How a Brazilian company can receive payments from abroad: routes, costs and paperwork

The ways a Brazilian business can receive international payments, what each really costs, what the Central Bank requires and how to stop losing margin on the FX spread.

Pagnovo Team · 2026-08-09

Serving clients outside Brazil has become common — software, design, consulting, marketing. Getting paid for it is still confusing. This guide separates the possible routes, what each one truly costs and what the law requires.

First: receiving from abroad is an FX operation

Whichever route you choose, when an amount in foreign currency becomes reais in your account, an FX operation happened. That means there is an institution authorized by the Central Bank in the middle of the process, an exchange contract and a record.

Understanding that removes half the confusion — and explains why "receive it abroad and bring it in later" is not as simple as it sounds.

The most common routes

1. Direct FX with a traditional bank

You receive an international transfer (usually SWIFT) and the bank closes the exchange.

• For: an existing relationship, no new intermediary
• Against: usually the worst spread and high fixed fees; slow, paperwork-heavy process
• Worth it when: very large amounts and you have negotiating power

2. FX houses / FX fintechs

Authorized institutions specialized in foreign exchange, competing on spread.

• For: much lower spread, digital process, support that understands your case
• Against: requires its own onboarding and documentation
• Worth it when: recurring receipts — this is where most companies save the most

3. International payment platforms

Services that receive on your company's behalf in a local account abroad and pass the funds on.

• For: the foreign payer pays as if local (less friction in the sale)
• Against: an extra layer of cost; check how the FX is closed
• Worth it when: you sell to many small customers abroad

4. Marketplaces and platforms

If you sell through a platform (app store, marketplace), it already handles payout and FX.

• For: zero paperwork
• Against: you control neither the rate nor the timing of the exchange

The real cost: where the margin disappears

The right question is not "what is the fee?" but how much lands in my account. The cost splits into:

FX spread — the largest and best hidden

The difference between the market rate and the one you get. If the commercial dollar is at R$ 5.42 and you are offered R$ 5.25, the spread is ~3% — often larger than all the fees combined.

How to compare properly: take the commercial rate at that moment and calculate the percentage difference. Never accept "no fees" without looking at the spread — that is where the cost usually hides.

IOF (financial operations tax)

Applies to FX operations, at a rate that varies by operation type. Confirm the current rate for your case — the legislation changes.

Fixed fees

Exchange contract fee, institution fee, and possible intermediary bank fees on SWIFT transfers (the classic "they sent US$ 1,000 and US$ 965 arrived").

Taxes on revenue

Receiving from abroad does not exempt you from taxation. The revenue enters your company's books normally. Service exports get specific treatment for some taxes — worth discussing with your accountant, since it changes with your tax regime.

What the paperwork requires

• An exchange contract for each operation (the institution handles it)
• Supporting documentation — service agreement, invoice, evidence of what originated the payment
• Correct classification of the operation's nature (service, export, investment). Getting this wrong creates problems later
• Document retention — keep it organized; audits and inspections will ask

Companies that receive from abroad regularly tend to standardize this: an invoice template, a folder per operation, a classification agreed with the accountant.

Mistakes that cost dearly

• Comparing only the fee and ignoring the spread. Mistake number one.
• Closing FX without checking the day's rate. Ask for the quote before confirming.
• Receiving as an individual for work done by the company. Beyond the tax problem, it mixes personal and business assets and creates risk.
• Not keeping documentation. The exchange is recorded; the evidence is your responsibility.
• Ignoring intermediary bank fees on SWIFT. Agree with the payer who covers them.
• Letting FX "just happen" on the platform without checking the applied rate.

How to cut the cost in practice

1. Get quotes from more than one place. Spread differences between providers are meaningful.
2. Batch receipts. Fixed fees weigh less on larger amounts.
3. Negotiate spread by volume. Recurring receivers have leverage — use it.
4. Standardize documentation. Less friction, shorter lead time, less rework.
5. Watch the rate. If the receipt is not urgent, timing matters.

Pagnovo operates FX and crypto and global processing with structure for recurring international receipts. Talk to our team to review your case.

This content is informational and does not replace accounting or legal advice. Consult your accountant for your company's specific situation.