A design studio in Austin hires a freelance illustrator in Recife. When the first invoice arrives, it has no bank account number, only a line that says “Pix key” followed by an email address. The studio’s finance team needs to send money to Brazil via Pix, and its US bank has no such option.
Not directly: Pix only works between accounts in Brazil. A cross-border provider receives the funds abroad, converts them to BRL and delivers the payment to the recipient’s Pix key.
Can you send a Pix from outside Brazil?
No, not on its own. Pix is the instant payment system of the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB), and both the payer and the recipient must hold accounts at institutions in Brazil that take part in it.
It is how Brazilians expect to be paid. Pix processed 8.11 billion transactions in August 2026, a monthly record, according to BCB Pix statistics.
The rules sit in BCB Resolution No. 1, of August 12, 2020, the Pix Regulation. Transfero’s guide on what Pix is explains keys, QR codes and participants.
A foreign company therefore needs a bridge: a provider that receives money abroad and pays the Pix key from an account in Brazil.
The alternative is a traditional wire to the recipient’s Brazilian bank account. It works, but it needs full bank details, passes through correspondent banks and ends with the recipient’s bank converting the funds. For freelancers and small suppliers used to Pix, that route is slower and harder to track.
How does a cross-border Pix payment work?
The flow has four steps. Two happen abroad and two in Brazil.
1. Funding
The company sends USD, EUR or another currency to the provider’s account abroad, or funds a balance the provider holds for it.
2. Conversion
The provider converts the funds into reais through an FX operation in Brazil. 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, which covers eFX providers from article 49 onward.
3. Delivery to the Pix key
The provider sends a Pix from its account in Brazil to the recipient’s key. The recipient sees the money in their account, often with the payer’s name.
4. Confirmation
The provider returns a confirmation with the Pix transaction identifier. Finance attaches it to the invoice as proof of payment.
For the recipient, the payment looks like any domestic Pix. That is the point: the cross-border part happens before the money reaches Brazil, and the last step uses the rail the recipient already knows.
Take the Austin studio paying USD 5,000. At an illustrative rate of BRL 5.40, the amount converts into BRL 27,000. IOF on money entering Brazil, at 0.38%, is BRL 102.60, so the illustrator receives BRL 26,897.40 via Pix before any spread or fees.
Need to pay a Pix key from abroad? See how it works.
What do you need from the recipient?
Three pieces of information. The Pix key, the recipient’s full name and their tax ID: CPF for individuals, CNPJ for companies.
A Pix key can be a CPF or CNPJ, an email address, a phone number or a random key generated by the bank. The provider checks that the name and tax ID behind the key match the person or company on the invoice before it pays.
The provider also needs to know the purpose of the payment, such as a service, for the FX operation. An invoice that matches the payment keeps the process simple.
Companies that pay many contractors in Brazil usually collect this data once, at onboarding, in a simple form. Each new invoice then only needs the amount and the reference.
How fast is it and what does it cost?
The Pix leg itself settles in seconds once the provider sends it. The total time also depends on funding, the FX conversion and the provider’s checks, so ask for the full cycle, from your transfer to the credit on the key.
Costs come in three lines. The provider’s spread on the conversion and its fees, plus IOF, Brazil’s tax on FX operations, which as a general rule is 0.38% on money entering Brazil under Decree No. 6,306/2007, art. 15-B.
Compare providers on the reais that reach the recipient for each dollar you send, not on the headline rate.
Agree in advance on who absorbs these costs. If the contract is priced in reais and the recipient expects an exact amount, ask the provider to quote the payment so that the target amount arrives net of spread, fees and IOF.
What limits apply?
Two kinds. The first comes from the provider, which sets its own conditions for each client and corridor.
The second comes from Pix itself. Each institution in Brazil sets transaction limits for its accounts, and the recipient’s bank can apply its own rules, especially to individuals. For larger amounts, confirm with the provider and the recipient before sending.
There is also a protection layer. The Special Return Mechanism (MED), created by BCB Resolution No. 103/2021 and updated by BCB Resolution No. 493/2025, lets institutions block and return funds linked to fraud.
How does Transfero deliver payments to Pix keys?
Transfero’s cross-border payments run on the Transfero Payments Network (TPN), a layer that connects banking rails, blockchain networks and liquidity providers. Its Banking as a Service (BaaS) lets companies move money in Brazil without becoming a bank, on a licensed payment institution structure.
Money moved globally in minutes, through Transfero’s cross-border payments
Collect and send BRL funds through Pix
Banking rails without setting up a local entity or obtaining a local license
Predictable 24/7 payouts across multiple countries, with more than 180 payout markets
The platform processed more than 9.8 million transactions in 2025. Transfero’s analysis of Pix through Banking as a Service shows how platforms run the Pix side of this setup.
Questions to ask before paying a Pix key from abroad
Do you have the recipient’s Pix key, full name and CPF or CNPJ?
Does the name on the invoice match the name behind the key?
What is the purpose of the payment for the FX operation?
How many reais will reach the recipient per dollar sent, after spread, fees and IOF?
How long is the full cycle, from your transfer to the credit on the key?
Will you receive a confirmation with the Pix transaction identifier?
Talk to our team about paying Pix keys from abroad.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Pix key?
A Pix key is an identifier linked to a bank account in Brazil. It can be a CPF or CNPJ, an email address, a phone number or a random key. The payer uses the key instead of bank and account numbers, and the system routes the money to the right account.
Can I pay an individual’s CPF key?
Yes. A provider can deliver the payment to a CPF key, as long as it confirms the recipient’s name and tax ID and the purpose of the payment. Freelancers and individual contractors in Brazil often use their CPF or phone number as the key.
Is there a maximum amount?
It depends on the provider’s conditions and on the limits the recipient’s bank applies to the account. Individuals tend to have lower limits than companies. For larger payments, confirm the amount with the provider and ask the recipient to check their bank’s limits.
Can the recipient return the payment?
Yes. The recipient can send the money back through a Pix return, and the provider handles the conversion if the funds must go back abroad. In cases of fraud, the Special Return Mechanism (MED) lets institutions block and return funds under BCB rules.
