly-owned subsidiaries and consolidated Variable Interest Entities (“VIE”). Investments in entities where the Company holds joint control, but not control, over the investee are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. These interim condensed consolidated financial statements are stated in U.S. dollars, except where otherwise indicated. Intercompany transactions and balances with subsidiaries have been eliminated for consolidation purposes. Substantially all net revenues, cost of net revenues and operating expenses are generated in the Company’s foreign operations. Long-lived assets, intangible assets and goodwill located in the foreign jurisdictions totaled $1,697 million and $1,439 million as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively. These interim condensed consolidated financial statements reflect the Company’s consolidated financial position as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021. These consolidated financial statements include the Company’s consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income and equity for the nine and three-month periods ended September 30, 2022 and 2021 and statements of cash flows for the nine-month periods ended September 30, 2022 and 2021. These 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. Certain comparative figures of these interim condensed consolidated financial statements were modified to provide more detailed disclosures. This change has not impacted the total amount of net income and total equity. The Company discloses the provision for doubtful accounts as a separate line item of its operating expenses in the interim condensed consolidated statements of income. The provision for doubtful accounts amounts to $845 million and $288 million for the nine and three-month periods ended September 30, 2022, and $271 million and $105 million for the nine and three-month periods ended September 30, 2021. 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, 2021, contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The Company has evaluated all subsequent events through the date these condensed consolidated financial statements were issued. The 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 Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021. During the nine-month period ended September 30, 2022, there were no material updates made to the Company’s significant accounting policies, except for the adoption of ASU 2020-06 and SAB 121 as of January 1, 2022. See section Recently Adopted Accounting Standards of this Note.
Revenue Recognition | 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 Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021. The aggregate gain included in net revenues arising from financing transactions, net of the costs recognized on sale of credit card receivables, is $751 million and $261 million for the nine and three-month periods ended September 30, 2022, and $418 million and $137 million for the nine and three-month periods ended September 30, 2021. 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. Receivables are presented net of allowance for doubtful accounts and chargebacks of $1,082 million and $474 million as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively. The allowance for doubtful accounts with respect to the Company’s loans receivables amounts to $1,008 million and $435 million as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively. Deferred revenue consists 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. Deferred revenue as of December 31, 2021 was $34 million, of which $28 million was recognized as revenue during the nine-month period ended September 30, 2022. As of September 30, 2022, total deferred revenue was $28 million, mainly due to fees related to classifieds advertising services billed and loyalty programs that are expected to be recognized as revenue in the coming months.
Digital Assets | Digital Assets The Company accounts for its holdings of digital assets—cryptocurrencies—as indefinite-lived intangible assets, in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 350, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other. The Company has ownership of and control over its digital assets and uses third-party custodial services to store its digital assets. The Company’s digital assets are initially recorded at cost. Subsequently, they are measured at cost, net of any impairment losses incurred since acquisition. The Company performs an analysis each quarter to identify whether events or changes in circumstances, principally decreases in the quoted prices on the active exchange, indicate that any decrease in the fair values of the digital assets below the carrying values for such assets subsequent to their acquisition will result in a recognition of impairment charges. The Company considers the lowest price of the digital asset on the active exchange since the acquisition of the asset to perform the impairment analysis. MercadoLibre determines the fair value of its digital assets in accordance with ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement. Impairment losses are recognized in the period in which the impairment is identified. The impaired digital assets are written down to their fair value at the time of impairment and this new cost basis will not be adjusted upward for any subsequent increase in fair value. Gains (if any) are not recorded until realized upon sale. In determining the gain to be recognized upon sale, the Company calculates the difference between the sales price and carrying value of the digital assets sold immediately prior to sale.
Repurchase Of 2.00% Convertible Senior Notes Due 2028 - Extinguishment Of Debt | Repurchase of 2.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2028 - Extinguishment of debt The derecognition of a convertible debt is based on the principle that an entity is extinguishing the liability component and reacquiring the equity component that was recognized at issuance. This approach is applied whether the debt was settled in cash, shares, other assets (or any combination), or at maturity upon conversion or upon early extinguishment. The settlement consideration is first allocated to the extinguishment of the liability component equal to the fair value of that component immediately prior to extinguishment. Any difference between that allocated amount and the net carrying amount of the liability component and unamortized debt issuance costs should be recognized as a gain or loss on debt extinguishment. Any remaining consideration is allocated to the reacquisition of the equity component and recognized as a reduction of stockholders’ equity. Any paid premium included in the repurchase price should be recognized as a loss when the debt is extinguished.
