Next Friday, February 28th, Pix through Proximity, also known as Pix through Biometrics, will become valid throughout Brazil. This new modality in the Open Finance payment journey promises to bring even more convenience and security to users.
A trusted consultant for the Initial Open Finance Structure with the Central Bank and specialized in enabling Open Finance for financial institutions, the multinational technology company Sensedia has listed the main benefits and precautions users and companies need to be aware of with the start of transactions via Pix through Proximity.
“Previously, to make a purchase through Open Finance, the user was redirected to their banking app or internet banking to complete the payment. Starting February 28th, this type of transaction will become more seamless. This is because the new functionality aims to simplify the payment journey by enabling users to complete transactions using bank details saved in digital wallets, without being redirected to their bank’s app or financial institution via ‘copy and paste’,” explains Gabriela Santana, Product Manager at Sensedia.
How it will work
To use Pix through Proximity, users only need to link their banking information to a digital wallet, such as Google’s, similar to how we currently add credit card details to an e-commerce site.
“After registering the bank account in the wallet, the user will only need to authorize settings like maximum transaction limits and the duration of the link in their banking app. Once done, Pix transactions will be enabled via the wallet, with no need to redirect to the banking app, which can even be deleted from the phone if desired,” adds Santana.
Note that each Pix through Proximity transaction will require final authentication via biometrics, password, or Face ID (facial recognition).
“Beyond security measures—strengthened by no longer requiring a banking app for Pix transactions and the ability to set transaction limits—Pix through Proximity will also scan both printed and digital QR Codes and allow transfers between users within the defined limits set during the linking process,” Santana adds.
Already enabled institutions
According to Brazil’s Central Bank regulations, the country’s largest financial institutions—which account for 99% of total Open Finance transactions—were required to implement JSR (Journey Without Redirection), enabling features like Pix through Proximity, by November 2024. For others, the mandate will only take effect from 2026 onwards.
“During the testing phase, regulators monitored technical progress along with key indicators such as PCM (Metrics Collection Platform) reports, API response times, and user experience quality. Once institutions achieved 100% in these metrics, they were cleared for pilot production. This is why Pix through Proximity is already available in some digital wallets,” highlights Santana.
Next steps
Specializing in projects requiring FIDO Server security protocols (mandated by the Central Bank for Pix authentication) and account linking via APIs, Sensedia has also developed a solution for PISPs (Payment Initiation Service Providers).
“The goal is to enable PISPs to process Pix payments directly within the environment where a purchase is being made—such as websites, e-commerce platforms, apps, and marketplaces—without redirecting users to their banking apps via the current ‘copy and paste’ method, offering even more security and convenience,” Santana reveals.
According to Central Bank data, Open Finance already has over 64 million active consents and 42 million users in Brazil.
