# Brazil — payment codes and schemes

> Source: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/BR
> extracted at 2026-10-03
> Publisher: Barcoder — encyclopedia of QR, barcode and payment-code standards

## Summary

- **Pix** 153M users (75% population)
- **42B transactions** in 2023
- **R$17.2T** annual turnover
- **Cash drop** 43% to 6% (2019-2024)
- **Free for individuals** 0.33% business

## Banking landscape

### Central Bank
- **Name:** Banco Central do Brasil (BCB)
- **Website:** https://www.bcb.gov.br/
- **Role:** Monetary policy, Pix operator

### Major Banks (2024)

| Rank | Bank Name | Type | Digital Platform |
|------|-----------|------|------------------|
| 1 | Itaú Unibanco | Private | Itaú App |
| 2 | Banco do Brasil | State | BB App |
| 3 | Bradesco | Private | Bradesco App |
| 4 | Santander Brasil | International | Santander App |
| 5 | Caixa Econômica | State | Caixa App |

### Market Structure
- **Pix:** Dominant system
- **Nubank:** 100M+ customers
- **Fintechs:** Thriving
- **Cards:** Declining share

---

## Payment infrastructure

### National Payment Systems

| System | Operator | Type | Status |
|--------|----------|------|--------|
| Pix | BCB | Instant/QR | 153M users |
| STR | BCB | RTGS | Active |
| SILOC/SITRAF | Banks | ACH | Active |
| Card networks | Visa/MC | Cards | Active |

### Pix Platform
- Launched November 2020
- 24/7/365 operation
- Instant settlement
- Free for individuals
- QR code primary method

### Record Performance
- 250.5M transactions (April 6, 2024)
- R$124.4B in single day
- 93% adult population usage
- 47% of all financial transactions

---

## QR code standards

### Pix QR

| Attribute | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| **Operator** | BCB |
| **Launch** | November 2020 |
| **Users** | 153M+ |
| **Companies** | 15M+ |

### Pix QR Types
- **Static QR:** Merchant display
- **Dynamic QR:** Transaction-specific
- **Copia e Cola:** Text code
- **Pix Key:** Phone/email/CPF

### Transaction Flow
- Scan merchant QR
- Enter amount (if static)
- Confirm payment
- Instant settlement

---

## Mobile payment apps

| App | Provider | QR | Features |
|-----|----------|-------|----------|
| All bank apps | Banks | Yes | Full Pix |
| Nubank | Nubank | Yes | Neobank |
| PicPay | PicPay | Yes | Wallet |
| Mercado Pago | MercadoLibre | Yes | Commerce |

### Usage Statistics
- 93% adult population
- 62% most frequent method
- 67.6% low-value payments
- Cards surpassed for P2B

### Cash Replacement
- 2019: 43% used cash
- 2024: 6% use cash
- Dramatic transformation
- Google survey data

---

## Schemes

| Scheme | Type | Symbology | Adoption | Technical standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Pix QR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/BR/pix-qr) | Instant | BCB | 153M users | [`pix`](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/pix) |
| [Pix Key](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/BR/pix-key) | Alias | BCB | Universal | [`pix`](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/pix) |
| [Card QR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/BR/card-qr) | EMV | Networks | Declining | — |

## Sources

- [BCB - Pix](https://www.bcb.gov.br/en)
- [Wikipedia - Pix](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pix_(payment_system))
- [Payments CMI - Pix Statistics](https://paymentscmi.com/insights/pix-in-brazil-latest-statistics-central-bank/)
- [EPC - Pix Updates](https://www.europeanpaymentscouncil.eu/news-insights/insight/pix-latest-updates-brazils-leading-instant-payment-scheme)

## Full country report

[BR-brazil.md](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/BR)