The Pix
Pix allows you to make transfers and payments in real time and free of charge for individual users.
Making transfers and payments in real time and free of charge may be commonplace these days, but these benefits have only become so common in the lives of Brazilians thanks to Pix. Since it was launched in 2020, the instant payment method has quickly gained popularity and, in 2023, it consolidated itself as the most used transaction in the country. That year, there were almost 42 billion transactions via Pix, an increase of 75% compared to the previous year. This number is greater than credit card, debit card, boleto, TED, check and TEC (Special Credit Transfer) transactions combined – in 2023, they totaled almost 39.4 billion. Below, learn what Pix is and how it works, what its main advantages are, how to register a Pix key, among other details.
What is Pix?
Pix is an instant payment method launched by the Central Bank to facilitate the transfer of funds between individuals and legal entities, the payment of bills and purchases and even the collection of taxes and service fees. The big difference compared to other payment methods is speed and availability: while there are restrictions on days and times for sending amounts via TED and for making bill payments via boleto, Pix allows transactions 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including national holidays. In other words, the money arrives immediately, any day of the week or time. Pix can be used by both individuals and legal entities, but in the first case it is generally free – at Nubank, it is also free for legal entities in the PJ account.
What does “Pix” mean?
According to the Central Bank, the payment method was named Pix because the term brings to mind technology, transactions, and pixels (the luminous dots on a screen). In other words: Pix is not an acronym.
How does Pix work?
Pix works without third-party intermediation: the money leaves an account and goes directly to the account of the person who will receive the amounts. This is the same system used in transfers between accounts in the same bank, which are instant, can be made at any time, and are free of charge. Pix works through the Instant Payment System, the SPI. It is managed and operated by the Central Bank, through the Department of Banking Operations and Payment Systems (Deban). The SPI is responsible for processing transactions and connecting all participants in the system, including banks, fintechs, and other financial institutions, enabling real-time money transfers.
- Nubank