Central bank removes the R$500 cap on contactless Pix payments

From October 1, 2026 the Banco Central no longer applies a fixed R$500 per-transaction limit to contactless Pix payments, under Instrução Normativa BCB nº 746. Customers set their own limits through their bank app, and banks keep their own security limits. The change also covers QR code, key-based and Open Finance-initiated Pix payments, which matters for the payment rails that Mercado Pago operates on in Brazil.

• Effective October 1, 2026; rule is Instrução Normativa BCB nº 746
• Fixed R$500 per-transaction cap removed for contactless Pix
• Customers adjust limits through their bank app; banks keep their own security limits
• Also covers QR code, key-based and Open Finance-initiated payments