Send Money to Brazil from the USA: Cheapest Ways in 2026
When a transfer to Brazil goes wrong, it is rarely the app. It is a CPF the tax office has flagged, a name that doesn't match the bank's records or a Pix key typed from memory. Get the recipient's details right first; comparing prices is the easy part.
CPF First, Then the Price
Pay from your US bank account through a money transfer app, and have the recipient's CPF and Pix key or bank details in hand before you open it. On a $500 deposit, our current data has Instarem as the cheapest standing price at about $3.79 all-in, with Revolut at about $5.95 and Western Union at about $6.12 next. Taptap Send quotes more reais than our mid-market reference, which makes the cost look tiny or even negative, so the table shows that row as "rate ref differs" and never marks it cheapest.
What you want to avoid is a wire from your own bank. The bank's own fee runs up to $75 to send one (by the schedules we last checked in October 2026); a correspondent bank often keeps about $20 more, and the exchange rate into reais hides a markup the banks don't publish.
Live Quotes, Dollars to Reais
Compare Money Transfer Services
Sending 1,000.00 USD → BRL from the US · Estimated typical cost · bank deposit, bank-funded
Showing 13 of 17 services we can price for USD → BRL
Estimates only, not live quotes. "Recipient Gets" is for a bank deposit funded from a bank account, on today's mid-market rate: for a "provider quote", minus the rate markup and fee from that provider's own recent quote; for an estimate, minus the provider's typical markup and fee. Rows are ranked by total cost, the fee plus the rate markup, so a fee charged on top of the amount sent counts against a provider even when its recipient gets more. Real cost varies by corridor, amount, delivery and payment method, and promotions (e.g. new-customer offers can be cheaper). Tap a provider to get its live rate before sending. The dot by each provider shows confidence, and the label says how the figure was grounded: "corridor estimate" is a rate we measured for this exact pair; a currency-code estimate (e.g. "USD estimate") is measured for that source currency but not this destination; "typical estimate" is the provider's general figure across all its corridors; "provider quote" is that provider's own recent quote for this pair, its markup and fee applied to today's mid-market rate exactly as its calculator shows them, and a provider whose quote depends on a payment or delivery choice is left out here and priced on its own calculator. Margins are verified against live provider quotes and the World Bank Remittance Prices database; the date above is the most recent collection. Some “Send money now” buttons are partner links: we may earn a commission if you sign up, at no cost to you, and rows are ranked by cost whatever the link. See how we collect these prices and our advertising disclosure.
The Recipient’s CPF Comes First
Nearly every Brazilian has a CPF (Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas), the 11-digit taxpayer number issued by the Receita Federal, and money coming into Brazil is tied to it. Expect your transfer service to ask for the recipient's CPF and their full name exactly as their bank holds it. The Brazilian bank or exchange firm paying out checks both before the money moves.
A CPF can be valid and still not be in good standing, for example when its holder has skipped tax filings, and some services say plainly that their Brazilian partner will cancel a transfer to one. The check takes a minute: the Receita Federal's CPF lookup asks for the number and a date of birth and shows the Situação Cadastral. Anything other than Regular is worth sorting out before your first transfer.
Big, regular transfers can bring paperwork of their own. Some services ask the recipient to sign a receiving authorization once monthly transfers to the same person pass a set amount, so if you support someone with large monthly sums, read your service's Brazil rules before the first one goes out.
Pix Keys and the Last Leg
Pix, the Banco Central's instant payment system, is how most Brazilians pay rent, split a bill or get paid. A Pix transfer is addressed to a key rather than an account number, and there are four kinds:
- CPF
- The recipient's taxpayer number, and a number your transfer service will want anyway.
- Cell number
- A Brazilian mobile number. Each number can be registered as a key at one bank only.
- An address the recipient has registered with their bank, confirmed with a code when they set it up.
- Random key
- A 32-character code generated by the Banco Central. It reveals nothing personal, which is why some people prefer it. Copy and paste it; never retype it.
An individual can hold up to five keys per account, and each key points to a single account. Since 2025 the Banco Central has required the name behind a key to match the name on the CPF record, one more reason to type your recipient's name the way the Receita Federal has it.
In our current data Remitly, MoneyGram and Ria Money Transfer list Pix as a way to receive from the US. Pix runs every day of the year and costs individuals nothing to receive, but it only speeds up the last leg: converting your dollars into reais still happens on the service's schedule.
