Payment methods in Brazil: Pix, cartão parcelado and boleto for merchants

What are the most used payment methods in Brazil?

Brazil combines a large card market with an instant payment system that most adults already use. Pix, launched by the Banco Central do Brasil in November 2020, had about 179 million users by the end of 2025 and set a record of 313.3 million transactions in a single day on 5 December 2025.

Cards remain central to e-commerce. Abecs, the card industry association, reports R$ 2.2 trillion in card payments in the first half of 2025, of which R$ 1.5 trillion on credit cards. Boleto bancário, the traditional bank payment slip, still serves shoppers without cards and many B2B invoices.

How does Pix work for merchants?

Pix is an instant transfer system run by the central bank, available 24 hours a day, every day. At checkout the merchant shows a dynamic QR code or a copia e cola string; the shopper pays in their banking app and the merchant's PSP confirms the payment within seconds. Pix is free for individuals, and merchants typically pay their provider a fixed fee or a small percentage that is lower than card fees.

The system keeps adding features. Pix por aproximação, a contactless flow, launched in February 2025, and Pix Automático, launched in June 2025, allows recurring charges against a payer's authorisation. Refunds to the payer are made as a Pix devolução, and fraud claims are handled through the central bank's MED mechanism.

Why do Brazilians pay in installments?

Parcelado sem juros, interest-free installments on a credit card, is a defining feature of Brazilian commerce. According to Abecs, 41.2 percent of credit card transactions in the first half of 2025 were split into interest-free installments. Shoppers compare the monthly amount, so offering 3x, 6x or 10x sem juros can decide the sale.

In an interest-free installment the merchant bears the cost: the acquirer pays out each installment monthly, or the merchant pays a fee to anticipate the receivables. Debit and prepaid interchange is capped by the central bank at an average of 0.5 and 0.7 percent, while credit interchange is not capped, so installment pricing must be built into margins.

Is boleto bancário still relevant?

Boleto is a registered payment slip with a barcode that the shopper pays in a banking app, at a bank, at a lottery outlet or at partner agents. It reaches people without credit cards and remains common for B2B invoices and carnês. Many banks now issue boletos with an embedded Pix QR code so payers can choose the faster option.

For e-commerce the drawbacks are delayed confirmation, often one to three business days, and a high share of unpaid slips. Merchants set a short due date and reserve stock only until then.

What tax and ID rules affect payments in Brazil?

Most Brazilian payment flows ask for the payer's CPF, or the CNPJ for a company, for registration of boletos, fraud screening and invoicing. Collecting it at checkout avoids failed payments later.

Cross-border purchases carry IOF, a tax on financial operations. Since Decree 12.466 of May 2025, confirmed by the Supreme Federal Court in July 2025, international card purchases and most foreign exchange for purchases abroad are taxed at 3.5 percent. A shopper buying from a foreign merchant in reais through a cross-border provider therefore usually pays more than for a domestic purchase.

How can a foreign merchant accept payments in Brazil?

Pix, boleto and local card acquiring all require settlement in reais to a Brazilian account. A merchant with a local entity can contract an acquirer or subacquirer such as Cielo, Rede, Getnet, Stone, PagBank or Mercado Pago. Without a local entity, merchants typically use an eFX provider such as EBANX, dLocal or PagBrasil, which collects in BRL under the central bank's foreign exchange rules and settles abroad in USD or EUR.

1. Choose the route Decide between a Brazilian entity with a local acquirer and a cross-border eFX provider.
2. Start with Pix and cards Offer Pix and credit cards with installments first; add boleto if many customers are unbanked or B2B.
3. Collect CPF or CNPJ Ask for the tax ID in checkout because most local methods need it.
4. Price installments Decide how many interest-free installments you fund and how you anticipate receivables.
5. Automate confirmation Use webhooks for Pix and boleto so orders are released only after payment is confirmed.

Adding Brazilian payment methods through OrsunPay

OrsunPay works as a technical layer on the merchant's own PSP and acquirer accounts and never holds funds. When a connected provider supports Pix, boleto or local cards with installments, those methods can be shown in hosted checkout and routed alongside providers in other markets.