Provision For Buyer Protection Program | Provision for buyer protection program The Company provides consumers with a buyer protection program (“BPP”) for all transactions completed through the Company’s online payment solution (“Mercado Pago”). The Company is exposed to losses under this program given that this program is designed to protect buyers in the Marketplace from losses due primarily to fraud or counterparty non-performance. Provisions for BPP represent the Company’s estimate of probable losses based on its historical experience. The charge for the provision for BPP is recognized in sales and marketing expense line of the consolidated statement of income.
Foreign Currency Translation | Foreign currency translation All of the Company’s consolidated foreign operations use the local currency as 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 loss. Argentine currency status As of July 1, 2018, the Company transitioned its Argentinian 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. Since the second half of 2019, the Argentine government instituted certain foreign currency exchange controls, which may restrict or partially restrict access to foreign currency, like the U.S. dollars, to make payments abroad, either for foreign debt or the importation of goods or services, dividend payments and others, without prior authorization. Those regulations have continued to evolve, sometimes making them more or less stringent depending on the Argentine government’s perception of availability of sufficient national foreign currency reserves. The above has led to the existence of an informal foreign currency market where foreign currencies quote at levels significantly higher than the official exchange rate. However, the only exchange rate available for external commerce is the official exchange rate, which as of September 30, 2022 was 147.32. The Company uses Argentina’s official exchange rate to record the accounts of Argentine subsidiaries. The following table sets forth the assets, liabilities and net assets of the Company’s Argentine subsidiaries and consolidated VIEs, before intercompany eliminations, as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021:
|  | September 30, |  | December 31,
|  | 2022 |  | 2021
|  | (In millions)
Assets |  | $ 2,573 |  | $ 2,479
Liabilities |  | 1,888 |  | 1,874
Net Assets |  | $ 685 |  | $ 605
Leases | Leases The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating leases are included in operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and operating lease liabilities in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. ROU assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term, which is a non-monetary asset, and lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease, which is a monetary liability. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As most of the leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses incremental borrowing rates based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. The operating lease ROU asset also includes any lease prepaid payments made. In addition, the Company elected to not separate lease components, except for aircrafts for which the Company allocates payments to the lease and other services components based on estimated stand-alone prices. The Company also elected to keep leases with an initial term of 12 months or less off of the balance sheet. Lease expense for operating lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
Income Taxes | Income taxes The Company is subject to U.S. and foreign income taxes. The Company accounts for income taxes following the liability method of accounting which requires the recognition of deferred tax liabilities and assets for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the carrying amounts and the tax bases of assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets are also recognized for tax loss carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets or liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. The Company’s income tax expense consists of taxes currently payable, if any, plus the change during the period in the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities. 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. Accordingly, Management periodically assesses the need to establish a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets considering positive and negative objective evidence related to the realization of the deferred tax assets. In connection with this 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 that would be employed by the Company to prevent tax loss carryforwards from expiring unutilized. Based on Management’s assessment of available objective evidence and considering the future effect of the Company’s initiatives to capture long-term business opportunities, the Company increased its valuation allowance in certain subsidiaries in its Mexican operations by $20 million and $3 million for the nine and three-month periods ended September 30, 2022, respectively, and $44 million and $11 million for the nine and three-month periods ended September 30, 2021, respectively. On June 10, 2019, the Argentine government enacted Law No. 27,506 (knowledge-based economy promotional regime), which established a regime that provides certain tax benefits for companies that meet specific criteria, such as companies that derive at least 70% of their revenues from certain specified activities related to the knowledge-based economy. The regime was suspended on January 20, 2020 until new rules for the application of the knowledge-based economy promotional regime were issued. On October 7, 2020, changes to the knowledge-based economy promotional regime were finally approved by the Congress. The approved regime has effect from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2029. Based on the amended promotional regime, companies that meet new specified criteria shall be entitled to: i) a reduction of the income tax