What is Pix?
It is Brazil's instant-payment system coordinated by the Central Bank. It works every day, at any time, and transfers reais between participating accounts within seconds.
Money and payments in Brazil
PIX GUIDE
How to pay, who can use it, how to convert currencies and what to check to use it safely.
Essentials for international visitors
There is no universal list of countries that ‘have Pix.’ Whether you can use it depends on your bank or app offering a compatible solution, and that can change. Before traveling, check inside your own app whether it can read Brazilian Pix QR codes and display the conversion.
Can tourists use Pix?
Pix is a domestic system: to send it directly you need an enabled account at a participating institution. Some foreign apps offer Pix QR payments through agreements with Brazilian partners: they debit your currency, show the exchange rate and the partner completes the Pix in reais. Availability depends on country, app, identification and provider conditions.
Do I need a CPF?
Opening many Brazilian accounts normally requires a CPF and identity verification. Having a CPF alone does not guarantee approval: each institution decides whom it accepts. A visitor may also pay through a compatible foreign app without becoming the holder of a Brazilian Pix account.
Pix keys
The recipient may provide CPF/CNPJ, phone number, email or a random key. They may also show a QR code or Pix Copy and Paste code. You never need to register your own key just to make a payment.
Is it safe?
The system has authentication and security controls, but users must check the displayed details before confirming. An authorized Pix does not work like a card purchase that can simply be cancelled.
Currency exchange and rates
Pix always settles in reais. If you pay through a foreign app, check how much of your currency will be debited, how many reais the merchant will receive, the fee and the final exchange rate. Compare that total with card or cash.
Refunds and fraud
For a canceled purchase, ask the recipient to use the refund function linked to the transaction. MED allows an attempt to recover funds in cases of fraud, scams or coercion; it does not guarantee recovery and does not replace an ordinary commercial dispute. Contact your institution immediately.
Pix at the beach and markets
Ask the seller for the QR code, confirm the name and amount, and do not hand over your unlocked phone. If you enter the amount manually, review it before confirming. Avoid codes sent by strangers or stickers that appear to have been placed over the original QR.
How to pay, step by step
Open your app
Open the account or wallet that allows Pix payments in Brazil.
Choose Pix
Choose QR scanning, Pix Copy and Paste, or enter a key.
Check the conversion
If your app is foreign, check the exchange rate, fee and total in your currency.
Confirm the recipient
Read the name, institution and amount before authorizing.
Save the receipt
Payment is usually confirmed within a few seconds.
Apps that let foreigners use PIX
Some international wallets and apps offer QR Pix payments to foreign visitors. Availability, currencies, fees, limits and requirements vary by country and provider: always check your own app to see which service is available for your account.
Warning signs
- The displayed name does not match the business.
- You are pressured to confirm quickly.
- The amount has an extra zero.
- You are asked to return a supposed Pix through another transfer.
- The QR code came from an unknown contact.
- They promise prizes or refunds to gain access to your phone.
General information reviewed in September 2026. Services, fees and app availability may change.
