PIX
Central bank-run instant payment system used by 148 million Brazilians in 2025. Settles in seconds, 24/7, via QR codes or Pix keys, in reais only.
Pix is Brazil's instant payment system, created and operated by the Banco Central do Brasil (BCB), which also acts as its regulator. Since its launch on 16 November 2020 it has become the country's dominant way to move money: the BCB counted 79.8 billion Pix transactions worth R$35.3 trillion in 2025, and 148 million people, roughly 86% of adults, used it that year along with 12.8 million companies. Payments clear between accounts at more than 900 participating banks, fintechs and payment institutions in a few seconds, every day of the year.
At checkout the shopper usually scans a QR code, or pastes its text version into a banking app, and approves the transfer. Dynamic codes carry the amount and order data and are the norm online; static codes suit shop counters. Expiry is set per payment (Adyen defaults to 24 hours, EBANX to five hours). Pix Cobrança adds boleto-style charges with due dates, interest and discounts, and Pix Automático, live since June 2025, collects recurring bills under a one-off mandate.
Refunds go back over Pix, in full or in part, within 90 days. Card-style chargebacks do not exist, although the Special Return Mechanism (MED) lets victims of fraud or scams reclaim funds; commercial disputes fall outside its scope. Sending a Pix is free for individuals, while banks and PSPs set their own fees for businesses that receive payments.
Pix works only in reais from Brazilian accounts, and banks cap individuals' night-time transfers at R$1,000 by default. Foreign merchants therefore need a PSP with Brazilian coverage; Stripe, for example, offers Pix to accounts in 36 countries including the UK. It is also one of the few deposit routes allowed for licensed Brazilian betting operators, which are barred from taking credit cards and boletos.
payment methods
markets
currencies
What PIX costs
Merchants do not pay PIX directly. Each payment provider that offers it sets its own rate, so compare a few and ask them to quote.
- Settlement
- Real time, 24/7 via the central bank's SPI system; payout from a PSP to the merchant follows its own schedule.
Oversight and regulation
Regulators that oversee PIX and the company that runs it, as published by the scheme or regulator. Check the register entry before relying on it.
Banco Central do BrasilFeatures
Instant Settlement · Partial Refund · Payouts · Recurring Payments · Refunds
What the last check found
Corrections vs current record: founded_year was null (Pix launched 16 Nov 2020); industries/integrations/features were empty; the old copy called settlement 'irreversible' and fraud 'minimal' without sources. In fact the MED lets payers reclaim funds in confirmed fraud/scam cases (claims within 80 days) and receiving institutions may hold incoming Pix funds for up to 72 hours on suspicion of fraud (extended to company accounts from Sept 2025), so merchants can see funds clawed back or delayed. website_url switched from the English BCB page to the maintained Portuguese Pix hub. Statistics: headline BCB figures (79.8bn transactions, R$35.3tn in 2025; 7.8bn in Dec 2025) include intra-institution Pix; the BCB open-data SPI series is lower (e.g. 71.3bn / R$29.6tn for 2025; 7.10bn in Dec 2025), so always cite the source series. Press reports of the 4 Sep 2026 daily record conflict (318,073,816 vs 319,073,816); the reported R$186.89bn at an average R$587.58 supports ~318.1m, so the record was not used in copy. Wikipedia's '200 million monthly active users' conflicts with BCB (148m individual users in 2025; 186.3m DICT-registered users incl. companies at 31 Aug 2026). Pix is domestic and BRL-only; private partnerships let Brazilians pay merchants abroad (e.g. Chile, Argentina, US, Portugal, France) and tourists pay in Brazil, with FX handled outside Pix, so countries stay BR only. Nuvei lists USD alongside BRL, which reflects merchant-side presentment/settlement, not consumer currency. Since Nov 2024 only BCB-authorised institutions may participate (authorisation requests brought forward to 1 May 2026). Contactless Pix exists but BCB reports low take-up in 2025. PayRetailers support is evidenced by its official status page (Brazil: Payin PIX, Payout Pix). Not added: Skrill (accepts Pix only for wallet top-ups), Pay4Fun (only affiliate-site evidence), Checkout.com (docs page not found). Wikipedia also mentions a July 2025 USTR Section 301 investigation touching Brazilian payment services; not verified further and not used.
