Paying in Brazil: Pix, cards and cash
A practical guide for short stays · Brazilian real (BRL)
How to pay in Brazil as a visitor
Tourists can pay with Pix in Brazil through an app that accepts foreign visitors, without opening their own Brazilian bank account. Some routes also work without a CPF. The important checks are whether you can register, fund the payment and use the merchant's QR or Pix key. Keep an international card and some reais as alternatives.
- Pix is a payment system, not an app.A visitor needs an eligible wallet or bank that can send Pix. Several cross-border apps document passport onboarding without a Brazilian bank account or CPF.
- Match the app to the payment request.A merchant QR, a code on your own phone and a Pix key can require different app features. Camera-only scanning will not cover every situation.
- Bring a card and some reais too.International cards are widely accepted in cities. Cash remains useful in informal or remote settings and when a terminal or app fails.
Pix apps for tourists: requirements and costs
Six of these apps publish a passport-capable route to merchant Pix. The seventh, Tucu, is opening through early access. Eligibility still depends on residence, phone, app-store access and the way you fund the payment.
| App | Sign up | Fund from | Payment cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moreta official payment guide | Passport + three selfiesAddress and phone required | Bank, card or Solana cryptoSome card-issuer countries excluded | 1.5% + FX spreadFunding costs are separate |
| WanderWallet official payment guide | Passport or ID + selfiePartner checks can add requirements | Bank, Revolut or Polygon USDCOwn accounts only | 1% + US$0.20Funding and FX may also apply |
| Lokal official payment guide | Apple/Google sign-inPassport + selfie for full use | Foreign Visa or MastercardCard charged per payment | Quote in appNo balance to withdraw later |
| Takenos official payment guide | ID or passport + selfieStore country restrictions apply | USD/EUR bank or cryptoNo general card top-up found | No added Pix feeRate shown before payment |
| Airtm official payment guide | Government ID + selfieFull verification and phone | P2P, card, bank or cryptoMethod availability varies | Quote in appNo stable Pix rate published |
| Peanut official payment guide | Passport or accepted ID + selfiePublic pages still mention early access | Bank transfer or cryptoRails vary by region | No separate payment feeFX is embedded in the rate |
| Tucu official payment guideRequest an invite (opens in a new tab) | Identity verificationDepends on residence and ID document | US/SEPA bank or Base USDCBridge decides bank availability | 1% + US$0.20Bank deposit fee is separate |
Moreta
WanderWallet
Takenos
Airtm
TucuCan a foreigner use Pix without a CPF?
Yes, through a provider that offers a visitor route. Lokal documents Pix paid on your behalf from a foreign card without your own Brazilian account or CPF. This is different from opening a domestic account: a CPF alone does not guarantee that a Brazilian bank will accept your application.
Do I need internet to pay with Pix?
Plan to be online at checkout. Takenos explicitly requires an internet connection for its Pix flow. Installing an app or saving a merchant's QR in advance does not establish that the payment will work offline; check your provider's requirements and keep a fallback.
QR scan, copy-and-paste or Pix key?
A printed merchant code can work with a camera scan. A checkout code displayed on the same phone needs image import or Pix copy-and-paste. A person may instead give a phone number, email, CPF/CNPJ or random Pix key. Takenos, Airtm, WanderWallet and Lokal document key support; Peanut limits its public flow to merchant QR scanning. Tucu, now in early access, pays merchant Pix QR.
Already use a Latin American wallet?
Belo documents Pix for residents of 11 named Latin American countries, with identity rules that vary by residence. AstroPay markets Brazil Pix to users from Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Uruguay, Chile and Peru, but does not publish all KYC, fee and refund details. Prex, Lemon and Mercado Pago also have useful routes for eligible home-country account holders.
Can I send Pix with Wise?
Wise can send BRL to a Pix key without a Brazilian CPF or address, but visitors cannot generally scan a QR or paste a Pix code unless their Wise address is in Brazil. Conversion and delivery can take business days, so this fits a planned transfer rather than an instant checkout.
Can I open a Brazilian Pix account?
A foreigner can apply for a CPF, but still needs approval for a bank or payment account. Mercado Pago, PicPay and Nubank publish local account conditions that do not establish quick passport-only tourist onboarding. Banco Rendimento has a formal nonresident account with Pix, but asks for CPF, passport, foreign tax number, proof of address and income.
Check the recipient before confirming
Review the name and amount in the app. A successful Pix is normally final. Brazil's special return mechanism covers certain fraud and operational-failure cases; it is not a general remedy for the wrong recipient, a wrong amount or a purchase dispute. From Tucu: your first Pix payment, step by step (opens in a new tab)
Plan your Pix payments before you travel
Start with the money and documents you have, then check the payment request. This is a comparison of published requirements, with sources rechecked on . Account approval and payments have not been independently tested.
Which route fits your trip?
- Only have an international card? Lokal documents payment from a foreign Visa or Mastercard without a Brazilian bank account. Moreta documents card top-ups into a USD wallet. Check issuer eligibility and the complete charge before choosing. Lokal card requirements (opens in a new tab); Moreta funding fees (opens in a new tab).
