Brazilian Reals
Get ready for your trip to Brazil. Order your Brazilian Reais at Manor FX today. Our great exchange rates mean you'll have more BRL cash to spend. Have your Brazilian Real banknotes delivered securely to your home or office, or pick them up from the Manor FX bureau near Heathrow. Manor FX offers fast delivery times and a fuss-free online ordering process for your Brazilian real travel money.
Travel advise: payments in Brazil
Jet off well-informed to Brazil. Here are some handy facts about cash and card payments in Brazil.
Yes. International hotels and large shopping malls in downtown Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Brasília and other big Brazilian cities accept most international credit and debit cards. Brazilians are avid users of credit cards. Mastercard, Visa and American Express cards are accepted widely.
Unlike chip and pin card payments in Britain, card payments in Brazil are mostly done by swiping the card's magnetic strip through a reader. Many British cards, including Revolut cards, won't support swipe payments unless these have been activated beforehand.
Be aware that in smaller towns and villages, off the beaten track, shops and smaller supermarkets may only accept cash.
Some British banks may charge for international card payments. In addition your bank's BRL to GBP exchange rate may not be so good. This is how banks make money. Before using your bank card for payments in Brazil it's certainly a good idea to contact your bank. This will avoid your card becoming blocked due to international transactions that your bank may find suspicious.
It's best to take cash with you when you travel to Brazil, especially if you plan to travel around in Brazil.
Although credit and debit cards are widely accepted in Brazil's urban areas, some vendors may not be able to accept international cards and may ask for payment in cash.
Cash remains an important method of payment in Brazil and it is a great fallback option. Taxi drivers, street vendors and tour guides will often only accept cash. Cash, especially smaller banknotes and coins, is also useful for tipping.
A coffee in a cafe in Brazil costs around 6 BRL. A three-course meal in a mid-range restaurants costs around 50 to 60 BRL.
The cost of living is certainly cheaper in Brazil compared to the UK. Prices in downtown urban areas will in many cases be higher than prices in suburbs and rural towns.
Tipping in Brazil is not mandatory but quite common. Restaurants will often include a 10% service charge to the bill.
Banknotes in Brazil
All Brazilian banknotes feature the head of Republica, the allegorical figure representing Brazil. The latest series of Reais notes are colourful and feature Brazil's wildlife animal species. Banknotes in circulation are R$2, R$5, R$10, R$20, R$50 and R$100. The banknote of R$1 was replaced by a coin. Make sure to only accept Brazilian Real banknotes, not Cruzados or Cruzeiros: They are obsolete, inflation era currencies of Brazil, which are entirely worthless now.Coins in Brazil
Brazilian coins range from 1 centavo (0.01 real) to R$1 real. Did you get back from Brazil with some leftover coins? Our sister company Leftover Currency can help you to exchange Brazilian Real coins back to cash.
