A Brazilian exporter can now receive US dollars in three places: an account abroad, an international USD account with a payment provider, or, since 1 October 2026, a foreign-currency deposit account at a Brazilian bank. The right choice depends on who the buyers are, how large the invoices are and whether the business has USD costs to pay.
Whichever account receives the money, the exporter decides when to convert it into reais. Conversion is a foreign exchange transaction through an institution authorised by the Banco Central do Brasil, and the rate, the spread and the fees on that conversion often matter more than the cost of receiving the payment.
| Method | Best for | Main advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign-currency account at a Brazilian bank | Goods exporters, since 1 October 2026 | Export revenue held in USD in Brazil until converted |
| International USD business account | Repeat buyers in the US and worldwide | Buyers pay on familiar USD rails; the exporter chooses when to convert |
| Account abroad | Exporters with USD costs or debt abroad | Proceeds kept abroad under Law 14.286 |
| SWIFT transfer to a Brazilian bank | Large or occasional invoices | Accepted by almost every buyer's bank |
| Local-currency collection with conversion | Buyers who prefer to pay in their own currency | Makes the exporter easier to pay |
| Card or payment link | Samples, deposits and small invoices | Convenient for new buyers |
| Letter of credit or documentary collection | High-value orders and new buyers | Payment tied to shipping documents |
The weighing point for each:
Resolution BCB 575, issued by the Banco Central do Brasil on 18 June 2026, has applied since 1 October 2026. It amends Resolution BCB 277 of 2022 so that companies that export goods (pessoas jurídicas exportadoras de bens) may hold foreign-currency deposit accounts in Brazil. Before it, this option was not available to most exporters, who either converted on arrival or held proceeds abroad.
| Rule | What it means for the exporter |
|---|---|
| Credits | Only export revenue and other amounts received from abroad |
| Conversion to reais | By foreign exchange contract, under the current rules |
| Cash and cheques | Cash deposits, cash withdrawals and cheques are not permitted |
| Transfers in and out | No foreign exchange contract needed, including conversion between foreign currencies |
| Bank reporting | Banks report the accounts to the Banco Central each month |
The account does not make the US dollar a domestic payment currency: suppliers and staff in Brazil are still paid in reais. Its value is control. The exporter can hold USD until it needs reais, pay USD obligations directly, and choose the moment and the amount of each conversion.
Availability depends on each bank launching the product. Ask your bank whether it offers the account, which currencies it holds, how it prices conversion and what evidence of export revenue it needs at onboarding.
Because credits are limited to export revenue and other amounts from abroad, keep the account for those flows only and pay domestic costs from the BRL account after conversion.
Law 14.286 of 2021, Brazil's foreign exchange law, allows exporters to keep the foreign-currency proceeds of exports abroad. This suits exporters with USD costs, such as imported inputs, freight or USD loans, which can be paid from the same balance without converting twice.
Proceeds held abroad stay subject to Brazilian accounting, tax and reporting rules, and the company's accountant should confirm the treatment. Resolution 575 now gives exporters the option of holding the same USD in Brazil instead, with a Brazilian bank and without opening an account in another country.
Resolution 575 names companies that export goods (pessoas jurídicas exportadoras de bens). A company that exports only services, such as software, engineering or consulting, is not in that category, so the new Brazilian foreign-currency account is not available to it on that basis.
Service exporters still have two routes. They can receive USD into an international business account and convert when they choose, or keep proceeds in an account abroad under Law 14.286. A services company with foreign shareholders or foreign loans should check whether it qualifies under one of the other Resolution 575 categories, which cover foreign direct investment and external credit operations registered with the Banco Central.
| Buyer | Suggested route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat US buyer, regular invoices | Local US account details | Paid on the buyer's domestic rail, full amount received |
| European buyer | Local EUR account details or SWIFT | SEPA receipts arrive in full and quickly |
| Large one-off order | SWIFT with OUR charges | Accepted by any buyer's bank |
| New buyer, high value | Letter of credit | Payment tied to shipping documents |
| Marketplace or platform | Provider receiving account | Built for many smaller payouts |
| Mercosur buyer | SML or USD by wire | SML settles in local currencies without a US dollar leg |
Buyers in the United States pay most readily by domestic transfer to a US account number. An international USD business account gives the exporter those details, so the buyer pays as it would pay a local supplier and the exporter receives the full amount.
