Date: June 28, 2026

The payment method is a key link in cross-border trade, which directly affects transaction efficiency and capital security. In recent years, Brazil's payment system has undergone tremendous changes. The rapid popularization of Pix instant payment has not only changed the payment habits of Brazilian consumers, but also brought new opportunities and challenges to Chinese export enterprises. This article will introduce the development status of Pix payment, its impact on cross-border trade, and practical operation suggestions.

What is Pix Payment

Pix is an instant payment system launched by the Central Bank of Brazil in November 2020, similar to China's Alipay and WeChat Pay. Users can complete transfers and payments in real time through Pix keys (which can be mobile phone numbers, email addresses, CPF numbers, or random keys), and funds arrive in the account in seconds, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays.

As a payment system promoted by the Brazilian central bank, Pix has high security and credibility, and the handling fee is very low. For individual users, Pix transfers are basically free; for merchants, the handling fee is usually only 0.3%-0.9% per transaction, which is much lower than the 2%-4% handling fee of credit cards.

Since its launch, Pix has developed extremely rapidly. By the end of 2025, the number of Pix users in Brazil has exceeded 170 million, covering more than 90% of adult consumers. The number of daily transactions exceeds 150 million, and the transaction volume has exceeded the sum of credit cards and debit cards, becoming the most important payment method in Brazil.

Impact on Cross-border Trade

The popularity of Pix payment has brought multiple impacts on Sino-Brazilian cross-border trade.

First of all, it has lowered the threshold for cross-border consumption. In the past, Brazilian consumers needed credit cards to make cross-border purchases, but Brazil's credit card penetration rate is only about 50%, and many people without credit cards could not participate in cross-border shopping. Now with Pix, as long as there is a bank account, cross-border payment can be completed, which greatly expands the coverage of cross-border consumers.

Secondly, the payment success rate and transaction efficiency have been improved. Cross-border credit card payments have problems such as high failure rate and chargeback risks, while Pix payments have a much higher success rate because they are real-time transfers and there is no problem of overdraft. At the same time, the funds arrive in the account quickly, which improves the capital turnover efficiency of sellers.

Third, it has promoted the development of small B-end procurement. Many small and medium-sized merchants in Brazil used to have inconvenient payment for purchasing goods from China, and the procedures for international telegraphic transfers were cumbersome and the fees were high. Now with Pix payment, small-amount procurement payments have become more convenient, which has stimulated the enthusiasm of small and medium-sized merchants to purchase from China, and brought more small-batch and high-frequency order opportunities for Chinese suppliers.

How Chinese Enterprises Access Pix Payment

For Chinese export enterprises that want to access Pix payment, there are mainly the following ways:

Through third-party payment service providers: This is the most common way at present. Many cross-border payment institutions have supported Pix payment collection. Merchants only need to register an account with the payment service provider, access the payment interface on the website or platform, and then they can accept Pix payments from Brazilian customers. The funds are usually settled in US dollars or RMB, and arrive in the account within T+1 to T+3 working days. The handling fee is generally around 1%-2%, which is higher than that of local merchants in Brazil, but still lower than that of credit cards.

Through local collection accounts: If the enterprise has a local company or cooperative partner in Brazil, it can open a local bank account and directly use Pix to collect payments. This method has the lowest handling fee and the fastest arrival speed, but it requires a local entity and certain operation and maintenance costs, which is more suitable for enterprises with large business volume and long-term deep cultivation of the local market.

Cooperating with localized payment service providers: Some payment service providers focusing on the Latin American market can provide more localized payment solutions, supporting not only Pix, but also local installment payment, bank slip payment and other methods, which can better meet the payment habits of local consumers.

Risk Prevention and Operational Notes

While enjoying the convenience brought by Pix payment, we should also pay attention to relevant risks.

First, there is the risk of fraud. Pix payment is a real-time transfer, and it is difficult to recover the funds after the transfer is successful. Therefore, there may be situations where fraudsters use stolen accounts for payment. It is recommended that merchants do a good job in order risk control, and conduct manual review for high-risk orders such as large orders and abnormal addresses.

Second, there is the problem of exchange rate fluctuation. Pix payment is settled in Brazilian reals. If the RMB or US dollar settlement is adopted, there will be a certain exchange rate conversion cost and fluctuation risk. It is recommended that enterprises reasonably set prices according to exchange rate changes, or choose a service provider that provides locked exchange rate services.

Third, compliance issues should be noted. Cross-border payment collection must comply with the foreign exchange management regulations of both China and Brazil, and formal payment channels should be selected. Do not use private accounts or underground banks for fund transfers to avoid legal risks.

Future Development Trends

Looking forward to the future, Pix payment will continue to maintain its development momentum and further penetrate into all areas of Brazil's economic life. The Brazilian central bank is also continuously optimizing the Pix system, launching functions such as Pix Garantido (guaranteed payment) and Pix parcelado (installment payment), which will further enhance the payment experience and application scenarios.

For Chinese export enterprises, accessing Pix payment is not only a way to increase the payment success rate, but also an important part of localized operations. Supporting local mainstream payment methods can greatly improve consumer trust and purchase conversion rate, which is of great significance for expanding the Brazilian market.

Guangzhou Runyu Import and Export Trade keeps abreast of the latest development of Brazil's payment system and can provide customers with professional payment solution suggestions. We cooperate with a number of formal cross-border payment service providers to help enterprises choose the most suitable payment access method, improve transaction efficiency and reduce payment costs, and escort the capital security of Sino-Brazilian trade.