Brazilian Local Credit Cards

Credit cards are a major payment method for online purchases in Brazil including the Brazilian brands Aura and Hipercard. However, credit cards issued in Brazil, even Visa's and MasterCard's, are often restricted to local purchases in Brazil. With Alternative Payments, you can reach this market by accepting these local payment methods.

Hipercard is a credit card with its own brand. Controlled by Itau, Hipercard is popular in the Northeast and South of Brazil, with 470 thousand accredited establishments and more than 13 million cards issued in 2010. It was initially created as a loyalty card for Bompreço grocery stores in Recife back in 1969. Its expansion started in Recife in 1991, when its name was changed to Hipercard and by 1993 it was fully operating as a credit card. This expansion turned Hipercard into the first store card to be accepted by other commercial establishments as a credit card. In 2004, it was acquired by Unibanco, which now belongs to Itau. Through its partnership with merchant acquirer Redecard it is accepted in more than six thousand commercial establishments. Hipercard started as a private label credit card company for the Bompreço chain of supermarkets and is now an independent credit card company and one of the most popular Brazilian online payment method.

Cetelem (BNP Paribas) is one of larger Aura credit card issuers, who has entered into a partnership with MasterCard for Aura-MasterCard co-branded cards. Currently there are over 3 million co-branded Aura cards in Brazil. Redecard and Cielo are the main Brazilian acquirers who process and settle Aura credit card payments to merchants. Several Brazilian and International Payment Service Providers enable merchants to accept Aura transactions in their webshop.