Payment methods in Brazil

South America

11methods

15banks

Brazil is Latin America's largest e-commerce market, worth $86 billion, with over 197million internet users. Succeeding here demands more than accepting international cards. Pix - the Central Bank of Brazil's instant payment system - is now used by over 174 million Brazilians and dominates online transactions. Bank transfers account for 41% of e-commerce payments.

Market takeaways

Brazil is Latin America's largest e-commerce market, worth $86 billion, with over 197million internet users. Succeeding here demands more than accepting international cards. Pix - the Central Bank of Brazil's instant payment system - is now used by over 174 million Brazilians and dominates online transactions. Bank transfers account for 41% of e-commerce payments.
Cards make up 39% of transactions, but the picture is more nuanced than global card logos suggest. A significant share of Brazilian Visa and Mastercard cards are locally issued - backed by Brazilian banks and tied to local-currency accounts. Decline rates for these cards are much higher without a Latin America-specialist acquirer. PPRO gives merchants and PSPs direct access to that local acquiring infrastructure, alongside Pix, Boleto Bancário, and other Brazil-specific payment methods.
Card breakdown. Of the 11% who pay by card:
Pix is Brazil's real-time payment system, created and regulated by the Central Bank of Brazil. Launched in November 2020, it achieved mass adoption faster than almost any payment system in history - over 174 million Brazilians now use it, making it the single most important payment method for e-commerce merchants entering this market.
For merchants, Pix means instant settlement, no chargeback risk, and access to virtually the entire Brazilian adult population. PPRO also supports Pix Automático, enabling recurring payments for subscriptions and services - unlocking an additional 60 million consumers who lack credit cards.

Population

212.8M

Online population

197.0M

B2C e-commerce

Banked population

96%

Payment method breakdown

Bank Transfer (incl. Pix)41%
Card39%
E-Wallet16%
Cash (incl. Boleto)3%
BNPL1%
Crypto1%

Card scheme breakdown

Market data coming soon.

Cross-border e-commerce

Market data coming soon.

Featured payment methods in Brazil

All payment methods available in this market, sorted by prominence.

Ame Digital

Brazilian retail-backed digital wallet offering cashback and online/in-store payments. Operator: Ame Digital Brasil Ltda. (Americanas group). Est. users: >10,000 users (mainstream; several million, 2024).

Boleto Bancario

Barcode-based bank slip that lets consumers (including the unbanked) pay for online purchases in cash at banks, ATMs or convenience stores. Operator: FEBRABAN / Brazilian banks (regulated rail). Est. users: ~tens of millions of users; ~19% of e-commerce payments (2025).

PicPay

Brazilian digital wallet and neobank used for P2P transfers, bill payment and online and in-store checkout. Operator: PicPay Servicos S.A.. Est. users: ~66 million customers (2025).

Pix

Brazil's central-bank-operated instant payment scheme enabling free 24/7 account-to-account transfers and QR-code payments at online and physical checkouts. Operator: Banco Central do Brasil. Est. users: ~170 million users (2025).

Elo

Brazil's largest domestic credit/debit/prepaid card network, accepted online and in person. Operator: Elo Servicos S.A. (Banco do Brasil, Bradesco, Caixa). Est. users: >140 million cards issued (2024).

PagBank

Brazilian digital bank and wallet (PagSeguro group) offering online and in-store payment, accounts and cards. Operator: PagSeguro Internet Instituicao de Pagamento S.A. (PagSeguro Digital). Est. users: ~34 million customers (2025).

NuPay

Nubank's checkout payment method letting its large customer base pay merchants directly from their Nu account, often in installments. Operator: Nu Pagamentos S.A. (Nubank). Est. users: ~135 million Nubank customers across markets (2025).

Addi

Colombian buy-now-pay-later provider offered at online and in-store checkout. Operator: Addi (Adelante Soluciones Financieras S.A.S.). Est. users: ~2.7 million active consumers (2025).

Mercado Pago

MercadoLibre's pan-Latin-American digital wallet and payment account supporting online checkout, QR payments and money transfers. Operator: Mercado Libre (DeRemate.com de Mexico / MercadoLibre S.R.L.). Est. users: ~78 million monthly active users (Q4 2025).

Hipercard

Hipercard was a Brazilian credit-card scheme owned by Itau Unibanco; from 1 July 2025 it stopped approving transactions and cardholders are being migrated to Mastercard. Operator: Itau Unibanco. Est. users: ~13 million cards issued (now discontinued).

Boleto Bancário

A traditional voucher/cash-based payment method, where a unique slip with a barcode is generated for the customer to pay at a physical location like a bank or lottery outlet.

Featured banks in Brazil

All banks operating in this market, sorted by prominence.

JPMorgan Chase

New York, United States

JPMorgan Chase is the largest US bank and one of the world's largest financial institutions, offering consumer banking, investment banking, commercial banking, and asset management globally.

Citigroup (Citi)

New York, United States

Citigroup (Citi) is a global diversified financial services holding company, operating in 160+ countries. It is known for its institutional banking, treasury services, and consumer banking across emerging markets.

Banco Santander

Santander, Spain

Banco Santander is Spain's largest bank and one of the world's top 10 financial institutions by market cap. It serves 160 million customers in Europe, North America, and Latin America.

Nubank

São Paulo, Brazil

Nubank is Brazil's leading neobank and the world's largest fintech by customers (over 100 million). It offers credit cards, digital accounts, personal loans, and investment products.

Itaú Unibanco

São Paulo, Brazil

Itaú Unibanco is Latin America's largest bank by assets, formed from the 2008 merger of Itaú and Unibanco. It offers retail, SME, corporate, and investment banking.

Bradesco

Osasco, Brazil

Banco Bradesco is Brazil's second-largest private bank, offering retail, commercial, and investment banking as well as insurance through Bradesco Seguros.

Banco do Brasil

Brasília, Brazil

Banco do Brasil is Brazil's largest state-owned bank and one of the largest in the country overall, with a focus on agribusiness, retail, and government banking.

BTG Pactual

São Paulo, Brazil

BTG Pactual is Brazil's largest investment bank and a leading asset manager in Latin America, offering investment banking, asset and wealth management, and corporate lending.

Rabobank

Utrecht, Netherlands

Rabobank is a Dutch cooperative bank and global leader in food and agribusiness financing. It is one of the most financially sound banks in the world.

Caixa Econômica Federal

Brasília, Brazil

Caixa Econômica Federal (CEF) is Brazil's government-owned savings bank, the country's primary housing finance institution, and a key distributor of social welfare programs.

Santander Brasil

São Paulo, Brazil

Santander Brasil is the Brazilian subsidiary of Banco Santander, one of the country's top five banks, offering retail, SME, and corporate banking.

Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD)

Lisbon, Portugal

Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD) is Portugal's largest bank and a state-owned institution, offering retail, commercial, and investment banking across Portugal and internationally.