Brazil leads decline in cash usage across Latin America

A Salesforce Global Payments Report shows Brazil has the lowest share of cash transactions in Latin America, with cash accounting for only 12% of point‑of‑sale value in 2025. The region’s average is 23%, and countries such as Peru (30%), Colombia (32%) and Mexico (40%) still rely heavily on physical money. Brazil’s shift is linked to the widespread adoption of Pix, the instant‑payment system that handled 42% of e‑commerce transfers and 34% of POS value in the year.

A separate study by OKTO Payments of Latin American consumers aged 18‑24 found that fast, reliable checkout experiences now outweigh discounts for Generation Z. More than half (55%) say the variety and quality of payment methods are decisive, while 52.4% abandon a transaction that takes longer than 30 seconds and 47% have quit multiple purchases because of slow or complex checkouts. Merchants report that payment‑processing limitations hinder customer acquisition and retention, and nearly half of respondents only complete a cross‑border purchase when familiar local methods such as Pix are available.