After much anticipation, Pix Automatico is finally here. Launched on 16 June, the new service rolled out by the Central Bank of Brazil will enable recurring payments to be made using Pix, without the need for credit cards or complex direct debit setups.
The new feature will be especially helpful when consumers are looking to set up subscriptions, utilities, and memberships. They simply need to give consent for a one-time authorisation, and payments will then be automatically deducted from their bank accounts. Manual approvals for payments will become a thing of the past with Pix Automático, as the feature will reduce friction and improve customer retention throughout the payment journey.
Some specific use cases for Pix Automático include:
- A streaming platform offering subscription renewals, even for users without a credit card;
- A gym chain eliminating missed payments and collection costs through a fully digital setup;
- A language school automating tuition payments with full traceability;
- A coffee or wine subscription club simplifies monthly charges with just one click.
Sharing what Pix Automático could mean for organisations outside of Brazil looking to enter the market, Federico Mazzoli, VP of product at dLocal, the cross-border payments firm, said: “For global businesses entering Brazil, Pix Automático represents a powerful tool to improve accessibility and reduce reliance on traditional methods, including banked users with limited or no access to credit cards. It supports real-time, low-cost transactions while expanding reach across a broad consumer base.
“Companies operating with recurring billing models benefit from lower churn, increased conversions, and stronger customer retention. Operationally, it simplifies reconciliation, automates collections, and minimises friction at every step of the payment journey, positioning Pix Automático as a key enabler of sustainable digital growth in Brazil.”
The lead-up to the June launch
The first mention of Pix Automático came about in 2023, with sights set for a service launch in late 2024. However, in mid-2024, it was delayed by the Central Bank. However, this did stop organisations from ensuring they were prepared for the launch when that day eventually came.
In April 2025, digital payments platform, PagBrasil announced that it would be integrating Pix Automático into its subscription management platform, PagStream. Through PagBrasil’s platform, merchants would be able to easily create, and manage subscription plans, set billing frequencies, handle upgrades and downgrades, and automate customer communication related to payment cycles.
Integrating Pix Automático into PagStream would reduce the number of payment failures associated with expired or cancelled credit cards as merchants can schedule recurring charges directly via the platform, knowing each transaction will be executed via the Pix infrastructure.
Pix is still growing
In 2025, 42 per cent of Brazilian consumers admitted to using Pix daily, while only 29 per cent said they relied on credit cards, and fewer still (21 per cent) on cash. Overall, however, it is estimated that around 91 per cent of adult Brazilians actively use Pix in 2025.
It is unlikely this number will drop too. The Central Bank of Brazil has continued to capitalise on Pix’s momentum and announced in April 2025 that it had four new features in the pipeline that would be rolled out over the next year, thus giving the payment function even more use cases.
Looking comparatively at Brazil’s digital payments progress to the rest of the region, Tristán Torres Velat, chief commercial officer at PayRetailers, the Latin American (LatAm) payment processing solution, said: “Pix was a game-changer for one-off transactions- but we’re now entering a new era where that’s not enough. As consumer behaviour shifts towards subscriptions, memberships and recurring services, the next challenge for real-time payments in LatAm is enabling repeatable, low-friction flows.
“Brazil is already taking steps to get there. The evolution of Pix to support recurring payments, a key step for sectors like streaming and online platforms.
“Most other LatAm systems, however, aren’t even close. Mexico, Colombia and others still only support single-use instant payments, with no framework in place for recurring use cases. That means platforms can’t automate renewals or schedule ongoing payouts, which adds unnecessary operational drag for both consumers and merchants.
“We’re tracking this shift closely. Real-time payment rails must move beyond speed. They need to be fit for purpose across different commercial models. Until recurring flows become a standard feature, we’ll see businesses continue to build costly workarounds or avoid certain markets entirely.”
Ready from Day 1
Organisations in Brazil were counting down the days to 16 June as they prepared for the launch of Pix Automático. Three of these included local payment platform, PPRO; open finance platform, Belvo; and EBANX, a global technology company specialising in payment solutions for emerging markets.
PPRO
Integrating Pix Automatico into the PPRO platform, merchants and payment service providers (PSPs) can now benefit from:
- Access to Brazil’s preferred instant payment method – now with recurring capabilities.
- Optimised conversion and retention – frictionless recurring flows reduce payment declines and subscriber churn.
- Faster time to market – plug-and-play functionality via PPRO’s platform accelerates access to over 174 million Pix users in Brazil.
- Trusted infrastructure and local expertise – built on the same local payments backbone trusted by leading global brands.
“Recurring payments are a powerful engine for growth and Pix Automático is set to transform how consumers in Brazil engage with subscriptions and other repeat services,” said Motie Bring, CEO at PPRO. “Our mission is to help PSPs and merchants tap into local payment preferences with ease, and Pix Automático is another key step in delivering on that promise.”
Belvo
As a Central Bank-regulated payment initiation service provider (PISP), Belvo took part in the official Pix Automático pilot programme and now offers a robust, secure infrastructure to help businesses scale this new solution.
Belvo’s platform supports both regulated entities, such as banks and PSPs, and non-regulated companies, via a white-label model with fully managed consent flows.
Key features include:
- Support for both fixed and variable payments with flexible configurations;
- Smart limit management, retry logic, and notification systems;
- Fully digital authorisation flows;
- Native security via open finance, with traceable and revocable consent
“We’re witnessing the end of direct debit as we know it,” says Leandro Piano, CFO at Belvo. “Pix Automático is a modern alternative that eliminates the pain points of legacy systems. It enables a more fluid and efficient experience for both companies and consumers.”
EBANX
Ready and integrated for the launch on 16 June, EBANX revealed the impact Pix Automatico could have on the Brazilian ecosystem. According to Payments and Commerce Market Intelligence (PCMI) data in EBANX’s study Beyond Borders 2025, Pix Automático could unlock over $30billion in online recurring payments within two years.
“The new recurring feature of Pix is the key to democratising access to subscription services, enabling unprecedented financial control to millions of Brazilians,” says Eduardo de Abreu, VP of product at EBANX.
For SaaS and streaming companies, Pix accounts for 13 per cent and two per cent of all online volume transacted, respectively. The average across all verticals is 40 per cent. These two sectors are still dominated by credit cards, with shares of 79 per cent for streaming companies and 86 per cent for SaaS. However, according to Abreu, “sectors with low Pix participation in transaction volume should experience a change in the coming years.
“Card volume is not expected to decline in sectors where recurring payments are key, but instead to grow alongside the overall market.”
According to PCMI, Brazilian e-commerce is expected to grow by 40 per cent over the next two years, representing an additional $167billion in online purchase volume.
