Use our guide to get the best out of your plastic, and your cash, on holiday in Brazil.
Santander All in One Credit Card
Balance transfers 0% for 26 months
Purchases 0% for 20 months
0.5% cashback on your purchases
No fees on currency conversion
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 17.9% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £3 per month, your representative rate is 23.7% APR (variable).
Brazil is the most popular country for tourism in South America. Several regions across the country attract millions of visitors per year, with Rio De Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Iguazu Falls and tours of the Amazon rainforest proving especially popular.
In the major urban areas of Brazil, credit cards will be accepted more or less anywhere. However, if you’re visiting smaller rural towns, it’s recommended to carry plenty of cash, in case you come across retailers that don’t accept credit card payments.
Mastercard and Visa are the most commonly-used credit card networks in Brazil, and you should have little problem using American Express as well.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
You’ll find cash machines linked to the Plus or Cirrus systems in all urban areas of Brazil, allowing you to withdraw cash using your Visa or Mastercard card. However, many of these machines are contained within cages, which are locked late at night. It may therefore be more difficult accessing cash at this time. You may also find it tougher to find an ATM within the rainforest areas and in smaller rural parts of the country.
Cash in Brazil
Brazil uses a currency called reais. While it’s recommended to keep cash on you at all times in case of an emergency, you can expect most vendors you deal with in major urban cities to accept credit cards, even on smaller purchases. The retailers least likely to accept credit card payments are smaller independent traders in smaller towns.
Brazil has moved from magnetic-stripe to chip cards, and all banks in Brazil now issue the latter. You’ll still be able to use your magnetic-stripe card in Brazil, although you can expect some confusion. In the switching of technology, some retailers falsely believe that they can no longer accept magnetic-stripe cards while some others will not let you use them, to do their bit in reducing credit card fraud. All they basically need you to do is swipe your card instead of inserting it into the machine, and then get you to sign for the purchase.
If you use a chip-and-signature card, you can use it in Brazil just about everywhere you find a manned credit card machine. However, some businesses are hesitant in accepting them because they are not sure if it’s allowed and some others don’t accept them to cut down on credit card fraud. If you are getting tickets from a machine, you will need to enter a PIN, in which case your chip-and-signature card won’t work.
Potential credit card fees
Credit card fees can leave a noticeable dent in your pocket when you’re travelling overseas, so know what you’re up against well in advance and choose a card with no or low fees.
Foreign transaction fees
British credit card issuers typically charge a fee equivalent to 1% to 3% of your transaction, so carefully review your card’s fine print to avoid statement surprises. Some cards designed for travel come with no foreign transaction fees, so this could be a good time to switch.
If a retailer offers to bill your credit card in sterling, dynamic currency conversion comes into play. While this might sound like a good deal, you will actually end up getting a worse exchange rate, and you might also end up paying currency conversion fees. Whenever you are presented with an option, choose to pay in the local currency.
Cash advance fees
Using your credit card to withdraw money from an ATM may not make sense unless it’s a bona fide emergency. Each time you withdraw funds from an ATM, you’re likely to pay a cash advance fee. Your APR for cash advances is normally higher than your purchase APR. Typically, you get no grace period and you will start paying interest immediately. Again, some cards designed for overseas spending will waive this fee.
The table below serves as an example of how much extra you may pay to use your credit card in Brazil.
Additionally, you can get an idea of costs by using these online currency conversion tools from Mastercard and Visa.
What is a cash advance fee?
A cash advance fee is calculated (and charged) when you withdraw cash from your credit card. It’s usually the greater of a flat fee or a percentage of the transaction. For example, “2.5% of the transaction, minimum £3.00”.
Is it safe to use my card in Brazil?
Bank and credit card fraud is common, including card cloning from cash machines. Make sure you are in sight of your card at all times and do not use an ATM if you notice anything suspicious.
Keep your PIN safe. Use one hand to enter the PIN and the other to shield it from prying eyes and hidden cameras.
Select ATMs with care. Try and stick to ATMs in banks and avoid using ones in the street.
Watch out for “skimmers”. When installed in an ATM, a card skimmer works by stealing information from credit and debit cards. If you feel the card slot is not as smooth as it should be or if there is a problem with the keypad, cancel your transaction and look for another ATM.
If you withdraw cash and it has any sort of pink marks, speak to the bank or police immediately to get it changed as it may have been marked as damaged or counterfeit. Don’t carry large sums of money and consider wearing a money belt.
