Brazil's Central Bank launches digital duplicate system to boost corporate credit

On June 30, Brazil’s Central Bank (BC) introduced the "duplicata escritural," a fully digital version of the traditional paper duplicate used in B2B sales on credit. The system is currently in a testing phase and will be rolled out gradually, with mandatory use for large firms starting June 2027, medium-sized firms by December 2027, and small firms by June 2028. The market for duplicates is estimated at about R$ 11 trillion, involving roughly 2 million issuers and around 18 000 large “sacadoras.” By recording every stage of the title electronically, the platform aims to increase transparency, traceability and security, reduce fraud and duplicate receivables, and make receivables more easily used as collateral. The BC expects the change to widen credit access for SMEs and lower financing costs. As Clodoaldo Pontes, vice‑president of Evertec Brazil, said, the duplicata escritural “represents the biggest transformation in mercantile credit titles since the original duplicate was created in 1936.” Edson Silva, founder of Nexxera, added that the digitised duplicate “turns a simple commercial document into a real financial asset that can be used to secure credit.”