Ant International wins payment institution licence in Brazil

Ant International has secured a payment institution (PI) licence from Brazil’s Central Bank, giving the Singapore-based Ant Group subsidiary a clearer local route for merchant payments and cross-border services in Latin America. For PSPs and merchants operating in high-risk segments, the key point is simple: this is another signal that Antom is building regulated payment rails in a market where PIX and alternative payment methods matter.

1. Ant International’s PI authorisation in Brazil will support both local and cross-border services in the country, which it currently delivers through Antom, its merchant payment and digitisation platform.
2. Antom was initially launched with a focus on Asia, but it now reaches more than 185 million shoppers across LatAm and allows businesses to accept PIX-based solutions, credit cards, and other alternative payment methods.
3. The Brazil licence comes two months after Ant International said it wanted to accelerate global expansion in merchant payments, following its $1.2 billion Series A funding round.
4. The company’s LatAm licensing push also fits its broader cross-border connectivity strategy. In August, Ant International partnered with Bank of China (Hong Kong) to enhance the cross-border capabilities of its Alipay+, Bettr, and WorldFirst businesses.

For high-risk operators, Brazil matters because it is one of the largest payment markets in LatAm, and PIX has become a core acceptance rail. Any PSP entering or expanding there with local licensing is usually trying to reduce friction on settlement, acceptance, and cross-border processing rather than just tick a regulatory box.