The right account for an international business in Brazil is decided by its money flows, not by its monthly fee. A company that collects in US dollars, pays suppliers in euros and runs payroll and taxes in reais needs each of those flows to work, at a known cost, with a person to call when a large payment is held for review.
Most trading companies end up with two layers. A Brazilian bank handles the real (BRL) operating account, tax payments, Pix and boleto collections and local credit. A specialist international account handles foreign-currency receipts, supplier payouts and conversion. The comparison below sets out which provider fits which layer, with the fees each provider publishes.
The rules changed on 1 October 2026. Resolution BCB 575 of the Banco Central do Brasil now allows companies that export goods to hold foreign-currency deposit accounts in Brazil, which gives exporters a domestic option that did not exist before. The section on Resolution 575 explains who qualifies and what the account can be used for.
Seven providers cover most of the needs of Brazilian importers, exporters and wholesalers. The first table shows who each one suits; the second shows its main international strength and the point to weigh before opening.
| Provider | Best for | Layer |
|---|---|---|
| Helm | Importers, exporters and wholesalers with regular cross-border flows | International |
| Itaú Empresas | Established companies that need FX, trade finance and documentary products | Brazilian bank |
| Santander Empresas | Companies that want a global bank group and integrated FX | Brazilian bank |
| Banco do Brasil | Exporters using official export finance and formal foreign-trade products | Brazilian bank |
| C6 Bank Empresas | Digital-first SMEs wanting BRL, USD and EUR in one app | Both |
| Wise Business | Self-service multi-currency receipts, conversion and payouts | International |
| Payoneer | Exporters paid by marketplaces, platforms and many overseas clients | International |
| Provider | International strength | Weigh before opening |
|---|---|---|
| Helm | Collection and payout accounts, conversion and trade documents in one workspace | A platform run with licensed partners, not a Brazilian deposit bank |
| Itaú Empresas | Spot and forward FX, foreign-currency current account, letters of credit, export advances | Traditional onboarding; most steps run on desktop banking |
| Santander Empresas | Spot and forward FX, ACC and ACE export finance, ERP-linked FX | Best value when the wider bank relationship is used |
| Banco do Brasil | Federal agent for the Proex export finance programme | More conventional banking process |
| C6 Bank Empresas | USD and EUR Global Account with 24/7 digital FX | Less trade-finance depth than the large banks |
| Wise Business | Account details in several currencies; conversion from 0.4% | No overdraft, letters of credit or corporate credit |
| Payoneer | Receiving accounts and marketplace payouts | Brazil withdrawal fees shown inside the account |
Each provider was assessed against six tests a finance director in a trading business applies before moving flows. The answers come from each provider's own product and pricing pages, checked in October 2026.
Helm, the firm's own business account and payments platform, brings a trading company's collection accounts, payout accounts, currency conversion and trade documents into one workspace. Buyers pay locally, suppliers are paid on local rails, and balances are held with licensed partners in each region, with whom the business contracts through Helm. Invoices, bills of lading and customs documents are attached to each payment.
Helm suits companies whose cross-border flows are regular and material. It does not replace a Brazilian bank for BRL payroll, tax payments, Pix and boleto collections or local credit, and is best used beside one. Pricing is a monthly platform fee plus the partners' transaction and conversion fees, set out in writing before onboarding. The Helm platform page sets out the corridors and modules.
Itaú offers the full set of bank-led foreign trade products: spot FX (câmbio pronto) settled within two business days, forward FX for terms of up to 1,500 days, export and import letters of credit, export and import documentary collections, and export advances (AOC and ACE, finance against future or completed export contracts). It offers a foreign-currency current account (CCME) and access to the Local Currency Payment System (SML), which settles trade between Mercosur countries in their own currencies.
Itaú quotes 15 currencies with no pre-set minimum or maximum per contract. The rate can be booked in the app, but the remaining steps run on desktop banking, which suits companies with a treasury function more than those wanting a phone-only process.
Santander Brasil offers spot FX in more than ten currencies with real-time quotes and digital settlement within two business days, forward FX to fix today's rate for a later payment, and Open FX, which links quotes and contracts to the company's ERP system. Exporters can use ACC (an advance on an exchange contract before shipment) and ACE (an advance after shipment) to finance working capital.
