What Brazilian Businesses Need to Get Paid in US Dollars: 2026 Guide
A client in the United States sends you $10,000. When it hits your bank account in Brazil, it’s converted into reais. Then you notice: the amount is less than what was listed on the invoice. Where’d the rest of the money go?
Brazilian businesses that regularly work with overseas partners in the U.S. will know that exchange rate spreads and high foreign transaction fees are a cost of doing business. The reais exchange market, which is overseen by the Banco Central do Brazil, sets a baseline exchange rate margin, plus there’s a federal tax (the IOF) which is layered on top. If you’re regularly moving money across borders in Brazil, you’re getting hit with fees constantly. But, new financial tools have enabled businesses to access new, cost-efficient international payment methods.
In this guide, we’ll cover some of the new ways that Brazilian businesses can receive and manage US dollars so you aren’t getting hit with bank fees on every transaction. You’ll learn how multi-currency accounts and end-to-end USD others let you receive dollars and keep them as dollars until you choose to convert. This guide compares the main options, including the Slash Global USD Account, which gives a non-US business a real US account and routing number, lets you hold the balance in dollars instead of converting on arrival, and can be topped up from Brazil with Pix, all without opening a US company.³
The standard in finance
Slash goes above with better controls, better rewards, and better support for your business.
Why Would a Brazilian Business Want to Receive Dollars?
Three things drive the cost. The first is conversion. Most routes into Brazil convert your dollars to reais on arrival, so you take the bank's exchange rate whether it suits you that day or not. The second is the IOF. Its rate depends on the transaction type and the government has adjusted it several times, so the exact figure changes, but it is a genuine cost layered on top of the exchange spread. The third is the plumbing. An international wire over the SWIFT network can take several business days and pick up fees at the sending bank, any intermediary banks, and the receiving bank, and the amount that lands is often smaller than the amount sent.
Brazil's own payment rails do not solve this. Pix, the central bank's instant-payment system, is fast, cheap, and used almost everywhere in the country, but it moves reais between Brazilian accounts and does nothing for a dollar sitting with a client in the United States. And many US platforms and customers expect a US account and routing number before they will pay you directly. Without one, you are often routed through an intermediary that takes its own cut.
Put together, the question is not just how to get paid, but how to get paid without handing a slice of every invoice to conversion, tax, and transfer fees.
How to Get Paid in USD in Brazil: Different Methods
There is no single best option. Each of the following fits a different kind of business, and the right choice usually comes down to how often you get paid, how large the payments are, and whether you need to keep the money in dollars.
International wire to a Brazilian bank
This is the most familiar route: your client sends a SWIFT wire and the funds arrive in your Brazilian account, converted to reais. It works for one-off or occasional payments, and every major Brazilian bank supports it. The downside is that you aren’t actually getting USD – the funds convert to reais the moment they hit your account. The exchange fee timing is unavoidable, too. You pay wire fees on both ends and often to intermediary banks, the IOF applies on the conversion, and the money can take several business days to clear.
A foreign-currency account in Brazil
Brazil has historically restricted who can hold dollar accounts inside the country, but a 2026 central-bank resolution widened eligibility to more companies, including exporters, firms with debt abroad, and businesses with foreign shareholders. If you qualify, you can hold export earnings in dollars rather than converting when funds hit your account. There are limits, though: for exporters, the USD balance generally has to come from export revenue, cash deposits and withdrawals are not allowed, and converting the balance into reais still triggers an exchange transaction. It is useful for eligible companies with steady dollar revenue, less so for a small agency or freelancer.
Payment platforms and digital wallets
Services like PayPal, Wise, Payoneer, and Stripe are the common starting point for freelancers and smaller agencies. They are quick to set up and let clients pay in familiar ways. The trade-off is that each takes a percentage, a currency-conversion markup, or both, and some convert your balance to reais automatically rather than letting you keep dollars. Read the fee schedule closely, because the headline transaction fee and the exchange-rate markup are separate costs, and the markup is easy to miss.
Stablecoins
Dollar-pegged stablecoins such as USDC and USDT can be one of the fastest and lowest-cost ways to get paid in dollars: the client sends dollar value directly, the payment settles in minutes, and it often costs less than a bank wire. You receive a dollar equivalent rather than reais, so it fits holding your balance in dollars and converting when you choose. Your client does need to be able to pay this way, and moving the balance into reais is a separate step that carries the IOF and a conversion cost.
Non-resident US bank account
You can open a US bank account from abroad in Brazil, but it can be complicated. Businesses need to form a US company first, usually a limited liability company (LLC), obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS, and appoint a registered agent. Beyond the complex setup, which we describe in more detail below, you also have ongoing tax obligations and filing fees.
For businesses in Brazil that want US account access without needing to set up a US business entity, consider the Slash Global USD account. You can use your Brazilian business registration and open an account with US banking details, access to local US rails like the ACH network, and send and receive USD-pegged stablecoins for fast cross-border payments.⁴
How does a Brazilian Businesses Open a US Bank Account?
Above, we explained that Brazilian businesses can open a US bank account as a non-resident, but the process is complicated. Here’s the general step-by-step process an overseas business needs to take to open an business bank account in the US:
Step 1: Form a US business entity
Most non-US owners choose an LLC in a state like Delaware, Wyoming, or New Mexico to set up an LLC. You do not need to visit the US, but you do need a registered agent: a person or company with a US address who can receive legal and government mail on the company's behalf. The registered agent charges a yearly fee, and the state charges a formation fee plus, in most states, an annual report or franchise fee to keep the company active.
