Brazilian customers expect to pay with Pix, and many also use Mercado Pago. If your auction site can't take either, a large share of buyers will leave at checkout. This guide covers both payment options on our platform, how to price in reais, and why we suggest starting with auctions rather than raffles in Brazil.
Check the rules first, and check them again before launch: they've been changing. In Brazil, the Ministry of Finance's Secretaria de Prêmios e Apostas (SPA) is responsible for fixed-odds betting, commercial promotions, philanthropic draws and lotteries. Its page currently carries a notice that Medida Provisória nº 1.394 of 25 September 2026 prohibited fixed-odds betting lotteries nationwide. Nothing here is legal advice: check with a Brazilian lawyer before you take payments, and never market paid draws to anyone under 18.
Why start with auctions
An auction sells a real item to the highest bidder. A raffle or prize draw sells a chance to win, and in Brazil prize promotions, draws and lotteries fall under the SPA, as described above. That's a regulated area where you'll need specialist legal advice before you start. Selling items by auction (with BidKing) is a simpler place to begin. If you later want draws, take that question to a Brazilian lawyer first.
Pix with OpenPix vs Mercado Pago
Both are paid add-on gateways for BidKing, RaffKing and PrizeX. Gateway add-ons are bought separately from the main licence, from Add-ons in your admin panel. Here's how each works once installed:
| OpenPix add-on | Mercado Pago add-on | |
|---|---|---|
| What the customer uses | Pix, Brazil's instant payment system | Mercado Pago checkout |
| Keys you enter | Secret Key | Public Key and Access Token |
| Default currency | BRL | ARS, so change it to BRL for Brazil |
| Checkout | Your site shows a Pix QR code and a copy-and-paste Pix code | The customer pays on Mercado Pago's checkout and returns to your site |
| How payment is confirmed | The add-on asks OpenPix for the charge's status and credits the wallet once OpenPix reports it completed | Mercado Pago notifies your site, and only an approved payment counts (an authorised but uncaptured one doesn't) |
Offering both covers customers who prefer Pix and those who'd rather pay by card or with their Mercado Pago balance.
Setting them up
- Get the add-on from Add-ons in your admin panel and activate it. It appears under Settings › Payment Gateways, switched off.
- Copy your keys from your OpenPix or Mercado Pago account and paste them into the gateway's settings.
- For Mercado Pago, change the currency from ARS to BRL. The add-on defaults to Argentine pesos.
- Check whether the gateway is set to test or live mode. Both add-ons start in live mode, so test with a small real payment.
- Switch the gateway on, top up a test customer's wallet, and confirm the coins arrive and the payment shows as paid.
Pricing in reais
Customers top up a wallet and spend from it: bid fees on auctions, tickets on draws. Set what one wallet unit is worth under Pricing › Coin Pricing, and what it's called under Settings › Rewards. Pick a value that keeps prices easy to read in reais. Then check each gateway's fees against a typical top-up.
Language and mobile
- Portuguese. The storefront ships with a Brazilian Portuguese language file. Check that your listings, emails and terms read naturally in Brazilian Portuguese before launch.
- Phones first. Pix is a phone habit: customers scan the QR code or paste the code into their bank app. Test the whole flow on a phone. Every edition can be added to the home screen as an installable web app.
Trust
- Show your company details, terms and returns policy clearly.
- For auctions, describe items honestly and say how and when winners receive them.
- Answer support quickly, in Portuguese.
Common questions
Does BidKing accept Pix?
Yes, through the OpenPix add-on, which is sold separately from the main licence and available from Add-ons in your admin panel. It shows a Pix QR code and a copy-and-paste code at checkout.
Does BidKing support Mercado Pago?
Yes, as a separate add-on. It defaults to Argentine pesos (ARS), so set the currency to BRL for a Brazilian store.
Can I run online raffles in Brazil?
Prize promotions, draws and lotteries fall under the Ministry of Finance's Secretaria de Prêmios e Apostas, and the rules have changed recently. Check with a Brazilian lawyer before you sell any chance to win.
Which edition should I start with?
For a single-seller auction site, BidKing Starter. If other sellers will list items, Plus or Pro, which include multi-vendor selling. Gateway add-ons work with every edition.