Payment Methods in Brazil: Top Choices for E-Commerce Merchants

Brazil is an e‑commerce powerhouse among its South American neighbours. With most transactions happening on smartphones and a digital financial infrastructure that prizes convenience, getting your payment options right as an e-commerce merchant selling to Brazilian customers is essential. From the revolutionary rise of Pix to the importance of cards, wallets, Boleto and the growing open banking scene, this guide reviews key online payment methods in Brazil. Below, we explain why open banking is gaining pace and introduce Noda as the perfect payment gateway solution for your e-commerce business in Brazil.
Key takeaways:
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Brazilian consumers increasingly expect fast, seamless, and secure payment options – especially as e-commerce continues to grow rapidly. As the largest digital market in Latin America, Brazil presents a major opportunity for merchants. According to a recent study by Statista, online payment tools like Pix were the number one most popular payment method in 2025, with 84% of the respondents using it. Credit card payments fell close behind, with 64% of respondents using them. The 20% gap, however, does signal the huge shift of the country towards the advanced digital payment systems – a factor that online merchants must take into consideration.
With most consumers now shopping online regularly and mobile being the dominant device for purchases, merchants also need to prioritise mobile-friendly, reliable checkout flows to meet expectations and drive conversion.
Brazil’s payments market is one of the most dynamic in the world, shaped by a mix of long-standing habits and rapid digital adoption. Cash, cards, and bank transfers still play a role, but digital wallets, instant payments, and new models are growing fast. This creates both opportunities and complexities for merchants looking to enter or scale in the region. Offering familiar and trusted payment options not only reduces cart abandonment but also strengthens customer trust and supports cross-border growth.
Below, we present our list of payment methods in Brazil which are used by most customers and need to be taken into consideration by e-commerce merchants while deciding on a payment gateway.
1. Pix – A payment revolution
Pix, Brazil’s instant payment system launched by the Central Bank in November 2020, has become the most popular way to pay in the country, used by around 153 million Brazilians, or three-quarters of the population, and 15 million businesses.
Originally designed for simple account-to-account transfers, Pix is now used across various contexts: retail payments, e-commerce, government transactions, and even cash withdrawals from ATMs. With its 24/7 availability, no fees for individuals, and near-instant settlement, Pix has eclipsed traditional payment methods like cards (and in the case of in-person/physical stores, even cash).
According to the research conducted by the European Payments Council, the platform processed 42 billion transactions in 2023, with a total value of BRL 17.2 trillion (approx. USD 3.5 trillion), reflecting a 75% year-on-year growth. Over 70 million people who had never used electronic transfers before are now active Pix users.
Brazil’s Central Bank continues to expand the ecosystem. Features such as Pix Automático (for recurring payments), contactless Pix via NFC, and Pix Agendado (for scheduling payments) are already transforming how Brazilians pay for subscriptions, utility bills, and rent.
International expansion is on the horizon too. Brazil is working on linking Pix with other global instant payment systems to facilitate cross-border payments, aligning with broader G20 goals to enhance speed, transparency, and financial inclusion.
With its rapid adoption, continuous innovation, and government backing, Pix is not just an example of a Brazilian success story; it is fast becoming a global benchmark for real-time payments, and e-commerce merchants need to understand its local importance when deciding on their payment gateway in Brazil.
Find out how to accept Pix payments in Brazil as a global merchant.
2. Credit and Debit Cards
Although Pix has become the dominant payment method in Brazil, credit and debit cards continue to play a crucial role in e-commerce, with Visa and Mastercard leading the way.
The presence of digital card issuers is significant, highlighting the strength and innovation within Brazil’s fintech ecosystem. This dynamic environment supports a wide variety of payment options, ensuring that both traditional and modern payment methods coexist to meet the diverse needs of shoppers and merchants alike; however, high transaction costs may make the method less attractive for many small and mid-sized e-commerce businesses.
