What is a Pix QR code?
A Pix QR code is an ordinary QR code that carries a text in the BR Code standard, the Brazilian adaptation of the EMV QR Code specification (Merchant Presented Mode) defined by the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB) in its Manual de Padrões para Iniciação do Pix (Pix initiation standards manual). Inside it go your Pix key, your name, your city, optionally an amount and an identifier, and a CRC16 checksum. When someone points their banking app's camera at it, the app reads those fields, looks the key up in the Central Bank's directory and opens the payment screen already filled in; the payer just confirms with their own password.
The same text can also be sent as Pix copia e cola (the copy-and-paste code): the code you generate here is exactly that string, just drawn as an image. Because it is a single open standard, one code works in every app that reads Pix, and you need no merchant account, card machine or intermediary to get paid: the money lands directly in the account linked to the key.
How to create a Pix QR code
- Enter the Pix key. It can be a CPF, CNPJ, email, mobile phone number or random key. The generator detects the type on its own, checks the CPF and CNPJ check digits and normalizes the phone number to the
+55DDDnúmeroformat (+55, area code, number). Not sure which one is yours? See how to find your Pix key. - Enter the name and city. The standard limits the name to 25 characters and the city to 15, with no accents. The counters next to the fields show how much room is left.
- Set an amount, if you want. Useful for fixed-price products, monthly fees and invoices. Leave it blank for a counter code where the customer enters the amount. See Pix QR code with amount.
- Download and use it. PNG for WhatsApp, Instagram and social media; SVG for print shops and signs, because it stays sharp at any size. For the counter, see Pix QR code for shops.
Accepted Pix key types
Any of the five key types registered in the DICT (the Central Bank's key directory) can go in the code. The table shows how each type is written in field 26-01 of the BR Code:
| Key type | Format in the code (field 26-01) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| CPF | 11 digits, no dots or dash | 12345678909 |
| CNPJ | 14 digits, no punctuation | 11222333000181 |
| As registered, up to 77 characters | loja@exemplo.com.br | |
| Mobile phone | +55, area code and number (E.164 format) | +5511912345678 |
| Random key (EVP) | 36-character UUID generated by the bank | 123e4567-e12b-12d1-a456-426655440000 |
Worked example
The Central Bank's own manual includes an example static code: random key 123e4567-e12b-12d1-a456-426655440000, recipient Fulano de Tal, city BRASILIA, no amount. Filling in those three fields in the generator above, the resulting Pix copia e cola is:
00020126580014br.gov.bcb.pix0136123e4567-e12b-12d1-a456-4266554400005204000053039865802BR5913Fulano de Tal6008BRASILIA62070503***63041D3D
Reading from left to right: 0002 01 (format), 2658… (account block with br.gov.bcb.pix and the key), 5204 0000 (category), 5303 986 (currency BRL), 5802 BR, 5913 Fulano de Tal, 6008 BRASILIA, 6207 0503*** (empty identifier) and 6304 1D3D, the CRC16. You can check any code in the Pix decoder.
Static or dynamic code?
A static code is what this site generates: fixed data, printed once and usable forever, with the payer entering the amount when none is set. A dynamic code is generated by the bank or PSP for each charge: instead of the key, it contains the URL of a signed document with amount, due date, debtor and status, and it is used for automatic reconciliation and charges with interest or late fees. Dynamic codes can only be issued by the account's institution, which is why no dynamic code generator can work in a browser.
Tips for a code that always scans
- Print it at least 3 cm × 3 cm; at the counter and on walls, the bigger the better.
- Keep the white margin around the code. Do not crop it or overlay logos.
- Prefer SVG for print shops: it stays crisp at any size.
- Test with two different apps before printing a hundred copies.
- Avoid glossy lamination that reflects light; matte scans better.
References
Central Bank of Brazil (BCB), official Pix page and Manual de Padrões para Iniciação do Pix (BR Code); EMVCo, EMV QR Code Specification for Payment Systems, Merchant Presented Mode.