Boletos: Learn to Pay the Old-Fashioned Way

In case paying in parcelas isn’t your thing, you’re in luck. You have another option – boleto bancário.

For many Brazilians, using a boleto is their preferred method of payment. It’s easy, safe, and very common. Boletos are so popular that roughly 3.6 billion are issued in Brazil each year.

A boleto is a type of payment voucher. Imagine a piece of paper with the seller’s information, such as name and tax ID number. It’ll also include the amount due and payment due date. All boletos must be registered with the Brazilian Federation of Banks (Febraban) and include a barcode and serial number for tracking.

Before the rise of smartphones and internet banking, boletos were printed and paid at public places such as banks, supermarkets, and post offices. They’re appealing to the general public because anyone can pay them. You don’t need a bank account, and the person paying doesn’t even have to be the person buying the product or service. Just take the boleto to a bank, for example, they’ll scan the barcode, you give them the cash, and voilà.

Today, boletos are often paid electronically. Heck, you don’t even need to leave your house. You can download one of the many payment apps to your phone, scan the barcode in the app, and pay with a connected debit card, credit card, or bank account. It’s that simple.

Now, the next time you’re handed a piece of paper and asked to “pay the boleto,” you’ll know what to do. Despite being a bit archaic, it’s still a popular way to pay.