Paying in Paraguay: cards, QR, Pix and cash
A practical guide for short stays · Paraguayan guaraní (PYG)
How to pay in Paraguay as a visitor
- Use cards, keep guaraníes.Foreign Visa and Mastercard are the practical default at formal merchants. Keep cash for smaller businesses, terminal failures and emergencies.
- Local SIP QR needs a local account.Paraguay's interoperable QR is live, but it is funded from participating domestic banks and wallets rather than a foreign card.
- Brazilian Pix is the exception.Existing Brazilian Pix users can pay at participating Bancard or Dinelco merchants; this is not a route for every foreign visitor.
Payment apps and QR in Paraguay
Paraguay has two different QR stories: domestic SIP QR for local-account users and cross-border Pix acceptance for eligible Brazilian users. The payer requirements cannot be mixed.
| App | Sign up | Fund from | Payment cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bancard Pix official payment guide | Existing Brazilian Pix + CPFBrazilian citizen or naturalized Brazilian | Brazilian Pix account in BRLMerchant enters PYG or USD | BRL quote in bank appInspect exchange before confirming |
| Dinelco Pix official payment guide | Existing eligible Pix accountDetailed payer terms not published | Brazilian Pix accountSeparate from Dinelco local-wallet QR | Quote in Pix appCoverage and refund terms vary |
| Personal Pay official payment guide | Identity, phone and address dataForeign-passport route not established | Cash agents and local transfersDo not rely on it before arrival | Check current termsEligibility unresolved |
| Tigo Money official payment guide | Paraguayan cédula + active lineSelfie/identity capture | Agents and local routesNo passport-only tourist route | Check current tariffLocal wallet |
What is the difference between SIP QR and Pix?
SIP QR connects participating Paraguayan accounts and wallets through the national instant-payment system. Bancard Pix and Dinelco Pix let an eligible Brazilian user pay through a Brazilian banking app. A normal foreign card does not fund either domestic SIP QR or a Brazilian Pix account at checkout.
How do I pay for buses around Asunción?
The metropolitan system uses Jaha and Más electronic fare cards and is designed without cash onboard. A general Jaha card is anonymous unless personalized; buy and load one at a listed point. Check the current fare locally because subsidy and service categories change.
Using foreign cards
- Cards are the simple visitor option.National tourism guidance says cards and QR are available at most businesses, but a particular merchant and issuer can still fail.
- Confirm PYG at the terminal.For ordinary card payments, review the guaraní amount and avoid optional home-currency conversion unless its full cost is clearly better.
Cash and ATMs
- Keep emergency guaraníes.The tourism authority explicitly recommends a cash reserve even though electronic acceptance is broad.
- Cash is not the Asunción bus method.Buy and load the fare card before boarding; do not assume the driver can sell or recharge it.
Sources
QR and payment products
Visitor basics and transport
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.