Best Business Bank Accounts for International Businesses in Brazil 2026
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Helm helps international businesses get paid, pay suppliers and finance trade with USD banking, global payments and trade credit. Open an account.
The best business account for an international company in Brazil is not necessarily the account with the lowest monthly fee. An importer paying factories in Asia, an exporter collecting USD and a wholesaler selling across Latin America have very different requirements from a domestic company that only uses Pix and pays local suppliers. International businesses need to compare how money enters the company, how it leaves, when FX occurs, what credit is available and who helps when a high-value payment is delayed.
This comparison includes traditional banks and specialist international providers because many businesses use both. They are not legally identical products. A Brazilian bank account, an international payment account and an overseas multi-currency account can have different protections, currencies, eligibility and permitted uses. The correct structure is often a strong Brazilian operating account plus a specialist international layer rather than forcing one provider to do everything.
There is also an important 2026 development. From 1 October, Banco Central do Brasil Resolution 575 expands access to foreign-currency deposit accounts for additional categories of legal entities, including goods exporters. That could materially improve treasury options for some international businesses, but companies should confirm how individual banks implement the new regime.
Best accounts for international businesses in Brazil at a glance
Provider | Best for | International strength | Main consideration |
Helm | Importers, exporters and wholesalers | USD banking, global payments, trade credit and named human support | Specialist international proposition rather than a Brazilian domestic bank |
Itaú Empresas | Established Brazilian companies needing bank depth | FX, international transfers, trade services and export/import finance | Traditional bank relationship and product onboarding |
Santander Empresas | Companies wanting a global bank relationship | International payments, FX, export/import finance and international account capability | Best value where the wider banking relationship is used |
Banco do Brasil | Brazilian trade businesses wanting domestic and government-linked trade depth | Foreign-trade solutions, FX, export and import support | More conventional banking process |
C6 Bank Empresas | Digital-first SMEs wanting domestic and international accounts together | Business account plus USD/EUR Global Account and digital FX | Less trade-finance depth than major corporate banks |
Wise Business | Businesses prioritising multi-currency receipts and international transfers | International receiving, holding, conversion and payments | Not a traditional Brazilian bank trade-finance relationship |
Payoneer | Exporters, ecommerce and globally paid businesses | Cross-border collections, marketplace payments and supplier payments | Strongest where international collections are central |
How we assessed the accounts
The comparison focuses on six commercial questions. Can overseas customers pay the business easily? Can the company pay suppliers in the currencies they expect? Can it hold foreign currency where appropriate? Is FX pricing and timing visible? Can it access working capital or trade finance? And when a material payment is reviewed, is there a credible escalation path?
Those questions matter more than feature count. A finance platform can offer dozens of cards and integrations yet still be a poor fit for a wholesaler whose main problem is receiving USD and financing inventory. Equally, a major bank can offer deep credit but be expensive or slow for routine cross-border transfers. The account should follow the company’s money flow.
1. Helm: best for businesses where international trade is the operating model
Helm is designed around importers, exporters, wholesalers and other international trade businesses. The proposition combines USD banking, international collections and global payments with trade credit for eligible businesses and named human support. That is different from a generic small-business current account that happens to offer international transfers.
The strongest use case is a company with recurring cross-border money movement. A Brazilian importer may need to pay USD deposits to overseas suppliers while financing inventory. An exporter may receive foreign-currency customer payments and want control over conversion. A wholesaler may do both. Managing those flows together can be more valuable than maximising the number of domestic banking features.
Helm is not intended to replace every Brazilian banking need. A company may still keep a local bank for BRL payroll, taxes, local credit and branch-dependent services. The point is to give the international side of the business a financial relationship built around trade rather than occasional transfers.
2. Itaú Empresas: strong traditional option for FX and trade finance
Itaú is one of the strongest conventional options for established Brazilian companies that need domestic banking alongside foreign exchange and trade services. Its business offering covers international transfers, spot and forward FX, export and import documentary products and foreign-currency finance. That depth matters to companies with more complex trade operations.
For importers and exporters, the advantage is breadth. A company can combine its BRL operating account with FX, letters of credit, collections and financing inside a major Brazilian banking relationship. The trade-off is that a traditional bank process may feel heavier than a specialist platform for simple recurring international transfers.
Itaú should therefore be judged on the value of the whole relationship, including credit and trade expertise, not only on a single transfer quote.
3. Santander Empresas: strong for global banking and international trade
Santander’s Brazilian corporate proposition is explicitly built around foreign exchange, international payments, imports, exports, financing and international services. Its global group presence can be useful to companies trading across multiple markets, particularly where relationship banking and human FX support are important.
The bank also offers an international business account proposition for companies managing cash abroad in USD or EUR. For an importer or exporter, that can create more flexibility around overseas receipts and payments than relying only on a domestic BRL account.
As with Itaú, the strongest case is usually a business that uses the wider bank relationship. Companies looking only for low-friction self-service FX may find specialist providers simpler.
