THE BROAD VIEW
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AFTER recently moving from Brazil to Singapore, one thing I still find myself reflecting on is how ordinary digital payments feel back home.
On my way to work in Sao Paulo or Curitiba, I might pay for a coffee with Pix, Brazil’s primary instant payment system, using my phone. My Uber ride arrives, and the payment happens automatically through a digital wallet.
When sending my car for maintenance, I have the option to pay for the service in instalments. Later in the day, my streaming subscriptions renew without a credit card, through Pix Automatico, a feature designed for recurring payments. I pay utility bills with a bank slip called “boleto”.
