Pix Automático: How Brazil's New Payment Rail Unlocks Subscription Growth

CURITIBA, BRAZIL – June 24, 2026 – A fundamental shift is underway in Brazil's digital economy, powered by a payment innovation that is rewriting the rules for subscription-based businesses. Cybersecurity giant Nord Security, in partnership with emerging markets payment specialist EBANX, has provided a compelling blueprint for commercial success by integrating Pix Automático, the recurring payment feature of Brazil's ubiquitous instant payment system. Just six months after its adoption, this new payment method already accounts for a staggering 28% of Nord Security's total payment volume (TPV) in the country and has been embraced by 35% of its Brazilian user base, demonstrating a powerful new path to market penetration and profit.

This rapid success story is more than just a case study; it's a critical insight into the future of commerce in one of the world's fastest-growing digital markets. By enabling automated, recurring payments for a population where credit card penetration is limited, the partnership has unlocked a vast and previously inaccessible customer segment, turning a local payment preference into a significant revenue driver.

A New Engine for Brazil's Subscription Economy

For years, global subscription companies have faced a recurring challenge in Brazil: how to bill customers who are part of the massive digital economy but lack access to traditional credit cards. Pix Automático, officially launched by Brazil's Central Bank in June 2025, was designed to solve this very problem. It provides a native, automated debit rail within the Pix ecosystem, which already boasts over 170 million users, or 96% of the country's adult population. EBANX, which integrated the feature from its inception, has positioned itself as a key enabler for merchants looking to capitalize on this shift.

Nord Security's results highlight the transformative potential. The company saw a 20 percentage point increase in approval rates for its merchant-initiated transactions using Pix Automático compared to credit cards. This leap in efficiency directly translates to reduced customer churn and a more stable, predictable revenue stream—the holy grail for any subscription model. "By offering recurring payments via Pix through EBANX infrastructure, we are providing a seamless, automated experience that aligns with local preferences and limitations," said Kestas Saulis, Head of Payments at Nord Security. "We are already seeing a direct impact on revenue and user growth."

This impact is not just about retaining existing customers, but acquiring new ones. According to Marie-Elise Droga, Chief Revenue Officer at EBANX, the new payment method is a powerful growth engine. “Across our merchant base, more than half of customers using Pix Automático are new users,” she noted. This indicates that the friction of manual monthly payments or the lack of a credit card was a significant barrier to entry, a barrier that has now been effectively dismantled.

Bridging the Digital Divide for 60 Million Brazilians

The commercial implications of Pix Automático are directly tied to its profound impact on financial inclusion. An estimated 60 million Brazilians do not have access to credit cards, effectively locking them out of the global subscription economy for services ranging from streaming and education to software and digital security. This partnership demonstrates how localized payment technology can serve as a powerful bridge over that digital divide.

By offering a reliable, recurring payment option that doesn't depend on a credit card, Nord Security is expanding its market and democratizing access to crucial digital tools. In an era of rising cyber threats, providing Brazilians with an accessible way to purchase cybersecurity services is a significant milestone. "Increasing cybersecurity in emerging markets like Brazil is a huge goal for us, and the bridge built by EBANX between our Brazilian customers and us has been essential to that mission," Saulis explained.

The success of Pix Automático is built upon the phenomenal adoption of the underlying Pix system itself. In 2024 alone, Pix processed nearly 64 billion transactions, becoming deeply embedded in the daily financial lives of Brazilians. By leveraging this trusted and widespread infrastructure, EBANX and Nord Security have been able to offer a payment experience that feels both innovative and familiar to the local consumer, fostering rapid adoption and trust.

Fueling a $28 Billion SaaS Boom

The timing of Pix Automático's arrival could not be better for Brazil's booming Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) sector. The market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17%, on track to surpass USD 28 billion by 2028, according to data from Payments and Commerce Market Intelligence (PCMI). Payment innovation is a key catalyst for this explosive growth.

Data from EBANX reveals that Pix is already a critical tool for software acquisition, particularly among smaller enterprises. Eight out of ten companies using Pix via the payment platform are micro-businesses, and a remarkable 84% of them use the instant payment system to purchase software. Pix Automático supercharges this trend by removing the hassle of manual monthly renewals, which has historically been a major source of churn for SaaS providers.

“This native recurring rail is ramping up quickly in Brazil and already shows immense potential to add more people and businesses to the client base of companies with recurring payment or subscription based models, like streaming and SaaS,” explained Droga. For SaaS companies, both domestic and international, this means a more direct path to a vast and growing market of small and medium-sized businesses eager to adopt digital tools.

While Pix is the clear leader in online transactions with a 44% share, a multi-faceted payment strategy remains crucial. Credit and debit cards still account for 41% of the market. Recognizing this, Nord Security’s strategy in Brazil includes both Pix Automático and traditional card processing through EBANX, ensuring maximum market coverage. This hybrid approach underscores a key commercialization insight: success in emerging markets requires not just adopting new technologies, but offering a comprehensive suite of payment options that cater to all consumer segments. The Nord Security and EBANX partnership serves as a definitive case study on how to turn local payment infrastructure into a global competitive advantage.