Understanding Pix: A Complete Guide to Brazil’s Instant Payment System

Understanding the differences between the types of Pix is an important step for business leaders looking to improve their customers’ checkout experience, reduce payment costs, and streamline collection processes.

Launched in 2020 by Brazil’s Central Bank, Pix—Brazil’s instant payment method—continues to evolve and expand its use cases, reaching impressive adoption rates. In August 2025 alone, the Central Bank recorded more than BRL 3 billion in Pix transactions, with nearly BRL 300 million coming from P2B payments (person-to-business).

For cross-border merchants, these numbers underscore the growing opportunities in Brazil’s digital economy—and understanding the distinctions between Scheduled Pix (Pix Agendado), Automatic Pix (Pix Automático), and Installment Pix (Pix Parcelado) is key to leveraging those opportunities effectively.

What Are the Different Types of Pix?

Before diving into the different types of Pix, it’s worth understanding the original system and why it reshaped payments in Brazil. Introduced in late 2020 by the Central Bank of Brazil, Pix is an instant-payment method that allows money to move between accounts in a matter of seconds—24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including weekends and holidays. Unlike traditional bank transfers, Pix is free for consumers, extremely fast, and easy to use, requiring only a smartphone and a simple payment key (like an email, phone number, or QR code).

These features quickly won over both consumers and businesses. Since its launch, Pix has become the country’s preferred way to send and receive money, outpacing credit cards and other payment methods. Its speed, convenience, and zero-cost model for individuals made it a game changer for e-commerce and everyday transactions alike.

As adoption surged, the Central Bank began introducing new features to meet different payment and credit needs, giving merchants more flexibility and consumers more ways to pay:

• Scheduled Pix (Pix Agendado): one-off transfers scheduled for a future date
• Automatic Pix (Pix Automático): authorized recurring payments, ideal for subscriptions or monthly bills
• Installment Pix (Pix Parcelado): installment payments through a regulated line of credit

In the next sections, we’ll break down how each of these Pix types works and explore the opportunities they create for businesses selling into Brazil.

What Is Scheduled Pix (Pix Agendado) and How Does It Work?

While Pix is best known for its real-time settlement, there are situations where the payer might prefer to send money on a future date—either because there isn’t enough balance at the moment or simply to stay organized. Scheduled Pix (Pix Agendado) meets this need by allowing users to set up a Pix transfer in advance.

To schedule a Pix, the payer enters the recipient’s Pix key (or scans a QR code), chooses the amount, and selects a future date for the transaction. The system records the instruction but does not lock the funds. When the scheduled date arrives, the transaction will only be executed if the account has sufficient balance and the user has not canceled the order. If either condition isn’t met—insufficient funds or a cancellation—the payment simply does not occur.

Because of this, a Scheduled Pix is not a guaranteed payment. It functions more like a payment reminder with an automated trigger than a post-dated check.

Common use cases include:

• For businesses: scheduling supplier payments, payroll deposits, or other recurring payables on a specific date
• For individuals: pre-programming bill payments, rent transfers, or personal money transfers to friends and family

What Is Automatic Pix (Pix Automático) and How Is It Revolutionizing Recurring Payments?

Automatic Pix (Pix Automático) was launched by Brazil’s Central Bank in 2025 to bring recurring payments to Brazil’s instant-payment ecosystem, making it easy to pay subscription-style charges without manual action. It works much like a traditional direct debit, but the transaction is settled instantly through Pix.

The setup process is simple and secure:

1. At checkout, or when signing up for a service even if no payment is due at first (e.g., free trial period), the customer chooses to subscribe.
2. They scan the QR code or copy and paste the alternative code into their banking app.
3. They confirm the frequency of the charges (for example, weekly or monthly) and define the maximum amount allowed for each debit, as well as other key conditions that will govern every future charge.
4. They give consent—and that’s it: the charges will be made automatically under the agreed conditions.

If the customer does not have sufficient balance at the time of billing, up to three retry attempts are made within seven days, for the same amount. When giving initial consent, the customer can even authorize the use of credit if the balance is insufficient.

What Are the Benefits of Automatic Pix for Subscription Businesses?

Companies operating on a recurring-revenue model will find significant advantages in using Automatic Pix for billing:

• Lower delinquency rates: Charges occur automatically, reducing missed payments caused by customer forgetfulness.
• Solution for card failures: Because transactions don’t rely on credit or debit card data, issues like expired, canceled, or blocked cards are eliminated.
• Better customer experience: Subscribers don’t need to update card details or manually approve each charge, making renewals frictionless.

For cross-border businesses entering Brazil, the easiest way to enable Automatic Pix is through PagStream®, PagBrasil’s plug-and-play subscription management solution that integrates Automatic Pix directly into your checkout. PagStream® also provides value-added features such as a subscriber area, payment reminders, automatic retry attempts, and an exclusive promotions engine to boost conversions and retention.

Alternatively, you can integrate Automatic Pix via API into your own platform. However, this approach requires developing your own billing system, as the Central Bank’s technology facilitates customer consent but does not automate the entire billing flow on its own.

What is Installment Pix (Pix Parcelado) and How Does It Work?

Installment Pix (Pix Parcelado) is an initiative led by financial institutions and is already available at several banks. In September 2025, Brazil’s Central Bank is expected to establish formal rules for its execution.

Like a credit card purchase, Installment Pix relies on a credit line granted by financial institutions after evaluating the customer’s profile. What sets it apart from traditional credit cards is how that credit is approved.

With a credit card, the bank establishes a pre-approved credit limit, and the consumer can make purchases within that limit. The merchant receives payment according to pre-defined settlement rules, which typically include a discount fee and a payout period.

With Installment Pix, the credit approval happens at the moment of purchase. The customer’s data is captured and run through a real-time credit assessment protocol, and the transaction is approved—or not—on the spot.

Once the consumer selects Installment Pix in their banking app and the transaction is approved, the merchant receives the full amount of the sale instantly, while the customer repays the bank in installments with interest.

According to Alex Hoffman, CEO and co-founder of PagBrasil, the regulation will likely cover two key areas:

• Communication requirements: Banks will need to clearly disclose credit conditions, such as the number of installments and applicable interest rates.
• Interest limits: Similar to previous measures that capped revolving credit rates, the Central Bank is expected to set a ceiling on the interest that can be charged.

Installment Pix vs. Credit Cards

The table below highlights the main differences between Installment Pix and credit cards:

Pix at a Glance: Scheduled, Automatic, and Installment Pix

You now have a clear understanding of how each type of Pix works and the benefits they bring to your business.

The table below provides a concise summary of the key differences between the different options, helping you decide which solutions fit your operations and customer needs in Brazil.