Can You Sell in Brazil Without a Local Company?

Yes. A foreign company can sell to consumers and businesses in Brazil without opening a CNPJ here. The most common setup is a payment processor that charges the customer in reais, through Pix, boleto or installment card payments, and pays out to your account abroad. This model is ideal for testing the market. A local company starts to make sense when volume grows, when corporate customers ask for a Brazilian invoice, or when you hire people in Brazil.

Why accepting international cards is not enough

Many companies start by accepting international credit cards and are surprised by low conversion. The reasons are concrete:

• Not every Brazilian has a card enabled for international purchases, and many have low limits.
• Card purchases in foreign currency pay 3.5% IOF tax, the rate in force since 2025, and the final amount only appears on the statement, after conversion.
• Brazilians expect to pay in installments. Interest-free installment purchases are a huge share of credit card spending in Brazil. See how installments work.
• Pix has become many people's favorite method. By value, it has already overtaken credit cards in Brazilian e-commerce. Details in how to sell in Brazil with Pix.

In short: if you charge in dollars or euros and only accept international cards, you are serving a small part of the market.

Ways to sell from abroad

Local payment processors for foreign companies

Some companies specialize in collecting local payments in emerging markets and settling in hard currency for the foreign seller. They let you charge in reais and offer Pix, boleto and Brazilian cards with installments, without having a company in Brazil. Compare fees, payout times, installments offered, chargeback handling and which taxes are included.

Merchant of record

For software and digital products, there is the merchant of record (MoR) model: the intermediary sells in its own name and takes on the tax side of the sale. It simplifies taxes but usually costs more. Check whether it accepts Pix and Brazilian cards in installments, because that weighs heavily on conversion.

Marketplaces and platforms

For physical goods, marketplaces have programs for international sellers. For courses and digital products, info product platforms handle payment and delivery. See Mercado Livre and marketplaces for foreign sellers and the info product market in Brazil.

Taxes: what changes when you sell from abroad

Digital products and software

For individual consumers, charging in foreign currency triggers IOF. For business customers, it is more complex: when a Brazilian company pays a foreign supplier, it may have to pay taxes on the remittance (such as withholding income tax and contributions on imported services). That makes your offer more expensive for B2B customers and is one of the reasons software sellers end up opening a local company. We explain this in how to sell SaaS in Brazil.

The tax reform also provides for the new consumption taxes to apply to imported services and digital goods. Keep an eye on the regulations, because they will affect those who sell from abroad.

Physical goods

International parcels pay import tax and ICMS (state VAT). The rules for low-value purchases have changed several times since 2024, including the Remessa Conforme program, which gives different treatment to registered platforms. Before setting price and shipping, check the rules in force on the Federal Revenue website and simulate the final cost the customer will pay.

When to open a company in Brazil

Selling from abroad has limits. Consider a local company when:

1. The intermediary's fees cost more than a local operation would.
2. Business customers require a Brazilian invoice and contracts with a local company.
3. You are going to hire a team in Brazil.
4. You need local inventory to deliver faster.

The step by step is in how to open a company in Brazil as a foreigner.

Checklist to start selling from abroad

• Price in reais, designed for Brazilian budgets (see how to price in Brazilian reais).
• Pix and installment card payments at checkout.
• A checkout that asks for and validates the CPF.
• Website, emails and support in Brazilian Portuguese.
• Support over WhatsApp, the channel Brazilians use most.
• A return and refund policy compliant with the Consumer Defense Code.

Summary

You can sell in Brazil without a local company, and it is the cheapest way to find out whether the market wants your product. The secret is to look local: price in reais, Pix, installments and support in Portuguese. When the numbers justify it, the Brazilian company comes later. If you want help setting up this first test, BrazilDoor can help.