Wise Business in Brazil, for example, publishes free receipts by local (non-SWIFT) transfer in currencies including USD, EUR and GBP, US$6.11 per USD SWIFT receipt and conversion from 0.4%. Our guide to USD business accounts for international businesses compares the main providers.
SWIFT remains important for large invoices and for buyers whose banks send everything by wire. It reaches almost any bank, but correspondent banks can deduct charges on the way. A USD 200,000 invoice that arrives USD 150 short leaves an open balance on both ledgers.
Agree in the contract that the buyer pays its own and intermediary charges (the OUR option), quote the exporter's bank details exactly, including the intermediary bank where the Brazilian bank requires one, and ask the buyer to put the invoice number in the payment reference.
Invoicing in USD removes FX uncertainty for buyers who budget in dollars and is the norm in many commodity and industrial markets. Invoicing in the buyer's own currency, such as euros, can win sales where competitors invoice that way.
The spread on conversion matters in proportion to the amount: on a USD 2,000 receipt a small spread is immaterial, while on millions of dollars a year it is a material cost. Exporters with large volumes should negotiate conversion pricing and compare it every six months.
Payment speed starts with the buyer's experience. Give clear, consistent payment instructions on every invoice, in the format the buyer's bank expects.
A faster rail does not change the due date. A 60-day receivable is a commercial terms question, not a payment rail question. Exporters that need cash before the buyer pays have three levers: shorter terms or deposits, an early-payment discount, or finance against the export.
The guide to trade credit for importers and exporters explains how each facility works.
Exporters that hold USD need a written rule for converting it, or treasury decisions are made under pressure. A simple policy covers three points:
Banks and providers check the purpose of large receipts. Having the evidence ready means the payment is credited without delay, and it is also what the bank needs to apply the Resolution 575 rules on permitted credits.
Pix does not reach overseas buyers, but it is the natural domestic leg after conversion: reais from the conversion can move to suppliers and payroll in seconds.
The cost of receiving USD is spread across several lines, and the largest is usually the conversion, not the receipt. Compare providers on the reais finally credited for the same receipt.
Our comparison of cross-border payment providers for Brazilian businesses sets out each provider's published fees.
Helm, the firm's own business account and payments platform, gives exporters collection accounts in their buyers' currencies, conversion through licensed providers and the invoice and shipping documents attached to each receipt, with balances held by licensed partners. It suits exporters selling regularly into several countries.
Helm sits beside the exporter's Brazilian bank, which remains the place for BRL operations, export finance and, where the bank offers it, the Resolution 575 account. The firm's trade payments service sets up the collection corridors, and our guide to business bank accounts in Brazil compares the banks.
Yes. Since 1 October 2026, Resolution BCB 575 allows companies that export goods to hold foreign-currency deposit accounts at Brazilian banks, credited only with export revenue and other amounts from abroad.
Yes. Law 14.286 of 2021 allows exporters to keep the foreign-currency proceeds of exports abroad, subject to Brazilian accounting, tax and reporting rules.
Local US account details through an international USD account suit repeat buyers, because they pay on their own domestic rail; SWIFT suits large or occasional invoices.
Not automatically. Keep enough USD for USD costs and convert the rest under a written policy, using forward contracts for large expected receipts.
No. Pix is Brazil's domestic instant payment system; it is useful for moving reais after conversion, not for receiving from abroad.
Changing the rail does not change the due date. Use deposits, shorter terms or early-payment discounts, or finance the receivable with ACC, ACE or Proex.
Buckingham Capital Consulting arranges USD collection accounts, foreign exchange and export payment routes for Brazilian and Latin American exporters 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 exporter's buyers and currencies to the collection 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.