burden (60% for micro and small enterprises, 40% for medium-sized enterprises and 20% for large enterprises) over the promoted activities for each fiscal year, applicable to both Argentine source income and foreign source income, ii) stability of the benefits established by the knowledge-based economy promotional regime (as long as the beneficiary is registered and in good standing), iii) a non-transferable tax credit bond amounting to 70% (which can be up to 80% in certain specific cases) of the Company’s contribution to the social security regime of every employee whose job is related to the promoted activities (caps on the number of employees are applicable). Such bonds can be used within 24 months from their issue date (which period can be extended for an additional 12 months in certain cases) to offset certain federal taxes, such as value-added tax, but they cannot be used to offset income tax. On December 20, 2020, Argentina’s Executive Power issued Decree No. 1034/2020, which set the rules to implement the provisions of the knowledge-based economy promotional regime. Eligible companies must enroll in a registry according to the terms and conditions to be established by the Application Authority, which will verify compliance with the requirements. The Decree also set the mechanism for calculating the level of investment in research and development, the level of employee retention, exports, among others. It also establishes that exports of services from companies participating in this regime will not be subject to export duties. On January 13, 2021, Argentina’s Ministry of Productive Development –current Application Authority of the knowledge-based economy promotional regime– issued Resolution No. 4/2021, which was followed by Disposition N° 11/2021 issued by the Under Secretariat of Knowledge Economy on February 12, 2021. Both rules establish further details on the requirements, terms, conditions, application, and compliance procedures to be eligible under the promotional regime. In August 2021, the Under Secretariat of Knowledge Economy issued the Disposition 316/2021 approving MercadoLibre S.R.L.’s application for eligibility under the knowledge-based economy promotional regime. Tax benefits granted pursuant to the promotional regime to MercadoLibre S.R.L. were retroactive to January 1, 2020. As a result, the Company accounted for an income tax benefit of $12 million during the nine and three-month periods ended September 30, 2021, of which $8 million corresponded to the period ended December 31, 2020. Also, the Company recorded a social security benefit of $36 million during the nine and three-month periods ended September 30, 2021, of which $15 million corresponded to the period ended December 31, 2020. Given that the promotional regime establishes that exports of services by eligible companies are not subject to export duties, the Company recognized a gain of $24 million during the nine and three-month periods ended September 30, 2021, related to export duties accrued from January 2020 to August 2021 that were no longer required to be paid. During the nine and three-month periods ended September 30, 2022, the Company accounted for an income tax benefit of $19 million and $15 million, respectively. The aggregate per share effect of the income tax benefit amounted to $0.38 and $0.30 for the nine and three-month periods ended September 30, 2022, respectively. Furthermore, the Company recorded a social security benefit of $39 million and $13 million during the nine and three-month periods ended September 30, 2022, respectively. Additionally, during the nine and three-month periods ended September 30, 2022, the Company accrued a charge of $3 million and $1 million, respectively, to pay knowledge-based economy promotional law audit fees and FONPEC (“Fondo Fiduciario para la Promoción de la Economía del Conocimiento”) contribution. The Company’s consolidated effective tax rate for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2022 compared to the same period in 2021 decreased from 52.9% to 32.6%, largely as a result of the one-time loss on debt extinguishment related to 2028 Notes repurchase recognized during the first quarter of 2021 which was considered as non-deductible expense and lower pre-tax losses in our Mexican segment that were not accounted for as deferred tax assets as a consequence of the valuation allowance. The Company’s consolidated effective tax rate for the three-month period ended September 30, 2022 compared to the same period in 2021 increased from 24.5% to 34.7%, largely as a consequence of the income tax benefit that our Argentine subsidiary, MercadoLibre S.R.L., obtained upon the approval of its eligibility under the knowledge-based economy promotional regime in 2021 which reduced our income tax effective rate in 2021. This increase was partially offset by higher non-taxable pre-tax gains in this segment in 2022 and higher deferred tax assets in our Brazilian segment.
Fair Value Option Applied to Certain Financial Instruments | 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 from January 1, 2019 for several reasons including to avoid the mismatch generated by the recognition of certain linked instruments / transactions, separately, in consolidated statement of income and consolidated statement of other comprehensive income and to better reflect the financial model applied for selected instruments. The Company’s election of the fair value option applies to the: i) Brazilian federal government bonds and ii) U.S. treasury notes. As result of the election of the fair value option for the investments held as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the Company recognized an increase in interest expense and other financial losses of $2 million, and gains in interest income and other financial gains of $9 million, respectively. The interest generated by these securities were determined under a specific identification basis and recognized in interest income and other financial gains.