3. Digital Wallets
E-wallets constitute as much as 12% of online payments in Brazil, and continue to grow within the most rapidly evolving digital payment scene in Latin America. Digital wallet solutions like Mercado Pago, PicPay, Apple Pay and Google Pay are some of the most popular payment methods in Brazil. As mobile usage skyrockets, these wallets offer customers speed and convenience while maintaining tight integration with local ecosystems. Since the digital wallet payments are mostly card-based anyway, they incur higher costs when compared to methods like Pix and open banking.
4. Boleto Bancário
Boleto Bancário, often simply called Boleto, is one of the most popular types of payment methods in Brazil, and the Brazilian Banks Federation regulates it. It works like a bank-issued voucher or a proforma invoice. It can be paid at a variety of locations, including bank branches, ATMs, post offices, lottery agents, supermarkets, and via internet banking or mobile apps, up until its due date. After this date, payment is generally only accepted at the issuing bank, sometimes with added penalties for late payment.
This barcode-based voucher remains essential for consumers who are unbanked or prefer offline payment options. While its overall usage is gradually declining, Boleto still accounts for nearly one in five e-commerce payments in Brazil, maintaining a significant role in the country’s diverse payment landscape.
5. PayPal
For international merchants, PayPal offers a trusted, secure route into Brazil’s market, especially for cross-border shoppers who value buyer protection and foreign currency support. However, the high fees can be a significant drawback for smaller and medium-sized businesses.
6. Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL)
Though BNPL penetration remains relatively low, it resonates with younger, more purchase-sensitive and money-saving demographics. Providers like Pagaleve or Cleo are making inroads. The high price and limited customer familiarity compared to the previously mentioned payment methods may be factors for e-commerce merchants to consider when thinking about BNPL.
7. Open Banking
Brazil’s open banking ecosystem, launched as part of the country’s open finance initiative in 2020, is one of the largest globally and marks a key regulatory milestone that drives innovation and financial inclusion. With nearly universal mobile and banking access, consumers are eager to adopt smarter, more secure payment methods, and merchants who embrace these early stand to gain an advantage with what could be the best payment method in Brazil.
As open finance evolves, merchants can accept secure, lower-cost direct payments that bypass card networks and reduce chargebacks. Noda provides a comprehensive payment gateway for your business by offering a platform that integrates all Brazilian banks through Pix, Brazil’s instant payment system, enabling fast, direct bank-to-bank transfers available twenty-four seven. Through Noda, global merchants can accept Pix, allowing customers to pay securely via their own banks using familiar credentials.
This streamlined approach speeds up checkout, lowers transaction costs and reduces fraud risks by cutting out intermediaries such as card networks. By leveraging Brazil’s expansive open banking infrastructure and Pix’s widespread adoption, Noda helps merchants tap into Brazil’s booming e-commerce market with greater efficiency and customer trust.
To win over Brazilian customers, your payment options need to be diverse and localised. Offering Pix alongside bank cards and digital wallets is essential. Noda puts this power directly in your hands. Through Noda’s open banking platform, you can accept Pix payments seamlessly across Brazil, connected to every major bank in the country. This means you can offer local customers fast, secure payments. Shoppers simply authorise payments in their own banking app using credentials they already trust, and transactions settle instantly.
If you want to succeed in Brazil’s booming market, Noda gives you the technology and connections to provide a smooth, flexible, and secure payment journey that your customers expect.
Find out more about Open Banking in Brazil.
Noda’s platform delivers all of this in a single integration:
Book Your Free Demo – Discover how Noda can help your e-commerce business accelerate in Brazil.
Pix, credit/debit cards, Boleto, digital wallets, PayPal, BNPL, and open banking options.
Pix via most banking apps, Mercado Pago, PicPay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal.
It blends instant transfers (Pix), traditional barcodes (Boleto), wallets, and emerging open finance.
Pix leads, used by 84% of the adult population according to Statista, followed by digital wallets.
PayPal is widely used for international transactions; Cash App isn’t available in Brazil.
Yes – it’s accepted by major banks but remains secondary to local options like Pix.