Nature of Business	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Nature of Business [Abstract]
Nature of Business	1. Nature of Business MercadoLibre Inc. (the “Company”) is an e-commerce enabler whose mission is to build the necessary online and technology tools to allow practically anyone to trade almost anything, helping to make inefficient markets more efficient in Latin America. The Company developed a web-based marketplace in which buyers and sellers are brought together to browse, buy and sell items such as computers, electronics, collectibles, automobiles, clothing and a host of practical and miscellaneous items. Additionally, the Company introduced MercadoPago in 2004, an integrated online payments solution. MercadoPago was designed to facilitate transactions on the MercadoLibre Marketplace by providing an escrow mechanism that enables users to send and receive payments online. Since 2004, the Company introduced an online classifieds platform for motor vehicles, vessels and aircrafts and since 2006 the real state online classifieds platform. In 2006, the Company launched eShops, a new platform tailored to attract lower rotation items and increase the breadth of products offered, the introduction of user generated information guides for buyers that improve the shopping experience, and the expansion of the online classifieds model by adding the services category. During 2007 the Company also launched a new and improved version of its MercadoPago payments platform in Chile and Colombia as well as in Argentina during 2008. The new MercadoPago, in addition to improving the ease of use and efficiency of payments for marketplace purchases, also allows for payments outside of the Company’s marketplaces. Users are able to transfer money to other users with MercadoPago accounts and to incorporate MercadoPago as a means of payments in their independent commerce websites. In this way MercadoPago 3.0 as it has been called is designed to meet the growing demand for Internet based payments systems in Latin America. On March 30, 2010, the Company started processing off-MercadoLibre transactions through its new direct payments product to any site in Brazil which elects to adopt it. On July 16, 2010, the Company launched MercadoPago 3.0 in Brazil for all of its marketplace transactions. In February 2011, the Company started processing off-platform transactions in Mexico using its new direct payments product, MercadoPago 3.0, for any site in Mexico that elects to adopt it, while maintaining the escrow product for on-platform transactions. On April 15, 2011, the Company launched a new and improved version of its MercadoPago payments platform for all its marketplace transactions in Mexico. As of September 30, 2011, the Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, operated online commerce platforms directed towards Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Uruguay and Venezuela, and online payments solutions directed towards Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, Chile and Colombia. In addition, the Company operates a real estate classified platform that covers some areas of Florida, U.S.A.

1. Nature of Business

MercadoLibre Inc. (the “Company”) is an e-commerce enabler whose mission is to build the necessary online and technology tools to allow practically anyone to trade almost anything, helping to make inefficient markets more efficient in Latin America.

The Company developed a web-based marketplace in which buyers and sellers are brought together to browse, buy and sell items such as computers, electronics, collectibles, automobiles, clothing and a host of practical and miscellaneous items. Additionally, the Company introduced MercadoPago in 2004, an integrated online payments solution. MercadoPago was designed to facilitate transactions on the MercadoLibre Marketplace by providing an escrow mechanism that enables users to send and receive payments online.

Since 2004, the Company introduced an online classifieds platform for motor vehicles, vessels and aircrafts and since 2006 the real state online classifieds platform. In 2006, the Company launched eShops, a new platform tailored to attract lower rotation items and increase the breadth of products offered, the introduction of user generated information guides for buyers that improve the shopping experience, and the expansion of the online classifieds model by adding the services category.

During 2007 the Company also launched a new and improved version of its MercadoPago payments platform in Chile and Colombia as well as in Argentina during 2008. The new MercadoPago, in addition to improving the ease of use and efficiency of payments for marketplace purchases, also allows for payments outside of the Company’s marketplaces. Users are able to transfer money to other users with MercadoPago accounts and to incorporate MercadoPago as a means of payments in their independent commerce websites. In this way MercadoPago 3.0 as it has been called is designed to meet the growing demand for Internet based payments systems in Latin America. On March 30, 2010, the Company started processing off-MercadoLibre transactions through its new direct payments product to any site in Brazil which elects to adopt it. On July 16, 2010, the Company launched MercadoPago 3.0 in Brazil for all of its marketplace transactions. In February 2011, the Company started processing off-platform transactions in Mexico using its new direct payments product, MercadoPago 3.0, for any site in Mexico that elects to adopt it, while maintaining the escrow product for on-platform transactions. On April 15, 2011, the Company launched a new and improved version of its MercadoPago payments platform for all its marketplace transactions in Mexico.

As of September 30, 2011, the Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, operated online commerce platforms directed towards Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Uruguay and Venezuela, and online payments solutions directed towards Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, Chile and Colombia. In addition, the Company operates a real estate classified platform that covers some areas of Florida, U.S.A.