4. Banco do Brasil: strong domestic trade infrastructure
Banco do Brasil has a long-standing role in Brazilian foreign trade and offers export, import, FX, credit and advisory solutions to businesses. It can be particularly relevant to established Brazilian companies that value local banking depth and formal trade products alongside their operating account.
For a company already embedded in Banco do Brasil, keeping international trade activity within that relationship can simplify credit and documentation. The alternative is to retain the bank for domestic operations and trade finance while routing routine international collections or supplier payments through a specialist provider where the economics are better.
The correct answer depends on volume. A company making one international payment per quarter has different priorities from a manufacturer processing dozens of export receipts and supplier payments each week.
5. C6 Bank Empresas: strong digital option with USD and EUR capability
C6 gives Brazilian companies a digital domestic business account alongside its Global Account for businesses. The international proposition supports USD and EUR functionality, international transfers and digital foreign exchange inside the wider C6 relationship. That makes it attractive to smaller and mid-sized businesses that want domestic and foreign-currency activity in one digital environment.
The limitation is comparative rather than absolute. C6 does not have the same traditional trade-finance depth as a major corporate bank such as Itaú or Santander. A business whose main need is digital FX and international account functionality may see that as irrelevant, while a larger importer needing letters of credit and structured trade finance may care considerably.
6. Wise Business: strong for transparent self-service international payments
Wise Business is a strong option for Brazilian businesses that prioritise receiving, holding, converting and sending money internationally through a digital platform. It is particularly relevant to service exporters, smaller international businesses and companies that value transparent self-service FX and local receiving details in supported currencies.
It is not a substitute for a full traditional banking relationship where the company needs overdrafts, documentary trade products or broader corporate credit. That is why a business can reasonably use Wise alongside a Brazilian bank rather than treating the choice as either-or.
For a larger trade business, compare not only conversion price but support during exceptional transactions. The cheapest routine payment provider may not be the best primary account for a company moving material sums.
7. Payoneer: strong for international collections and ecommerce
Payoneer is particularly relevant to Brazilian companies that receive money from international clients, marketplaces or ecommerce ecosystems. Its proposition is built around global collections, multi-currency activity and business payments rather than conventional branch banking.
That makes it a natural fit for digital exporters and marketplace sellers. A traditional importer buying physical inventory may value a bank or trade-focused provider more because financing and supplier-payment support are central. As with Wise, the legal and product structure differs from a Brazilian deposit bank, so companies should understand where funds are held and what protections apply.
Should an international company use more than one account?
Often, yes, but only where each account has a clear role. A sensible structure might use a Brazilian bank for BRL operating cash, payroll, taxes and local credit, plus an international account for USD or EUR collections and global supplier payments. A third account is only justified if it solves a separate material problem.
Account sprawl creates its own risk. More accounts mean more permissions, reconciliations, cash transfers and potential confusion over which customer pays where. The goal is not maximum choice. It is the smallest account architecture that covers domestic operations, international collections, supplier payments, FX and financing reliably.
BCC’s USD account guide and cross-border payments guide can help separate the account decision from the payment-route decision.
What the October 2026 foreign-currency rule changes
Resolution 575 makes the account landscape more interesting for Brazilian international businesses because eligible goods exporters will be able to maintain foreign-currency deposit accounts in Brazil under the expanded regime. Other newly eligible categories include certain companies with external credit and foreign investment relationships.
For exporters, that may improve the ability to match foreign-currency receipts with foreign-currency costs. It does not mean every business automatically gets a USD current account on 1 October. Banks must offer and implement the relevant product, and the permitted credits and account activity remain subject to the regulatory framework.
Companies reviewing their banking in late 2026 should therefore ask their existing bank what will actually be available under the new rules before moving international flows elsewhere solely because the old structure was restrictive.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best business bank account in Brazil for international payments?
There is no universal winner. Itaú and Santander are strong traditional options for established companies needing FX and trade finance. C6 is a strong digital bank option. Wise and Payoneer suit international collection and payment use cases. Helm is designed specifically for importers, exporters and wholesalers that want international accounts, global payments, trade credit and human support.
Can a Brazilian company open a USD business account?
Yes, depending on the account structure and provider. International providers and some Brazilian banks offer USD functionality. From 1 October 2026, Resolution 575 also expands the categories eligible for foreign-currency deposit accounts in Brazil, including goods exporters.
Should an international business keep a Brazilian bank as well as a specialist account?
Often. A Brazilian bank can handle BRL operations, local credit, taxes and conventional trade products, while a specialist international account may be stronger for collections, FX and global supplier payments. The two-account structure is sensible when each account has a defined purpose.
Is Wise Business a bank account in Brazil?
Wise Business is an international financial account and payment service, not the same legal product as a traditional Brazilian deposit bank account. Businesses should understand the provider, fund-protection model, permitted account activity and local eligibility before keeping material balances.
What should an importer or exporter compare before opening an account?
Compare customer collection routes, supplier payment coverage, currencies, FX spread, payment fees, trade finance, local BRL functionality, controls, support and what happens when a high-value transaction is reviewed. Choose around actual money flows rather than headline feature count.
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