Pix is how Brazil pays for everything
Pix is Brazil's instant payment system, built and run by the Central Bank of Brazil. Since launching in 2020, it has become the default way to pay for almost anything in the country — rent, restaurants, market stalls, ride shares, online checkout. Payments settle in seconds, any time of day, with no card network and no bank holiday in the way.
The catch, if you're not Brazilian, is that Pix is built entirely around Brazilian bank accounts and a Brazilian tax ID (CPF or CNPJ). If you're a digital nomad, a business traveler, or an expat holding your savings in stablecoins, there's traditionally been no way to pay a Pix key without first opening a Brazilian bank account and converting your money there.
FAX closes that gap. You keep your balance in USDC, USDT, or BRLA — no need to pre-convert anything — and pay any Pix key or QR code straight from the app.
How it works
Paying with Pix on FAX takes three steps:
- Scan or enter the Pix payment. Point your camera at a merchant's Pix QR code (a "BR Code"), paste a copied code, or type in a Pix key directly — CPF, CNPJ, email, phone number, or a random key.
- Review and confirm. FAX shows you the exact BRL amount the recipient will receive and which of your balances (USDC, USDT, or BRLA) will fund it, before you approve anything.
- Send. The recipient's Pix payment settles the same way any other Pix payment does — instantly, straight into their bank account.
Most crypto wallets stop at "here's your USDC." FAX goes one step further: it turns that USDC into a real payment a Brazilian merchant, landlord, or friend can actually receive, using the payment rail they already use every day. You never need to explain crypto to them, and they never need a wallet.
Which Pix key types are supported
FAX supports every Pix key format, so you can pay however the recipient shares their details with you:
| CPF / CNPJ | A Brazilian individual or business tax ID |
| Any email address registered as a Pix key | |
| Phone number | A Brazilian mobile number registered as a Pix key |
| Random key (EVP) | A generated key, usually shared as a QR code |
| QR code / BR Code | Scan or paste — amount and recipient fill in automatically |
What funds the payment
You can pay from any of three balances, whichever you're already holding:
- USDC — the most widely held dollar-backed stablecoin
- USDT — the other major dollar stablecoin
- BRLA — a reais-pegged stablecoin, useful if you're already holding Brazil-denominated balances and want to avoid FX exposure on the payment itself
FAX shows you the conversion and any fee up front, before you confirm — no surprise deduction after the fact.
Identity verification is required
Because a Pix payment settles in real Brazilian reais into someone's bank account, FAX requires a one-time identity verification (KYC) before your first Pix payment goes through. This is a standard compliance step for any real money-movement feature, not something specific to crypto — it's the same reason a bank or fintech app verifies you before letting you wire money. Once you're verified, every future Pix payment goes straight through the three steps above.
Who this is for
This is built for exactly the situation a lot of FAX users are already in:
- You're living or traveling in Brazil and hold your savings in stablecoins rather than a local bank account.
- You need to pay rent, a service provider, or a merchant who only accepts Pix.
- You don't have — and don't want to open — a Brazilian bank account just to make one payment.
Instead of routing through a peer-to-peer crypto trader or a separate off-ramp app, you pay directly from the wallet where your money already lives.
Pay your first Pix key from crypto
Open FAX, verify your identity, and scan or enter a Pix payment.