u/moreta-io

Genuinely curious how people here are handling this. Pix is everywhere now and a lot of places either prefer it or quietly refuse foreign cards. But getting a CPF as a foreigner is its own saga, and even once you have one, opening a Brazilian bank account is another month of paperwork

So what do people actually do in the meantime? From conversations I've had it sounds like the main options are:

-Carry cash, hit ATMs, eat the fees
-Get a friend or partner to Pix on your behalf and pay them back
-Wise or Revolut, which works for cards but not for Pix-only merchants
-Just power through the CPF process before you do anything else

Curious if there's a better path I'm missing, or if one of the above is the clear winner

Disclosure: I'm a founder working on a tool in this space (Moreta), which is part of why I'm asking. We let foreigners use Pix without a CPF or Brazilian bank account. But I'm honestly more interested in hearing how people solve this today, because that tells me whether what we built actually matters or if existing workarounds are good enough.

Disclosure up top: I'm one of the founders of Moreta (moretapay.com). Mods, pull this if it's not allowed

Short version: we built an app that lets foreigners pay with Pix without needing a CPF or a Brazilian bank account. You top up from your home bank or card and scan Pix QR codes like anyone else. Fee is 1.5% on top of FX, no monthly

Reason I'm posting here: you're the people actually living this. Whether you're an expat who finally got a CPF after months of headaches, a nomad bouncing in and out, or someone visiting family, you know exactly where Pix-only kills you and where cards still work fine

We've been running across SE Asia for a couple years (Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines) and just turned on LATAM. Brazil is the biggest market and the one I most want to get right before we go harder on it.

Stuff I'd actually like input on:

-If you live here long-term, is this only useful before you get a CPF, or would you still use it after?
-Anywhere Pix doesn't work and you wish it did (or anywhere it does work and we might be missing)?
-For people who've tried Wise, Revolut, Nomad, C6 for foreigners, etc., where would this fit or not fit?
-Anything that sounds off in how we've priced or described it

Also live in Argentina, Peru, Bolivia. Colombia soon.

Not arguing with criticism, that's literally what I'm here for. Did this same kind of post when we launched in Thailand and the harsh replies were the most useful by a wide margin.

Disclosure up top: I'm one of the founders of Moreta (moretapay.com). Mods, if this isn't the right fit, totally fair to remove. But I'd rather hear from this sub than almost any other travel one, because backpackers actually hit the edge cases regular tourists never see.

Short version of what we built: an app that lets travelers scan local QR codes the same way locals do, without needing a local bank account. You top up from your home bank or card and FX happens at the moment of payment. We've been running it across SE Asia for a couple years (Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, etc.) and just flipped it on across South America.

What's live now:

• Brazil: Pix
• Argentina: Mercado Pago, Ualá, MODO, Personal Pay, BNA+
• Peru: Yape and Plin
• Bolivia: BCB and Simple (interoperable QR)
• Colombia: not yet, working on it

Fee is 1.5% on top of FX. That's it, no monthly, no top-up fee.

Reason I'm posting in a backpacker sub and not a generic travel one: you all stay longer, spend smaller amounts more often, and end up in places where the "just use your card" advice falls apart. Fees stack up over months in a way they don't on a 10-day vacation. And Argentina is its own universe with the blue dollar / MEP situation, so I want to hear how something like this fits or doesn't fit your current setup.

Stuff I'd genuinely like feedback on:

• Would this actually replace cash for you on a long trip, or only ever be a backup?
• Argentina specifically: what are you using right now (Western Union runs, blue dollar cash, regular ATMs, MEP via broker)? Where would this slot in, if at all?
• Networks or wallets we're missing that you rely on
• Anything that smells off about the pricing or flow

I'll answer anything in the comments and not going to argue with criticism. We did this same kind of post when we launched in Thailand and the harshest replies were by far the most useful.