All banks and other financial institutions have up to February 2025 to offer customers the Pix by approximation. However, some have already anticipated the calendar of the Banco Central (BC) and already offer the new feature.
On October 11th, the Bank of Brazil started making Pix available via contact for a group of clients from Brasília and São Paulo. Payments can be made using machines at Cieloan accreditor controlled by the bank and the Bradesco.
With Pix by approximation, it will not be necessary to scan QRCodes or even enter keys such as phone numbers, CNPJ, CPF and others Photo: Sure Communication
Last Monday, 4th, ItaúC6 Bank and PicPay also anticipated and started offering Pix via contact. In the case of Itaú, Payment can be made at all Network machinesthe so-called orange ones. Already the C6 Bank e PicPay were the first to join the digital wallet Googlewhich was made possible through a partnership with BC. The tendency is for others to also join, according to those involved.
“Before only those who had a card could take advantage of this advantage, now everyone can have the same agility and ease when making payments. This helps to eliminate barriers and places us before another milestone in the evolution of the Brazilian financial experience”, says Pedro Romero, director of Wallet&Banking at PicPay, in a note issued by the institution.
According to BC rules, when it is fully operational, in February 2025, Pix by contact must operate on machines on all networks.
Understand the technology
Cell phones are already the main channel for contactless payments in Brazil. In 2023, they accounted for 82% of the number of transactions carried out, according to the Central Bank.
Contactless payment is also very common for those who use a physical card. BC data released in July this year indicates that the percentage of contactless transactions with credit cards increased from 23.1% in 2022 to 31.1% in 2023. In the case of the debit function, contactless transactions jumped from 24. 4% to 35.2%, respectively in 2022 and 2023.
Contactless payment using cards is a feature used not only by banks. Passengers in the city of São Paulo have been using technology on buses and subways for over 20 years.
Contactless payment via cell phone – or even smartwatches – has also been possible for many years. The difference now is that Pix has been incorporated, which was not possible before. Data from Febraban indicate that Pix was the most used method for payments in 2023.
Contactless payments on cell phones are possible using NFC (Near Field Communication) technology. Only very old cell phone models do not have this feature. It allows wireless operations between compatible devices, such as smartphones (or even smart watches) and card machines. This means faster and safer payments, without the need to enter Pix keys (phone, CNPJ, CPF, email, etc.) or scan QR Codes. See below how to activate.
- To use Pix by contact, you must have an Android smartphone with NFC and a bank account linked to Google Pay. You can check and activate NFC in your smartphone's settings;
- After linking your bank account to Google Pay, inform the retailer that you want to pay via Pix by contact. Unlock your smartphone, bring it closer to the machine with Google Pay open, confirm the amount, and authenticate the payment with your biometrics;
- Transactions are protected by encryption and biometric authentication. Google Pay does not share account information with the retailer, ensuring the privacy of user data;
- It is crucial to adopt security measures, such as strong passwords and updating the operating system;
- Pay attention to the value limit for new devices that are not yet registered with banks. These devices can only make transactions of R$200 at a time, limited to 5 daily transactions of the same value. For users who already have registered devices, nothing changes.