For incoming payments, Santander provides bank details and an IBAN to receive payment orders from abroad and a portal to track them. The One Trade module tracks international payments and freight together. The relationship is strongest for companies that also use Santander for credit and cash management.
Banco do Brasil has the longest record in Brazilian foreign trade and is the federal government's financial agent for Proex, the export finance programme funded by the National Treasury. Proex Financiamento lends directly to exporters, or to their overseas buyers, and is aimed mainly at small and mid-sized companies; Proex Equalização pays part of the interest on export finance from other banks so that rates match international levels, and is open to exporters of any size.
For an exporter that qualifies for Proex, a Banco do Brasil relationship can lower the cost of financing a sale on credit terms. The process is more conventional than at digital banks, and eligibility and conditions are set by the bank under the programme rules.
C6 Bank offers a digital business account with a Global Account in US dollars and euros, opened from inside the C6 Empresas account. C6 publishes its prices in full, which makes it one of the easiest options to cost in advance.
| C6 Global Account item | Published price |
|---|---|
| Monthly fee | None |
| Opening fee | US$15, waived for clients who exchange US$100 or €100 by the end of the month after opening, or invest R$20,000 in CDBs |
| FX spread, business hours | 2% for USD, 2.5% for EUR |
| FX spread, outside business hours | 4% |
| IOF stated by C6 | 3.5% on sending to the account, 0.38% on return to BRL |
| Incoming wire | US$10 or €10 |
| Outgoing wire | US$20 or €20; US$10 or €10 if the receiving bank deducts its fee |
C6 suits small and mid-sized companies with modest volumes that want domestic and foreign-currency balances in one app. It offers less trade-finance depth than Itaú, Santander or Banco do Brasil.
Wise Business lets a company receive, hold, convert and send money across many currencies, with local account details for receiving in currencies including USD, EUR and GBP. Wise states that it is authorised by the Banco Central do Brasil.
| Wise Business item (Brazil) | Published price |
|---|---|
| Account set-up | R$250, one-time |
| Monthly fee | None |
| Receiving USD, EUR, GBP by local (non-SWIFT) transfer | Free |
| Receiving USD by SWIFT | US$6.11 per payment |
| Receiving EUR by SWIFT | €2.39 per payment |
| Conversion and sending | From 0.4%, by currency |
Wise states that IOF of 0.38% applies when a business converts received funds to BRL. It is a payment account, not a Brazilian deposit account, and offers no overdraft, letters of credit or corporate credit, so it sits beside a Brazilian bank rather than replacing one.
Payoneer is built for businesses paid by marketplaces, platforms and a large number of overseas clients. Its published global fee schedule shows free receipts into a receiving account in the payer's local currency, 1% for receipts into an account in another currency, and an annual account fee of US$29.95 only where the account receives less than US$6,000 in 12 consecutive months. Withdrawal fees to a Brazilian bank account are shown inside the account and vary by currency, so compare them at your real transaction sizes.
Payoneer's structure differs from a Brazilian deposit bank. It is most useful where many small international receipts need to be collected and consolidated before conversion.
Resolution BCB 575 was issued by the Banco Central do Brasil on 18 June 2026 and has applied since 1 October 2026. It amends Resolutions BCB 277 and 278 of 2022, which set the rules for the foreign exchange market and for foreign capital, and widens who may hold a foreign-currency deposit account in Brazil.
| Who may now hold an account | What may be credited |
|---|---|
| Companies that export goods | Export revenue and other amounts received from abroad |
| Resident companies with foreign loans | Funds from those external credit operations |
| Brazilian companies with direct foreign shareholders | Funds from foreign direct investment |
| Non-resident lenders and shareholders of Brazilian companies | Funds from those loans or investments |
The account comes with conditions. For exporters, credits must come only from export revenue and other amounts from abroad; conversion into reais requires a foreign exchange contract; and cash deposits, cash withdrawals and cheques are not permitted. Transfers into and out of the account do not need a foreign exchange contract, including conversion between two foreign currencies. For the investment and loan categories, the operations must be registered and up to date in the Banco Central's foreign capital systems (SCE-Crédito and SCE-IED).