From the last check against PIX’s own documentation. Coverage changes; confirm anything you are about to build on.
Pricing, in detail
No scheme-level merchant fee is published. BCB rules make Pix free for individuals (with exceptions such as receiving payments for commercial purposes); banks and PSPs set their own charges for businesses receiving Pix. For Pix Automático, payers are not charged, while receivers may be charged by their provider.
Is PIX regulated?
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Sources · 17
- Banco Central do Brasil – Sobre o Pix · bcb.gov.brUsed for operator/regulator role, 24/7 availability, free for individuals, 900+ participants, Pix keys, R$1,000 night-time limit, no minimum amount
- BCB – Relatório de Gestão do Pix 2023-2025 (published 10 Aug 2026) · bcb.gov.brUsed for launch date, 2025 volumes and users, 12.8m companies, 926 participants, P2B share, initiation mix, Pix Automático launch (16 Jun 2025), contactless Pix, MED self-service, device limits, R$15,000 cap for non-authorised participants, cross-border models, hybrid boleto plans
- BCB – Pix Cobrança · bcb.gov.brUsed for immediate and due-date charges with interest/fines/discounts, receiving methods (keys, static/dynamic QR, Pix Automático), API Pix
- BCB – Segurança no Pix (MED) · bcb.gov.brUsed for MED scope (fraud/scams, not commercial disputes), 80-day claim window
- BCB – Pix Automático · bcb.gov.brUsed for recurring payments under one-off authorisation; payer vs receiver fees
- Resolução BCB nº 1/2020 – institutes the Pix arrangement and its Regulation · bcb.gov.brUsed for regulation; definition of instant payment (real time, 24/7, every day)
- BCB open data – Estatísticas do Pix · dadosabertos.bcb.gov.brUsed for 186.3m users registered in DICT at 31 Aug 2026 (167.7m individuals, 18.6m companies); SPI-settled monthly series (7.37bn in Aug 2026)
- BCB open data – Estatísticas de Meios de Pagamentos · dadosabertos.bcb.gov.brUsed for Q2 2026: 22.93bn Pix transactions worth R$10.5tn; comparison with boleto and cards
- CNN Brasil – Pix volume up 25.7% in 2025, BC shows · cnnbrasil.com.brUsed for independent cross-check of 2025 figures and P2B share
- Times Brasil | CNBC – Pix record of 318 million transactions in a day · timesbrasil.com.brUsed for daily record of 4 Sep 2026 (cross-check only; not used in copy)
- Portaria Normativa SPA/MF nº 615/2024 (LegisWeb) · legisweb.com.brUsed for Pix permitted for licensed betting deposits; boletos, credit cards, cash, cheques and crypto prohibited
- Adyen Docs – Pix API only · docs.adyen.comUsed for 24-hour default expiry, 90-day refund window, MED disputes, recurring support
- Stripe Docs – Pix payments · docs.stripe.comUsed for cross-border acceptance (36 business-location countries incl. GB), Pix Automático, refunds within 90 days
- EBANX Docs – Pix · docs.ebanx.comUsed for five-hour default expiry, confirmation behaviour
- Mercado Pago Developers – Pix for WooCommerce · mercadopago.com.brUsed for WooCommerce plugin integration (PrestaShop equivalent also published)
- Cielo Developers – Devolução Pix · docs.cielo.com.brUsed for refunds initiated by the merchant within 90 days, full or partial
- Wikipedia – Pix (payment system) · en.wikipedia.orgUsed for cross-check only (conflicts noted)
17 sources · last checked 12 September 2026 — each one says which claim it supports.
Compiled from public sources — verify with PIX before you sign anything. How we compile this · Suggest a correction ·