- Can fund a wallet by bank transfer? Compare the deposit fee and payment quote, then confirm that you can withdraw to an eligible account in your own name. Moreta publishes bank withdrawal routes; Takenos requires a funded balance for Pix. Moreta withdrawals (opens in a new tab); Takenos requirements (opens in a new tab).
- Can you complete verification? Moreta documents a passport, address, phone and three selfies. Published requirements do not guarantee acceptance for every residence or document. Complete approval before depending on a wallet. Identity checklist (opens in a new tab).
- Does it accept the request in front of you? Check QR, Pix-key and copy-and-paste support separately. Match the recipient name and BRL amount before confirming. Input methods (opens in a new tab); Pix keys and QR (opens in a new tab).
Worked example: the payment fee is only part of the cost
This hypothetical example uses Moreta’s published fee schedule to compare two funding methods for the same wallet. Assume US$100 is credited, a R$400 purchase converts at an illustrative R$5 per US$1, and the remaining balance is withdrawn to an eligible US bank account. This rate is invented for arithmetic, not a current exchange quote. Both routes assume that bank withdrawal is available for the account.
| Stage, in US dollars | US bank funding | Card funding |
|---|---|---|
| Amount credited to wallet | $100.00 | $100.00 |
| Deposit fee | $1.00 | $2.50 (2.5%) |
| Purchase + 1.5% payment fee | $80.00 + $1.20 | $80.00 + $1.20 |
| Balance left after payment | $18.80 | $18.80 |
| US bank withdrawal fee: $1 + 0.5% | About $1.09 | About $1.09 |
| Returned to bank | About $17.71 | About $17.71 |
| Net spend: money paid in − money returned | About $83.29 | About $84.79 |
Use this with any provider: compare what leaves your bank or card with what reaches the merchant and what you can recover afterward. For a pay-per-payment route, compare the complete checkout debit plus issuer charges. A smaller advertised Pix fee alone does not establish a cheaper trip.
When Pix does not work as expected
- The QR is on your own phone
- Look for Pix Copia e Cola or ask for a Pix key. Lokal documents pasting a payment code; Takenos documents entering a key. Do not assume every scanner imports screenshots. Copy-and-paste (opens in a new tab); Key entry (opens in a new tab).
- A person gives you a QR
- A local bank QR and a wallet’s “receive money” QR are different. Moreta’s Brazil guide links support for a friend’s local bank QR; its troubleshooting excludes personal receive-money QRs into Moreta. Verify the recipient before paying. Brazil guide (opens in a new tab); QR limitations (opens in a new tab).
- Verification or payment fails
- For Moreta, check that passport details match, then contact support if verification fails. For a payment, check balance including fees, supported QR type, connectivity and app version. If a debit is pending, check its status before attempting another payment. Verification help (opens in a new tab); Payment help (opens in a new tab).
- Money remains after the trip
- Moreta’s in-app withdrawals use bank accounts. Its main guide separately offers support-arranged refunds for card top-ups, while another article says cards are not withdrawal destinations. Confirm the route and cost before funding; do not assume an automatic card cash-out. Main withdrawal guide (opens in a new tab); In-app limits (opens in a new tab).
Using foreign cards
- Cards work widely in cities.International cards are commonly accepted in restaurants and stores. Acceptance is less dependable in rural areas and informal markets, and terminals can sometimes be unreliable.
- Check the terminal amount.Keep the card in view, prefer contactless where possible, and monitor transactions. Use ATMs inside banks or established businesses.
- Pay in reais.If a terminal or ATM offers your home currency, decline that conversion and choose BRL. Your issuer's own overseas fees can still apply.
Cash and ATMs
- Keep a modest BRL fallback.Cash is useful for small purchases, informal markets and remote areas where card acceptance or ATM access is less dependable. There is no single right amount for every trip.
- Exchange through authorized providers.Banco Central do Brasil directs travelers to authorized institutions or their correspondents and provides tools for comparing the total effective cost of exchange.
Brazil payment checklist
Work through these checks before relying on a payment app during your trip. Keep the card and cash sections above as your fallback.
- Choose a funding route you can use.
If you want to pay from a foreign Visa or Mastercard, Lokal documents a card charge for each Pix payment. Wallets such as Moreta require a funded balance. Compare the complete checkout cost, including your card issuer's charges.
- Complete the identity check before relying on the app.
Moreta asks for a passport, address, phone number and three selfies. Lokal requires a passport and selfie for full use. Confirm your own eligibility before committing a trip budget.
- Check how you will enter the Pix request.
A QR on a counter is different from a checkout on your own phone. Takenos supports scanning and Pix keys; Lokal also documents copy-and-paste codes. Arrange internet access: Takenos lists it as a payment requirement.
- Review the recipient and the final debit.
Check the recipient, BRL amount and full cost before confirming. Takenos says its Pix payments cannot be cancelled. Keep another way to pay if the QR, connection or app is unavailable.
Sources
Payment app documentation
Pix, cards, cash and other routes
Continuing your trip?
Check payment access again when you cross a border. A wallet or QR code that works here may have different requirements elsewhere.