Step 2: Obtain an EIN
The EIN, or Employer Identification Number, is the tax ID for the business itself, and you need it to open a bank account and to file with the IRS. A foreign owner with no US Social Security number can still get one by sending Form SS-4 to the IRS by fax or mail, because the online application is only open to people who already have a US tax ID.
An EIN is not the same as an ITIN, and the difference trips people up. The EIN belongs to the company. An ITIN, or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, is a personal tax ID for you as the owner. You do not always need an ITIN just to run the LLC, but you may need one if you have to file a personal US tax return, or if the bank asks for the owner's tax ID when opening the account. Some banks that serve non-residents ask for it and some do not.
Step 3: Apply for a business bank account
With the EIN in hand, you open the account. Several US financial providers open business accounts for foreign-owned LLCs online without a branch visit. Expect to provide your business formation documents, the EIN, proof of address, and details about the beneficial owners (those who own 25% or more of the company).
Step 4: Handle ongoing tax requirements and fees
A US LLC with a single foreign owner is treated as a "disregarded entity," and the IRS requires it to file Form 5472 together with a pro forma Form 1120 every year, even if the company earned nothing and owes no US tax. The filing is due in mid-April, and missing it carries a penalty that starts at $25,000. Depending on where your income comes from, you may also have to file a personal US return (Form 1040-NR), which is one situation where you would need the ITIN. Because the rules are strict and the penalties are large, many owners pay a US accountant to handle it, which can be another yearly cost.
Comparing USD Payment Options for Brazilian Businesses
Below are the most common ways a Brazilian business can get paid in US dollars, compared on what actually drives the cost of each: the fees to receive and convert, whether you control when your dollars become reais or they convert the moment they arrive, and how easy the option is to open. The sections above cover how each rail works, so this table is for weighing them side by side:
Receiving dollars with the Slash Global USD Account
If you run a business in Brazil and get paid by clients in the United States, the Slash Global USD Account is built for exactly your situation. Using your existing Brazilian business registration, it gives you a real US account and routing number, with no US LLC, EIN, or Social Security number to obtain. Your clients pay you the way they would pay any US supplier, and because the money sits in your account as dollars, you hold it in dollars and decide yourself when to turn it into reais, rather than losing a cut to conversion the moment each payment lands.
Slash Global USD is built with Brazilian businesses in mind. Rather than arranging an international wire every time you want to move money in, you can fund your account directly in reais by Pix, using the Pix details in your Slash dashboard. Pix is Banco Central do Brasil's instant-payment system: it runs 24 hours a day, including weekends and holidays, transfers clear in seconds, and you send using a Pix key instead of full branch and account numbers. You move reais the same way you already pay any supplier in Brazil, and the funds arrive in your Global USD balance as dollars, ready to hold or convert on your own schedule.
Core features:
- US account details: A US account and routing number in your business's name, without forming a US entity.
- US banking rails: Send and receive ACH transfers or international wires in USD to 180+ countries. American clients and platforms can pay you the same way they would pay a US company.
- Platform payouts: Receive payouts from processors and marketplaces like Stripe, Shopify, Amazon and more directly into the account.
- Cryptocurrency support: Send and receive USDC and USDT across 8 different blockchain networks.
- Slash Visa Global Card: Issue Visa cards linked to the account with customizable spending limits and controls.
- Invoicing: Bill US clients from the Slash dashboard with invoices that carry a built-in payment link.
Apply in less than 10 minutes today
Join the 10,000+ businesses already using Slash.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest way to receive payments in dollars in Brazil?
It depends on how the money arrives and whether you convert it. The largest hidden cost is usually the currency conversion, the exchange-rate markup plus the IOF, so any method that lets you hold dollars and convert on your own schedule tends to beat one that converts automatically on arrival. Compare the transaction fee and the exchange-rate markup separately, since providers often advertise a low fee while making their margin on the rate.
Mastering Cross-Border Fees: Essential Insights and Strategies for Reducing International Payment Fees
Can I get paid by US clients without opening a US bank account?
Yes. Payment platforms and stablecoins both let you receive dollar value without any US banking setup, though each has its own fees. A USD account built for non-US businesses, such as the Slash Global USD Account, is a middle path: it gives you US account and routing details using your Brazilian registration, without forming a US entity. Forming a US company remains an option if you want a full US banking presence.
A Guide to OFAC Compliance for Cross-Border Payments
Crypto Payment Processors: Compare Top Platforms for Businesses
Do I have to convert dollars to reais when I receive them?
Not always. If the dollars land in a real-denominated Brazilian account, they are generally converted on arrival. If you receive into a dollar account, whether a foreign-currency account you qualify for in Brazil or a US or Global USD account, you can hold the balance in dollars and convert only when you need reais, which lets you time the exchange and avoid converting money you will later spend in dollars anyway.
How long do international payments to Brazil take to arrive?
A SWIFT wire commonly takes a few business days and can be slowed by intermediary banks. ACH transfers and platform payouts are often quicker, and stablecoin transfers usually settle within minutes. Speed and cost do not always move together, so weigh both against how quickly you actually need the funds.
How Long Do International Payments Take? A Guide for Streamlining Global Operations
