Google: Brazil’s Central Bank Unveils Contactless Pix Payments with Google Wallet Integration

Brazil’s Pix payment system is stepping into the contactless era with Google Wallet integration, enabling seamless mobile payments.

This week, Brazil’s Central Bank (BC) President Roberto Campos Neto, alongside Google Brazil President Fábio Coelho, introduced “Pix by Proximity” (Nov. 4). The new feature allows users to make payments by simply holding their phones near a payment terminal, linked to their bank accounts via Google Wallet. The service is now available to digital wallet users and will expand to all Pix users by February next year.

“The future of instant payments is already unfolding in various countries,” Campos Neto stated, noting that since Pix’s inception, BC’s goal has been to make it compatible with multiple systems. “With Pix, Open Finance, and Drex coming together, BC’s vision from 2018 is now a reality.”

This feature launch comes as contactless payments increasingly replace cash and card transactions. According to Julie Malikayil, Senior Manager of Payments Products at Discover® Global Network, innovations like mobile wallets and tap-to-pay are transforming consumer payment experiences, particularly for small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), providing flexibility, lower costs, and enhanced convenience. Malikayil highlighted that “tap on mobile” solutions are distinct in enabling transactions directly from mobile devices without extra attachments or hardware.

These innovations, Malikayil explains, are expanding payment options and empowering merchants who have traditionally faced limitations with stationary point-of-sale (POS) systems. Mobile wallets allow customers to make quick, secure payments from their phones, streamlining checkout while creating new possibilities for businesses looking to reduce hardware costs and operate flexibly.

In contrast to bulky POS setups, mobile payment solutions allow merchants to accept payments anywhere, a valuable feature for SMBs that may not have the resources for high-tech infrastructure but seek modern, portable transaction capabilities.