Fee or Rate: How Each Service Charges
The table prices reais paid into a Brazilian bank account from a US bank account. Each figure is the fee plus the margin built into the exchange rate, measured against the mid-market USD/BRL rate when the service quoted.
| Service | Rate and fee at $1,000 | Cost shape | $200 | $500 | $1,000 | $5,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taptap Sendrate ref differs | 5.5394 BRL$2.99 fee | -0.25% rate + $2.99 | — | — | $0.48 | −$9.58 |
| InstaremPaid by ACH/Direct Debit | 5.4836 BRLNo fee | 0.70–0.76% rate, no fee | ≈$1.52 | ≈$3.79 | $7.58 | $34.91 |
| RemitlyDelivered by bank deposit | 5.4993 BRL$3.99 fee | 0.47–0.65% rate + $3.99 | ≈$5.26 | ≈$7.22 | $8.71 | $27.65 |
| RevolutDelivered by bank transfer | 5.4733 BRL$1.50 fee | 0.94–1.04% rate + $0.75–$27.50 | ≈$2.78 | ≈$5.95 | $10.93 | $74.47 |
| Western UnionDelivered by direct to bank, paid by bank account | 5.4687 BRL$0.99 to $1.99 fee | 1.03% rate + $0.99–$1.99 | ≈$3.04 | ≈$6.12 | $11.26 | $52.38 |
| WiseDelivered by bank deposit, paid by connected bank account (ACH) | 5.5144 BRL$11.07 fee | 0.20% rate + $2.85–$52.24 | ≈$3.24 | ≈$6.92 | $13.06 | $62.17 |
| Paysend | 5.4561 BRL$1.99 fee | 1.26% rate + $1.99 | ≈$4.48 | ≈$8.25 | $14.53 | $64.80 |
| MoneyGram | 5.4495 BRL$1.99 fee | 1.38% rate + $1.99 | ≈$4.71 | ≈$8.84 | $15.72 | $70.73 |
| Sendwave | 5.435 BRLNo fee | 1.64–1.83% rate, no fee | ≈$3.67 | ≈$8.80 | $16.37 | $81.86 |
| Ria Money TransferDelivered by bank deposit, paid by bank account | 5.4278 BRL$1.90 fee | 1.77% rate + $1.90 | — | — | $19.54 | $90.23 |
| WorldRemitDelivered by bank deposit | 5.3964 BRL$1.99 fee | 2.34% rate + $1.99 | ≈$6.62 | ≈$13.63 | $25.32 | $118.81 |
| XoomDelivered by bank deposit, paid by bank account (ACH) | 5.381 BRL$4.99 fee | 2.20–3.13% rate + $4.99 | $11.10 | $18.27 | $31.01 | $114.99 |
| OFX | 5.2241 BRLNo fee | 4.98–5.45% rate, no fee | — | — | $54.55 | $248.86 |
From our current data, collected November 3–6, 2026, for a transfer from the US paid from a bank account and delivered to a bank account. Each rate is the service's margin from that data on the latest mid-market rate, 1 USD = 5.5255 BRL on November 9, 2026, so it moves with the market. Wise’s prices from the US are for paying it from a connected US bank account (ACH). Wise also takes payment by wire transfer, at a different fee. A dash means the provider has no quote at that amount whose fee and rate we can state. ≈ marks a price between two amounts the provider quoted, where its fee and rate are known to hold. How we collect these prices.
Instarem, Remitly, Revolut, Sendwave, Xoom and OFX charge a different rate margin at different amounts, so their costs can fall as the amount rises rather than climbing steadily.
- BOSS Money doesn’t price a transfer paid from a bank account and delivered to a bank account on this route, only other ways to pay or receive.
- We hold no current quote for this route from Pangea and XE.
- Western Union offers this route as 2 services at different fees. The figures shown are for the cheapest.
Each cell is the all-in dollar cost of reais reaching a Brazilian bank account. A green cell is the column's lowest standing price, and labelled rows (promotions, or quotes above our reference rate) are never coloured.
Not every service on this route charges the same way. Instarem, Sendwave and OFX charge no separate fee on this route, so their whole cost sits in the exchange rate. A fee stays the same whether you send $200 or $5,000, while a margin grows with every dollar, so the order of the table can change with the amount. In our current data the lead changes hands as the amount grows: Instarem is cheapest at $1,000 and Remitly at $5,000.