Banks authorised to operate in the foreign exchange market offer the accounts and report them to the Banco Central each month. Availability depends on each bank launching the product, so ask your bank whether it offers the account, which currencies it holds and how it prices conversion before moving flows. Exporters also keep the long-standing right under Law 14.286 of 2021 to hold export proceeds in an account abroad.
A two-account structure is often the most efficient set-up for an international company in Brazil. The Brazilian bank runs BRL operations, taxes and local credit; the international account runs collections, supplier payments and conversion. Exporters that qualify under Resolution 575 can add a third option: a foreign-currency account at their Brazilian bank.
Each account should have a written purpose, an owner and a reconciliation routine. Extra accounts add reconciliation work and more payment approvals, so the test is whether each one lowers cost or speeds up cash. A practical split looks like this:
Our guide to how Brazilian importers pay overseas suppliers covers the payment side in detail, and the guide to payment methods for Brazilian wholesalers covers domestic collections.
Brazilian banks open business accounts for companies registered in Brazil with a CNPJ, the national company tax number issued by the Receita Federal. A foreign-owned company also needs its foreign shareholders registered with the Receita Federal and its foreign direct investment declared to the Banco Central. Expect to provide:
International payment providers onboard faster but ask for the same ownership and activity information, plus invoices or contracts for larger payments. Preparing one onboarding pack and reusing it shortens every application. The firm's banking and payment processing service arranges accounts for companies that need them opened alongside an expansion.
Start with how buyers want to pay. Repeat buyers in the United States and Europe pay most easily into local USD or EUR account details; large or occasional invoices still arrive by SWIFT. Exporters of goods should now ask their Brazilian bank about a Resolution 575 account, and those needing finance should compare ACC, ACE and Proex. The guide to how Brazilian exporters receive USD payments sets out each route.
Compare the all-in cost of a supplier payment: the spread, IOF, the sending fee and any deduction by intermediary banks. A bank with letters of credit and import finance adds value for large or new supplier relationships; a specialist account is usually cheaper for repeat payments to established suppliers.
Domestic collections by Pix and boleto sit with the Brazilian bank. A wholesaler that also imports stock needs a reliable supplier payment route and, often, working capital to bridge the gap between paying for stock and collecting from buyers.
There is no single best account. Itaú, Santander and Banco do Brasil lead on FX and trade finance; C6, Wise, Payoneer and Helm suit foreign-currency collections and supplier payments, usually beside a Brazilian bank.
Yes. Since 1 October 2026, Resolution BCB 575 allows companies that export goods to hold foreign-currency deposit accounts at Brazilian banks, and international providers offer USD account details to Brazilian companies subject to their own onboarding.
For exporters, only export revenue and other amounts received from abroad. Conversion into reais requires a foreign exchange contract, and cash and cheques are not permitted.
No. Wise is a payment account provider that states it is authorised by the Banco Central do Brasil; it does not offer overdrafts, letters of credit or corporate credit.
Yes, once it has a CNPJ, a legal representative in Brazil, its foreign shareholders registered with the Receita Federal and its foreign investment declared to the Banco Central.
Usually yes. The Brazilian bank handles BRL operations, taxes and local credit, and the specialist account handles foreign-currency receipts and supplier payments.
The rate depends on the purpose of the transaction and is set by federal decree. Providers show it on the quote: C6, for example, states 3.5% on sending funds to its Global Account and 0.38% on return to BRL.
Buckingham Capital Consulting arranges business accounts, foreign exchange and payment processing for trading companies in Brazil and across Latin America through licensed partners, and has obtained payment and e-money licences for firms including Nexpay, Global Send and Dzing Finance since 2013. Its trade payments service maps each company's corridors, currencies and volumes to the account structure that fits them.
Speak to an expert: WhatsApp +44 7563 115980, Telegram @buckinghamcapital or info@buckinghamcapitalconsulting.co.uk.
This article is general information, reviewed against the regulator’s published requirements on the date shown. It is not legal advice; the regulator’s current publications take precedence.