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss | Accumulated other comprehensive loss The following tables set forth the Company’s accumulated other comprehensive loss as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021 and summarize the changes in accumulated balances of other comprehensive income (loss) for the nine months ended September 30, 2022:
|  | Unrealized |  | Foreign |  | Estimated tax |  |  |
|  | Gains (losses) on |  | Currency |  | benefit |  |  |
|  | hedging activities, net |  | Translation |  | (expense) |  | Total |
|  | (In millions)
Balances as of December 31, 2021 |  | $ 8 |  | $ (523) |  | $ — |  | $ (515) |
Other comprehensive loss before reclassifications |  | (33) |  | — |  | 8 |  | (25) |
Amount of (gains) loss reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss |  | 18 |  | — |  | (5) |  | 13 |
Net current period other comprehensive loss |  | (15) |  | — |  | 3 |  | (12) |
Balances as of September 30, 2022 |  | $ (7) |  | $ (523) |  | $ 3 |  | $ (527) |
|  | Amount of (Loss) Gain |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | Reclassified from |  |  |  |  |  |
Details about Accumulated |  | Accumulated Other |  |  |  |  |  |
Other Comprehensive Loss |  | Comprehensive |  | Affected Line Item
Components |  | Loss |  | in the Statement of Income
|  | (In millions) |  |  |  |  |  |
Unrealized losses on hedging activities |  | $ (18) |  | Cost of net revenues and interest expense
Estimated tax benefit on unrealized losses |  | 5 |  | Income tax expense
Total reclassifications for the period |  | $ (13) |  | Total, net of income taxes
Use Of Estimates | Use of estimates The preparation of 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 for allowances for doubtful accounts and chargeback provisions, inventories valuation reserves, recoverability of goodwill, intangible assets with indefinite useful lives and deferred tax assets, impairment of short-term and long-term investments, impairment of long-lived assets, compensation costs relating to the Company’s long term retention plan, fair value of convertible debt, fair value of investments, fair value of loans receivables, fair value of derivative instruments, income taxes and contingencies and determination of the incremental borrowing rate at commencement date of lease operating agreements. Actual results could differ from those estimates. ‎
Recently Adopted Accounting Standards & Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted | Recently Adopted Accounting Standards On March 31, 2022, the SEC released the Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) No. 121. This SAB expresses views of the SEC’s staff regarding the accounting for entities that have obligations to safeguard crypto-assets held for their platform users as well as any agent acting on its behalf in safeguarding the users’ crypto-assets. As long as an entity is responsible for safeguarding the crypto-assets held for its platform users, including maintaining the cryptographic key information necessary to access the crypto-assets, the SEC’s staff view is that the entity should present a liability on its balance sheet to reflect its obligation to safeguard the crypto-assets held for its platform users. The entity’s safeguarding liability should be measured at initial recognition and each reporting date at the fair value of crypto-assets held for its platform users. The staff also believes it would be appropriate for the entity to recognize an asset at the same time that it recognizes the safeguarding liability, measured at initial recognition and each reporting date at the fair value of the crypto-assets held for its platform users. This interpretation is effective the first interim or annual period ending after June 15, 2022, with retrospective application as of the beginning of the fiscal year to which the interim or annual period relates. The Company operates a platform that allows its customers to access digital asset exchange and custody services provided by third-party Service Providers (“SPs”) to buy, sell and hold crypto-assets in an account in the customer’s name at the SPs. The Company does not provide execution, custody or safeguarding services for the customers’ crypto-assets and does not maintain (or ever have access to) the cryptographic key information and wallets necessary to access the crypto-assets, nor does the Company have any legal title or claim to those crypto-assets. The SPs are responsible for securing the customers’ crypto-assets and protecting them from loss or theft. Even though the Company is not responsible for the custody or safeguarding of crypto-assets, the Company has concluded that it is in scope of SAB 121 as: (i) the Company designed the manner in which the crypto-assets are custodied and the manner in which Mercado Pago Platform (“MP Platform”) users are able to access their crypto-assets through the MP Platform, as well as through its agents; (ii) the MP Platform users must use the SPs designated by the Company in order to have the crypto-assets reflected in their Mercado Pago wallets; (iii) MP Platform users that have crypto-assets reflected in their Mercado Pago wallets must access their crypto-assets through the MP Platform; (iv) while MP Platform users do have a contractual relationship directly with the SPs, they are not able to provide transaction instructions directly to the SPs outside the MP Platform; and (v) the Company expects that it will be involved in resolving complaints from customers about their crypto-assets holding. As of September 30, 2022, the fair value of the crypto-assets held in the customers’ names at the SPs that the Company recognized on its balance sheet for both the crypto-asset safeguarding liability and the corresponding safeguarding asset, which are included in “Customer crypto-assets safeguarding liabilities” and “Customer crypto-assets safeguarding assets,” respectively, in the condensed consolidated balance sheets, was $15 million ($4 million as of January 1, 2022), which consisted of $6 million of Bitcoin, $5 million of Ether and $4 million of other crypto-assets. On August 5, 2020 the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued the Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2020-06 “Debt—Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging— Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40).” The amendments in this update address issues identified as a result of the complexity associated with applying generally accepted accounting principles for certain financial instruments with characteristics of liabilities and equity. For convertible instruments, accounting models for specific features are removed and amendments to the disclosure requirements are included. For contracts in an entity’s own equity, the update simplifies the settlement assessment by removing some requirements. Additionally, the amendments in this update affect the diluted EPS calculation for instruments that may be settled in cash or shares and for convertible instruments. The Company adopted this standard effective January 1, 2022, resulting in an increase of the carrying value of the 2028 Notes of $123 million, a decrease of deferred tax liability of $26 million and a change in the beginning balance of additional paid in capital of $131 million and retained earnings of $34 million. In addition, the Company reduced its reported interest expense and is required to use the if-converted method for calculating diluted earnings per share. Recently issued accounting pronouncements not yet adopted On June 30, 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-03 “Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions.” The amendments in this update clarify that a contractual restriction on the sale of an equity security is not considered part of the unit of account of the equity security and, therefore, is not considered when measuring its fair value. The amendments also clarify that an entity cannot, as a separate unit of account, recognize and measure a contractual sale restriction and requires additional disclosures for equity securities subject to contractual sale restrictions. The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023 and interim periods within those fiscal years and should be applied prospectively with any adjustments from the adoption of the amendments recognized in earnings and disclosed on the date of adoption. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements. On March 31, 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-02 “Troubled Debt Restructurings (“TDRs”) and Vintage Disclosures (Topic 326): Financial Instruments – Credit Losses,” which eliminates the accounting guidance on TDRs, while enhancing disclosure requirements for certain loan refinancings and restructurings by creditors when a borrower is experiencing financial difficulty. In addition, the guidance requires disclosure of current-period gross write-offs by year of origination for financing receivables and net investment in leases. The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022 and interim periods within those fiscal years. The amendments should be applied prospectively, except for the transition method related to the recognition and measurement of TDRs, where an entity has the option to apply a modified retrospective transition method, resulting in a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings in the period of adoption. The Company is assessing the effects that the adoption of this accounting pronouncement may have on its financial statements. On October 28, 2021 the FASB issued the ASU 2021-08 “Business Combinations (Topic 805): Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers.” The amendments in this update improve comparability for the recognition and measurement of acquired revenue contracts with customers at the date of and after a business combination by specifying for all acquired revenue contracts regardless of their timing of payment (1) the circumstances in which the acquirer should recognize contract assets and contract liabilities that are acquired in a business combination and (2) how to measure those contract assets and contract liabilities. The amendments provide consistent recognition and measurement guidance for revenue contracts with customers acquired in a business combination and revenue contracts with customers not acquired in a business combination. The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, and interim periods within those fiscal years and should be applied prospectively to business combinations occurring on or after the effective date of the amendments. The Company is assessing the effects that the adoption of this accounting pronouncement may have on its financial statements. On September 29, 2022 the FASB issued the ASU 2022-04 “Liabilities—Supplier Finance Programs (Subtopic 405-50): Disclosure of Supplier Finance Program Obligations.” The amendments in this update require entities that use supplier finance programs in connection with the purchase of goods and services to disclose the key terms of the programs and information about their obligations outstanding at the end of the reporting period, including a rollforward of those obligations. The guidance does not affect the recognition, measurement or financial statement presentation of supplier finance program obligations. The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, and interim periods within those fiscal years, except for the rollforward requirement, which is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023. Early adoption is permitted. The guidance should be applied retrospectively to all periods in which a balance sheet is presented, except for the rollforward requirement, which should be applied prospectively. The Company is assessing the effects that the adoption of this accounting pronouncement may have on its financial statements.

