Bank payments and local methods · Payment methods
Pix for online stores: how Brazilian shoppers pay with Pix
Checked
Pix is Brazil's real-time payment system, developed by the Central Bank of Brazil. The shopper scans a QR code or copies a Pix code into their banking app and approves; confirmation is immediate and Stripe settles within two business days. Payments are in reais, with a default cap of about US$3,000 each. Pix Automático handles subscriptions for sellers outside Brazil. Disputes are limited to cases like fraud and cannot be contested.
- Type
- Real-time bank payment
- Where it works
- Brazil
- Currency
- BRL
- Limits
- From R$0.50; default max is the BRL equivalent of US$3,000 per payment; cross-border shoppers capped at US$3,000/day and US$10,000/month per business
- Recurring payments
- Yes, with Pix Automático (not for businesses based in Brazil)
- Refunds
- Within 90 days; usually minutes
- Disputes
- Limited (fraud, account takeover) through Pix's Special Refund Mechanism (MED); cannot be contested
- Foreign sellers
- IOF tax of 3.5% on cross-border Pix, paid by the shopper by default
What PlatformDTC does
PlatformDTC checkout does not offer Pix today; Brazilian shoppers can pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal in reais.
How a shopper pays with Pix
The shopper picks Pix, gets a QR code or a Pix text string, and approves the payment in their banking app. The checkout stays open while they do this; the banking app does not send them back, so your page updates when the payment completes.
Selling to Brazil from abroad
Stripe accounts in the US, Canada, UK, Switzerland, the EU, Australia and Singapore can accept Pix from Brazilian shoppers. Brazil charges a 3.5% IOF tax on purchases that involve currency exchange. By default the shopper pays it on top; you can choose to absorb it instead, and Stripe deducts it from your payout. Stripe's partner Ebanx appears as the recipient on the shopper's statement.
Subscriptions with Pix Automático
With Pix Automático the shopper approves an amount and billing cycle in their banking app. Each renewal triggers a pre-debit notice and a three-day wait, so a renewal can take up to seven days to confirm with retries. Charges above the approved amount fail.
Frequently asked questions
- Who created Pix?
- Pix was developed by the Central Bank of Brazil.
- Can a store outside Brazil accept Pix?
- Yes. Stripe accounts in the US, Canada, UK, EU, Switzerland, Australia and Singapore can accept Pix from Brazilian shoppers, with IOF tax handled by Stripe and its partner.
- Can Brazilian shoppers charge back a Pix payment?
- Only in limited cases such as fraud or account takeover, through the MED process. You cannot contest the outcome.
Sources
- Pix payments — Stripe
Related
- Boleto — Brazilian payment slip: the shopper gets a voucher and pays it at a bank, ATM or online banking.
- UPI — India's real-time bank payment: shoppers approve in a UPI app by QR code or app switch.
- OXXO — Mexican cash payment: the shopper takes a voucher to any OXXO convenience store and pays in cash.
- Konbini — Japanese cash payment at convenience stores (FamilyMart, Lawson, Ministop, Seicomart).
- Multibanco — Portuguese payment reference: the shopper pays an entity and reference number by ATM or online banking.
- MB WAY — Portuguese phone wallet: the shopper enters their phone number and approves in the MB WAY app.
- TWINT — Switzerland's mobile payment app: shoppers scan a QR code or switch to their TWINT app to approve.