Ant International Gets Brazil Payment Institution License to Expand Local and Cross-Border Payments

Ant International has received a Payment Institution (PI) license from the Central Bank of Brazil, giving it more room to operate in one of the most acceptance-sensitive payments markets around. For PSPs and high-risk merchants, the practical signal is simple: Brazil continues to reward providers that can support Pix, cards and alternative payment methods without making the checkout look like a science project.

1. According to a Thursday, Sept. 3 press release cited by PYMNTS, the PI license will strengthen Ant International’s local and cross-border payment capabilities in Brazil and expand its ability to support local partners.
2. The license builds on services the company already provides in Brazil through Antom, its merchant payment and digitalization platform. Antom enables merchants to accept Pix, credit cards and a variety of alternative payment methods.
3. Rodrigo Reif, general manager, Ant International Brazil, said the company is ready to offer “more reliable and comprehensive global payment and account services” to enterprises, platforms and small- to medium-sized businesses in the country’s digital economy, in closer collaboration with Brazil’s payments ecosystem and financial services industry.
4. For context, PYMNTS Intelligence found that 65% of Brazilian consumers said a merchant’s acceptance of their preferred payment method influences where they shop. The report also said acceptance of Pix, now used for one-quarter of purchases, and cards is essential.
5. Ant International said in July that it raised $1.2 billion in Series A equity financing to improve its cross-border payments and agentic commerce offerings, and in August it said several of the world’s biggest banks are using its Falcon Time-Series Transformer (FalconTST) model for foreign exchange risk management in cross-border payments.

Ant International said it provides services to clients across the Americas, Asia and Europe. In Brazil, the license matters because payment acceptance is not a side issue; it is the decision point.