Matera, a global leader in instant payments, QR code, and digital ledger technology, has released its latest Pix by the Numbers report, showcasing the remarkable growth of Brazil’s Pix payment system and its innovative developments for 2025.
The report covers data through Q4 2024, revealing that Pix transactions have exceeded 6 billion monthly and continue to outpace credit and debit card usage. Key takeaways also provide actionable insights for U.S. financial institutions (FIs) as they look to accelerate the adoption of instant payment rails like RTP and FedNow.
The Latest Data
Drawing from data provided by the Central Bank of Brazil, Matera highlighted several key metrics and trends shaping the instant payments landscape:
Pix Growth Outpaces Cards: An estimated 64 billion Pix transactions were processed in 2024—a 53% year-over-year (YOY) increase. This volume is 80% higher than the combined total of credit and debit card transactions during the same period.
Record-Breaking Daily Usage: On December 20, 2024, Pix set a single-day record of 252.1 million transactions.
Consumers Drive Adoption: Person-to-business (P2B) payments emerged as the fastest-growing use case, with P2B transaction volume growing 94% in 2024 compared to 2023.
B2B on the Rise: Business-to-business (B2B) payments surged, with December 2024 B2B volume exceeding R$1 trillion (approximately $200 billion USD), marking a 56% YOY increase.
What’s Next
Looking ahead, two key innovations are expected to drive Pix adoption further:
NFC Payments: Scheduled for rollout in 2025, Pix NFC-enabled tap-to-pay will allow users to make instant payments with a simple tap, offering functionality comparable to Apple Pay but without the associated transaction fees.
Pix Automatic: Launching on June 16, 2025, Pix Automatic will enable recurring payments for subscriptions, utilities, and even recurring investments, further expanding Pix’s versatility.
What It Means for the U.S.
Brazil’s success with Pix underscores the transformative potential of instant payments when designed for accessibility, ease of use, and innovation. For U.S. FIs, the next step involves applying lessons from Pix—such as interoperability, user-friendly interfaces, and QR code-driven adoption—to accelerate the widespread use of instant payments.
“Pix has shown the world how instant payments can reshape a nation’s payment landscape in just a few years,” said Carlos Netto, CEO of Matera. “U.S. financial institutions have a unique opportunity to build on this momentum, leveraging the lessons from Brazil to unlock new revenue streams and enhance the payment experience for businesses and consumers alike.”