X
- Definition Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Policy [Policy Text Block] + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | meli_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomePolicyPolicyTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | meli_
Data Type: | dtr-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Provision For Buyer Protection Program [Policy Text Block] + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | meli_ProvisionForBuyerProtectionProgramPolicyTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | meli_
Data Type: | dtr-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_AccountingPoliciesAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy for basis of accounting, or basis of presentation, used to prepare the financial statements (for example, US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, Other Comprehensive Basis of Accounting, IFRS). + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_BasisOfAccountingPolicyPolicyTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | dtr-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy related to debt. Includes, but is not limited to, debt issuance costs, the effects of refinancings, method of amortizing debt issuance costs and original issue discount, and classifications of debt. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 470 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123465755&loc=d3e1835-112601 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_DebtPolicyTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | dtr-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy for determining the fair value of financial instruments. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 820 -SubTopic 10 -Section 60 -Paragraph 1 -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7493716&loc=d3e21868-110260 Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123594938&loc=d3e13279-108611 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_FairValueOfFinancialInstrumentsPolicy
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | dtr-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy for (1) transactions denominated in a currency other than the reporting enterprise's functional currency, (2) translating foreign currency financial statements that are incorporated into the financial statements of the reporting enterprise by consolidation, combination, or the equity method of accounting, and (3) remeasurement of the financial statements of a foreign reporting enterprise in a hyperinflationary economy. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 830 -URI https://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2175825 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyTransactionsAndTranslationsPolicyTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | dtr-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy for goodwill and intangible assets. This accounting policy also may address how an entity assesses and measures impairment of goodwill and intangible assets. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121556970&loc=d3e13816-109267 Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66006027&loc=d3e16265-109275 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_GoodwillAndIntangibleAssetsPolicyTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | dtr-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy for income taxes, which may include its accounting policies for recognizing and measuring deferred tax assets and liabilities and related valuation allowances, recognizing investment tax credits, operating loss carryforwards, tax credit carryforwards, and other carryforwards, methodologies for determining its effective income tax rate and the characterization of interest and penalties in the financial statements. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 25 -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123427490&loc=d3e32247-109318 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 20 -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121826272&loc=d3e32847-109319 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 19 -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121826272&loc=d3e32840-109319 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 220 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124431353&loc=SL116659661-227067 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121826272&loc=d3e32639-109319 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 28 -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123427490&loc=d3e32280-109318 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 17 -Subparagraph (b) -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121826272&loc=d3e32809-109319 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_IncomeTaxPolicyTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | dtr-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy for leasing arrangement entered into by lessee. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 842 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (b) -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=128292326&loc=SL77918666-209980 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LesseeLeasesPolicyTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | dtr-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy pertaining to new accounting pronouncements that may impact the entity's financial reporting. Includes, but is not limited to, quantification of the expected or actual impact. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_NewAccountingPronouncementsPolicyPolicyTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | dtr-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy for revenue from contract with customer. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 606 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 17 -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126920106&loc=SL49130561-203045 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 606 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 20 -Subparagraph (d) -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126920106&loc=SL49130566-203045 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 606 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 18 -Subparagraph (b) -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126920106&loc=SL49130563-203045 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 606 -URI https://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=49130388 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 606 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 20 -Subparagraph (c) -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126920106&loc=SL49130566-203045 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 606 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 18 -Subparagraph (a) -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126920106&loc=SL49130563-203045 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (e) -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126899994&loc=d3e18823-107790 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 606 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 20 -Subparagraph (b) -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126920106&loc=SL49130566-203045 Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 606 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 19 -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126920106&loc=SL49130564-203045 Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 606 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 20 -Subparagraph (a) -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126920106&loc=SL49130566-203045 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_RevenueFromContractWithCustomerPolicyTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | dtr-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy for the use of estimates in the preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 12 -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99393423&loc=d3e6191-108592 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 11 -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99393423&loc=d3e6161-108592 Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99393423&loc=d3e6143-108592 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (b) -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99393423&loc=d3e5967-108592 Reference 5: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99393423&loc=d3e6061-108592 Reference 6: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 8 -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99393423&loc=d3e6132-108592 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (c) -URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99393423&loc=d3e5967-108592 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_UseOfEstimates
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | dtr-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration