A machinery maker in Ohio sells USD 60,000 of equipment to a distributor in São Paulo: 30% in advance and 70% at shipment. The advance arrives later than expected, and the export manager cannot tell whether the client is slow or the payment is stuck. The team wants to know how to get paid from Brazil without guessing.
The importer closes an FX operation with an authorized institution in Brazil, which converts BRL and sends the payment abroad. Most delays come from missing documents or wrong bank details, so the exporter controls more of the timeline than it seems.
How does a Brazilian importer pay a foreign supplier?
The importer cannot simply wire dollars from a Brazilian account. It buys the foreign currency from an authorized institution in Brazil through an FX operation, which is then sent to the exporter’s bank.
The framework is Law No. 14,286, of December 29, 2021, in force since December 31, 2022, and BCB Resolution No. 277, of December 31, 2022. The operation is formalized in a contrato de câmbio, the Brazilian FX contract.
The contract records the amount, currency, rate, the exporter as beneficiary and the nature of the payment, in this case an import of goods. That classification also defines the tax treatment on the Brazilian side.
How long does it take to receive?
Two clocks run in sequence. The first is the FX operation in Brazil, from the importer’s request to the settlement date agreed in the contract.
The second is the transfer abroad. A bank wire may pass through one or more correspondent banks before reaching the exporter’s account, and each one can add time or a fee.
Neither clock has a fixed length. The importer’s institution, the time of day, holidays in both countries and the route of the payment all change the total. Transfero’s comparison of SWIFT and blockchain for international payments explains how the route affects timing.
The exporter can shorten both clocks. Ask the importer for the date the FX operation will be closed and for a copy of the payment confirmation once it is sent. With that reference, your bank can trace the transfer instead of waiting for it to appear.
What documents does the importer need from you?
For an advance payment, the importer usually needs a proforma invoice. For payments at or after shipment, the commercial invoice and shipping documents, such as the bill of lading, come into play.
The importer’s institution checks that amount, currency, beneficiary name and description of goods match across documents. Every field the exporter fills in correctly is one less reason for the payment to stop in Brazil.
Bank details complete the package: beneficiary name and address, account number or IBAN, the bank’s SWIFT/BIC code and, when there is one, the intermediary bank.
Send this package before the payment date, not when the importer asks for it. A distributor that already has the right documents on file can close the FX operation on the day it planned.
Why do payments from Brazil get delayed?
Bank details are the most common cause. A missing intermediary bank, a wrong SWIFT/BIC code or a beneficiary name that differs from the invoice can stop a payment before it leaves Brazil, or hold it at a correspondent bank.
Documents come next. An invoice without a date, with a different amount or a vague description of goods leads to questions from the importer’s institution.
Compliance checks along the route are a third source. Correspondent banks screen payments for sanctions and source of funds, and a clear payment description reduces requests for more information.
Timing also matters. An FX operation closed late in the day can move to the next business day, and holidays in Brazil or in the currency’s country push settlement further.
Waiting days for payments from Brazil? Talk to our team.
How do payment terms work: advance, at sight or deferred?
The payment terms define when the importer closes the FX operation and who carries the risk.
Terms | When the importer pays | Risk sits mostly with
|
|---|---|---|
Advance | Before shipment, against a proforma invoice | Importer |
At sight | When shipping documents are presented | Balanced |
Deferred | On an agreed date after shipment | Exporter |
Take the Ohio machinery maker. The 30% advance, USD 18,000, is paid at order: the distributor closes an FX operation against the proforma invoice, and the dollars travel to the exporter’s bank.
The remaining 70%, USD 42,000, is paid at shipment. The distributor closes a second FX operation against the commercial invoice and shipping documents. Each installment has its own contract, rate and route.
On the Brazilian side, payment for imports of goods is exempt from IOF under Decree No. 6,306/2007, art. 16, I. The exemption does not change the amount the exporter receives, which depends on the invoice and on who bears the bank fees.
Can you be paid in stablecoins?
It is a regulated possibility. BCB Resolution No. 521, of November 10, 2025, added article 76-A to Resolution 277: since February 2, 2026, international payments with virtual assets are FX market operations in Brazil.
The importer would buy a stablecoin, such as USDC, through a provider in Brazil and send it to the exporter or to the exporter’s provider. The operation follows the same FX logic, with nature, documents and beneficiary defined.
Resolution 521 also sets a limit worth knowing. Under article 29, a virtual asset service provider is limited to USD 100,000 per operation when its counterparty is not an institution authorized to operate FX.
Whether this route works for a given sale depends on both sides’ providers and treasury. Transfero’s guide to stablecoins in international payments explains the mechanics.
How does Transfero support payments from Brazilian buyers?
Transfero’s cross-border payments run on the Transfero Payments Network (TPN), a layer that connects banking rails, blockchain networks and liquidity providers. The platform processed more than 9.8 million transactions in 2025.
Money moved globally in minutes, through Transfero’s cross-border payments
Predictable 24/7 payouts across multiple countries
More than 180 payout markets
Questions to ask before your next shipment to Brazil
Do your invoices match the bank details and beneficiary name exactly?
Have you given the importer your intermediary bank, if there is one?
Which payment terms are in the contract, and when will each FX operation be closed?
Who bears the bank fees, and is that written on the invoice?
Are holidays in Brazil or in your country close to the payment date?
Would a stablecoin route work for both your provider and the importer’s?
Talk to Transfero about receiving payments from Brazilian importers.
Frequently asked questions
Who pays the FX and transfer fees?
The FX spread is part of the importer’s cost in Brazil. Bank transfer fees follow the charge code on the payment: with OUR, the importer pays them all; with SHA, each side pays its own bank; with BEN, the fees come out of the amount the exporter receives. Agree on the code in the contract.
Can my Brazilian client pay in USD?
Yes. The importer converts reais into dollars through an FX operation in Brazil and sends USD to your account. From your side, you invoice and receive in USD; the conversion from BRL happens before the money leaves Brazil.
What is a contrato de câmbio?
It is the Brazilian FX contract: the document that formalizes the currency exchange between the importer and the authorized institution. It records amount, currency, rate, beneficiary, the nature of the payment and the settlement date. Every payment from a Brazilian importer goes through one.
Can I receive in USDC?
It is possible within Brazil’s rules. Since February 2, 2026, international payments with virtual assets are FX operations under Resolution 277, article 76-A. Whether it works depends on the importer’s provider, your own provider and how each side handles the FX and compliance requirements.
