Evolution of banking services in Brazil

I find Brazil pretty up to date with banking services, if you have access to local services. There are several payment methods accepted in most businesses. Cards including credit cards and contactless payments are accepted everywhere without fuss. No rolling eyes for credit. Apple Pay is provided by most banks. I see people using QR code system Pix a lot as well.

Using foreign cards you need to pay attention to select "Credit" whether your card is debit or credit and reject the dynamic conversion rate if offered. Some shop attendees who are not familiar with the process might do selections for you without confirming, so pay attention before payment. From my experience when you pay contactless, you automatically skip the dynamic conversion step.

If you can't open a local account, a wise card with converted BRL balance would be convenient.

However cards are not accepted in public transport afaik. In some cities like Sao Paulo you definitely need cash for it and obtaining your own public transport card is almost impossible as a visitor.

Ambulantes on the beach take plastic. The country is very advanced IMHO.

My wife has a bank account in Brazil and we are able to take care of almost everything with the phone app.

No way l am using my debit card in Brazil (or in the USA)  unless l am inside a bank. For me it's credit only. If it gets hacked, it's not my money.

09/26/23  I second all the positives so far about banking in Brazil.  I find the system modern, and improving all the time. 

We pay all our bills, including our real estate and income taxes, online, usually using our phones, although we've had to raise our phone limits from time to time thanks to inflation.  The few bills that are too big for the phone we've been able to pay through the bank's desktop app.  Almost everything that we used to pay with cash we now pay with PIX, down to our Sunday offerings.  Even the guys who sell picolés in the parks take PIX now.  We don't have a car, and just top off Uber Cash from our phones every couple of weeks.  I've carried the same R$70 in my wallet for about six months now -- there's almost nothing to spend cash on anymore.

We pay for groceries and make other household purchases using the debit card from our joint account, and control the balance of that account tightly.  We use a Brazilian credit card for online purchases, and pay that bill off every month.  I only use my US credit cards for travel, and my US debit card only to get Reais from a bank ATM on the rare occasions that we need extra money in the middle of the month.

About every 6-9 months I need to go to the Banco do Brasil office to renew the "flexibilização" that lets me transfer funds from the US, since my lack of Brazil-based income periodically sets off an alarm somewhere in their system, but that's become routine and, since it's generally the only time I'm in the bank anyway, it lets me keep the relationship healthy.

My wife is Brazilian and I have mine permanent residency card but I work overseas so have no direct income from Brazil. We've tried fruitlessly to open my own bank account in Brazil. I showed proof of my employment overseas but to no avail. I am the Nigeria Country Manager and Program Director for a US non-profit called Results for Development Institute and I oversee the country portfolio.

Wondering how I can navigate this to get my own babk account?

Felix, Abuja Nigeria

@Felizo

Try ITI, ITAUs online only account.  I was able to open it with only a CPF. I could not open any other accounts at local banks.  I have a debit card from them and can pay via PIX from their app.  I believe I can get a credit card too but I have not tried.

As a follow-up; while in Brazil last week, l used my BofA  ”Visa”  everywhere with one exception.

We went to a ”Mundial” supermarket. They don't accept any credit cards. Only debit.  Fortunately I had enough cash on me.

The BofA Visa is a good option for travelers. It has no foreign exchange fee. I got immediate text updates every time l used it as well. Plus it has no annual fee.

No l don't work for them 😂😂

When we arrived in Brazil a few years ago we brought cash (dollars) bc that was recommended to us by a Brazilian friend.  My husband was going to be paid by a Brazillian company and his salary was going to be deposited in a Banco do Brasil account.  So we opened a account at Banco do Brasil.  When we tried to deposit the money we brought into the account we were denied.  My husband had to be paid by his Braziliian company before we could deposit money into the account.  Very strange and a big hassle because we had to negotiate everything with cash like rent etc. 

    My wife has a bank account in Brazil and we are able to take care of almost everything with the phone app.
No way l am using my debit card in Brazil (or in the USA)  unless l am inside a bank. For me it's credit only. If it gets hacked, it's not my money.
   

    -@KenAquarius

Interest take.  I  will remember this next time I seek my banker.

    As a follow-up; while in Brazil last week, l used my BofA  ”Visa”  everywhere with one exception.
We went to a ”Mundial” supermarket. They don't accept any credit cards. Only debit.  Fortunately I had enough cash on me.
The BofA Visa is a good option for travelers. It has no foreign exchange fee. I got immediate text updates every time l used it as well. Plus it has no annual fee.
No l don't work for them 😂😂
   

    -@KenAquarius

I had BoFa way back in 2013.  Just exactly as you stated.

    As a follow-up; while in Brazil last week, l used my BofA  ”Visa”  everywhere with one exception.
We went to a ”Mundial” supermarket. They don't accept any credit cards. Only debit.  Fortunately I had enough cash on me.
The BofA Visa is a good option for travelers. It has no foreign exchange fee. I got immediate text updates every time l used it as well. Plus it has no annual fee.
No l don't work for them 😂😂
   

    -@KenAquarius

My wife has a Westjet branded Mastercard thru the biggest bank in Canada, RBC, and it only works in about 15% of the stores in Brasil. Very frustrating for a supposed "world travel card".

My basic bare bones PC Financial Mastercard works everywhere as does my AMEX though.