Boku Gets OK to Offer Pix Automático Services in Brazil

Localized payments provider Boku has received a new license from Brazil’s central bank.

The payment institution license, announced Wednesday (July 30), allows Boku to operate as a payment initiator and e-money issuer in Brazil, setting the stage for the company to make the country’s Pix Automático instant payment system available to merchants early next year.

“Our mission is to let consumers everywhere pay for what they love in the way they prefer. For merchants, that means offering localized options that unlock new growth,” Boku CEO Stuart Neal said in a news release.

“Our commitment to expanding local payment options—like Pix Automático —shows how innovation can drive financial inclusion at scale. Brazil is setting the pace and Pix Automático, reflects that vision—reaching more users and making everyday payments simpler and more inclusive,” Neal added.

Launched by the Central Bank of Brazil in 2020, Pix has become one of the country’s most preferred payment methods. Research by PYMNTS Intelligence has shown that the number of transactions per month processed by Pix at the end of 2024 exceeded the combined total of debit and credit card transactions by 80%.

The central bank introduced Pix Automático in June, allowing consumers to make recurring payments for services like streaming and subscriptions.

Speaking to PYMNTS about the launch of this service last month, Ralf Germer, CEO at PagBrasil, said, “Pix Automático will be available to any user of Pix without any limitations.”

This includes not only the 60% of Brazilians who don’t have credit cards but also smaller and medium businesses that had lacked access to a proper system for recurring payments.

“This opens up entirely new customer segments, particularly for digital services and gaming platforms, where younger audiences often have Pix accounts but no credit cards,” PYMNTS wrote. “The wider reach can directly translate into increased sales, as evidenced by anecdotal accounts of street vendors tripling their sales after accepting Pix.”

A key advantage for merchants is the absence of chargebacks with Pix Automático, Germer added, noting that once a Pix payment is made, “it’s paid; it’s not possible to charge back at all.”

This does away with a major source of financial risk and administrative burden tied to credit card payments, giving merchants more security and predictability in their revenue streams.