Keeping your credit card (physically) safe
Remain alert to street crime, especially where two or more people work in distracting victims before decamping with their valuables. Instances of theft at airports are not uncommon, so stay vigilant while arriving and departing. There have been numerous instances of thefts from hired cars so don’t leave your wallet or purse in a parked car.
How to prepare before travelling to Brazil
Go with Visa or Mastercard. Carry at least two cards on your trip to Brazil, preferably connected with Visa or Mastercard. If you just take an American Express card, you won’t get to use it in many places.
Think no foreign transaction fees. When there are cards that come with no foreign transaction fees, using ones that charge 2% or 3% of each overseas transaction does not make sense. Some of these cards don’t charge an annual fee, either.
Keep your bank informed. Banks, in their efforts to thwart fraudulent transactions, block credit cards if they detect suspicious activity such as unexpected overseas transactions. To make sure this does not happen to your card, let your bank know about your travel plans before you leave the UK.
Keep the emergency number handy. Know which numbers you will need to call if you end up losing your card or if you need an emergency replacement.
Know where you’ll get cash from. Consider using your debit card to withdraw cash from ATMs. If you need to exchange money, stick to banks or official money-exchange offices because possessing counterfeit money in Brazil is a serious crime. Try to avoid exchanging money at airports and popular tourist destinations because of typically poor exchange rates.
Next steps
Ask yourself these simple questions before you leave so your spending in Brazil does not hit any roadblocks.
Which cards will I take? Visa and Mastercard are the most commonly accepted cards. If you’re planning a trip, check out cards which give you complimentary airport lounge access. If you’re planning well in advance, consider earning air miles for your trip with a frequent flyer credit card.
Have I let my bank know? If you don’t inform your bank about your travel plans, you may end up with a temporarily suspended card.
What fees do I need to pay? If your existing cards come with foreign transaction fees, look for one that does not. Paying in sterling outside of the UK might come with currency conversion fees.
How will I get cash? Using your debit card at an ATM is the simplest way to access your own money. You can carry cash and traveller’s cheques with you. Exchanging sterling to reais is simple enough and you’ll get several options.
When you’re in Brazil, you don’t have to worry about where and when you can use your credit card. Just keep some cash handy to pay for small purchases.
You can send money to Brazil by international money transfer, either online or through a bank. It’s recommended to have a variety of ways to access your money from overseas, perhaps through multiple accounts as well as carrying emergency cash, before you leave home. We use banks to take care of all our other financial needs, so surely we should use them when sending an international money transfer, right? Not necessarily. While major UK banks offer money transfer services, they typically present less competitive exchange rates coupled with high transfer fees. Learn how to send money to Brazil the smart way.
Mastercard is the most commonly used credit card network, followed by Visa.
There are no currency restrictions, although you’ll need to declare if you’re bringing in more than 10,000 reais or its equivalent in another currency.
We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you.
Chris Lilly is a publisher at finder.com. He's a specialist in credit-based products including business and personal loans, mortgages and credit cards, and is passionate about helping UK consumers make informed decisions about their borrowing. In his spare time Chris likes forcing his kids to exercise more.
Everything you need to know about chain break finance – a type of bridging loan that stops you losing your dream home if the sale of your existing one falls through.
Everything you need to know about commercial bridging loans. We look at when they’re useful, how they work and what to be aware of before taking one out.
Everything you need to know about the benefits of using a bridging loan to fund a property development project if you don’t have the cash already available.
Probate loans can be a valuable tool for dealing with the financial issues that can come up when you’re dealing with someone’s estate. We explain what you need to know.
Everything you need to know about residential bridging loans, including what to consider before taking one out, what they can be used for and their pros and cons.
Everything you need to know about auction finance, including why it can be a good alternative to a mortgage, its downsides and where to go to get the best deal.
How likely would you be to recommend finder to a friend or colleague?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very UnlikelyExtremely Likely
Required
Thank you for your feedback.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
Advertiser Disclosure
finder.com is an independent comparison platform and information service that aims to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions. While we are independent, the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which finder.com receives compensation. We may receive compensation from our partners for placement of their products or services. We may also receive compensation if you click on certain links posted on our site. While compensation arrangements may affect the order, position or placement of product information, it doesn't influence our assessment of those products. Please don't interpret the order in which products appear on our Site as any endorsement or recommendation from us. finder.com compares a wide range of products, providers and services but we don't provide information on all available products, providers or services. Please appreciate that there may be other options available to you than the products, providers or services covered by our service.