Price your own amount with a service's calculator:
The IOF Brazil Takes on the Way In
Brazil taxes the conversion itself. The IOF (Imposto sobre Operações Financeiras) on foreign exchange is 0.38% on money coming into the country, collected by the Brazilian bank or exchange firm that turns your dollars into reais when the exchange settles. On a $1,000 transfer that is about $3.80.
It is a tax on the exchange, not a charge a service sets, so no service can waive it, and the reais a service promises to deliver are the figure to compare. Brazil raised the IOF on several operations in 2025, including money sent abroad, but money coming in still pays 0.38%.
What the Real Did in 2025
The real had a strong 2025. The dollar finished the year about 11% weaker against it, as Brazil's high interest rates drew money into the currency and the dollar softened worldwide. For a family living on dollars from the US, that meant each dollar sent in December bought noticeably fewer reais than one sent in January. At our last reading, on November 9, 2026, a dollar was worth 5.53 reais at the mid-market rate.
Nobody can tell you which way the real goes next, so don't hold a transfer back waiting for a better rate. The margin is the part you control. On $1,000, every 1% a service keeps in its rate is about 55 reais that never arrive.
Sending to Brazil: Your Questions
What is the cheapest way to send money from the US to Brazil?
A money transfer app paid from your US bank account, with the recipient’s CPF and Pix key or bank details checked before you start. Instarem costs least in our current data at $500, about $3.79 with the fee and the rate margin counted together. Skip your bank's international wire: up to $75 in sending fees on $1,000, with a markup in its rate on top.
Does the person I send to in Brazil need a CPF?
In practice, yes. Transfer services ask for the recipient's 11-digit CPF along with their full name as the bank holds it, and the Brazilian partner that pays out checks both. A CPF that exists but is not in good standing with the Receita Federal can get a transfer cancelled, so ask your recipient to confirm their status shows as Regular on the Receita Federal's CPF lookup.
Can I send money to a Pix key?
Yes, if the service you use pays out by Pix, as Remitly, MoneyGram and Ria Money Transfer do in our current data. The recipient gives you a key (their CPF, a Brazilian cell number, an e-mail address or a random key), and once the service has converted your dollars the money lands in seconds. Copy a random key rather than retyping it.
Does Brazil tax money received from abroad?
The conversion into reais carries the IOF, a federal tax on foreign exchange, at 0.38% for money coming into the country. The Brazilian bank or exchange firm that converts the money collects it when the exchange settles, so it comes out of what arrives rather than being billed to your recipient later.
How long does a transfer to Brazil take?
The conversion is the slow part. Once a service has exchanged your dollars, a Pix credit lands in seconds; for an ordinary bank deposit, go by the estimate the service gives you. Brazilian bank holidays, including the Monday and Tuesday of Carnival, can hold up the exchange step even though Pix itself never closes.
Is there a US tax on sending money to Brazil?
Not on a transfer you fund from a US bank account or with a US debit or credit card. The 1% federal excise tax in force since January 1, 2026 is charged when a transfer is paid for in cash, by money order, by cashier's check or with a similar paper instrument. Brazil's 0.38% IOF is a separate tax, taken from the reais at the other end.
Key Takeaways
- Instarem leads the standing prices at $500 in our data (about $3.79 all-in).
- Before a first transfer, have your recipient check that their CPF shows as Regular with the Receita Federal.
- A Pix key can be a CPF, a cell number, an e-mail or a random key. Copy random keys instead of retyping them.
- The 0.38% IOF on the conversion is Brazil's tax, and no service can waive it.
- Paying from a US bank account or card avoids the 1% federal tax on cash-funded transfers.
See What Arrives in Reais
Check what a transfer of your size costs and how many reais it puts in the account.
Related Calculators & Guides
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A Ria transfer to a Brazilian bank account, on your own amount.
Price a Remitly transfer to Brazil, fee and rate together.
Sources & References
- Banco Central do Brasil: Pix
- Receita Federal: CPF status lookup
- Banco Central do Brasil: Manual Operacional do DICT (Pix keys, name and CPF rules)
- Senado Federal: Decreto nº 12.466 (IOF), 2025
- World Bank: Remittance Prices Worldwide
- IRS: Excise taxes
Provider pricing and exchange rates are set by the companies named and can change. Figures in this guide are checked against these official sources. Always confirm the live rate before you transact.