PIX QR Code Generator

How to create a PIX QR code

1. Enter your PIX key — the identifier linked to the receiving bank account. This can be a CPF, CNPJ, Brazilian mobile phone number in the format +5511999999999, email address, or a random EVP UUID assigned by your payment service provider.
2. Enter your merchant name in uppercase ASCII characters, maximum 25 characters, with no accents or special characters.
3. Enter your merchant city in uppercase ASCII characters, maximum 15 characters.
4. Enter a fixed amount if the payment has a known value, or leave it empty for an open-value static QR that the payer fills in.
5. Enter a transaction ID (TXID) if you need to reconcile the payment. For an open-value static QR, use three asterisks (***) as the TXID placeholder.
6. Verify the generated code by scanning it with a PIX-enabled banking app before downloading.
7. Customise the pattern, eye style, colours and logo if needed, then export PNG, SVG, WEBP or JPG at up to 4096 px.

The QR code is generated in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent to a server.

What a PIX QR code is

A PIX QR code — referred to in the official specification as a BR Code — is a payment initiation payload encoded as a QR code. It follows the EMVCo QRCPS-MPM (Merchant Presented Mode) standard, implemented in Brazil by Banco Central do Brasil (BCB) in the BR Code Manual, version 2.0, dated May 2020.

PIX is Brazil's instant payment system, operated and regulated by Banco Central do Brasil. All licensed Brazilian financial institutions must support PIX. Payments settle in real time, around the clock, including weekends and holidays. The system is mandatory — not voluntary — for institutions above a threshold size.

A PIX QR code is not a bank account number. It contains a PIX key, which is an alias linked to the account. The BCB's PIX infrastructure resolves the key to the actual account details at payment time. The payer never sees the account number.

A static PIX QR code is reusable. A dynamic PIX QR code (COB or COBV format) is generated by a payment service provider (PSP) for a specific transaction and contains a URL that the payer's app resolves in real time. This generator creates static QR codes. Dynamic codes require a PSP API.

PIX BR Code technical structure

EMVCo TLV format

The PIX payload uses the EMVCo Tag-Length-Value (TLV) encoding. Each field is represented as a two-digit tag ID, followed by a two-digit field length, followed by the field content. Fields are concatenated without separators.

Merchant account information (tag 26 sub-template)

Tag 26 contains a nested TLV structure for PIX:

The PIX GUI (Globally Unique Identifier) BR.GOV.BCB.PIX is a fixed string specified by BCB. It identifies the payment domain as PIX within the EMVCo framework.

PIX key types

A PIX key is a registered alias that resolves to a bank account through the BCB DICT (Transactional Accounts and Payments directory). Four key types exist:

An EVP (Endereço Virtual de Pagamento) key is a random UUID assigned by the payment service provider. It contains no personally identifiable information and is a privacy-preserving option for individuals who do not want to publish their CPF, phone, or email in a public QR code.

CRC-16 checksum

The last field of every PIX BR Code payload is tag 63, a mandatory four-character uppercase hexadecimal CRC-16 checksum. The algorithm is CRC-16/CCITT-FALSE with polynomial 0x1021 and initial value 0xFFFF.

The checksum is calculated over the entire payload string up to and including the tag and length of field 63 itself (i.e. the string ending in "6304" is included in the checksum calculation before appending the four-character result). A payload with an incorrect or absent CRC-16 will be rejected by PIX-enabled banking apps.

This generator calculates and appends the correct CRC-16 checksum automatically. If you construct the payload manually, the checksum must be recalculated any time any field changes.

Additional data field (tag 62 sub-template)

Tag 62 contains a nested sub-template for transaction identification:

The TXID links the payment to a specific transaction in the merchant's system. For a static open-value QR, the BCB specification permits three asterisks (***) as the TXID placeholder.

Static vs dynamic PIX QR codes

Dynamic PIX QR codes (COB format for open value, COBV for fixed value) require a PSP API integration. The BCB issues the technical specification for COB/COBV separately from the static BR Code Manual. This generator produces static codes only.

When to use a PIX QR code

Small merchants and market stalls. A printed open-value static QR at a stall or counter allows customers to enter the amount they owe and pay instantly from any banking app. No card reader required.

Service professionals. A QR code printed on an invoice or business card allows clients to pay via PIX without knowing the provider's bank account details — only the PIX key is required.

Freelancers and individual sellers. An EVP key QR code on a marketplace listing or social media profile allows buyers to pay without the seller publishing personal tax ID or phone number information.

Non-profits and community organisations. An open-value QR code printed on donation materials allows supporters to send any amount via PIX.

Events and temporary locations. A QR code on a badge or printed card allows instant payment receipt without cash or a POS terminal.

Design and print requirements

Maintain a four-module quiet zone on all sides, as specified in ISO/IEC 18004:2015 section 6.3.3.

Print at a minimum of 2 cm by 2 cm for close-range scanning. For a merchant counter display read from standing distance, 5 cm or larger is appropriate industry guidance.

Use dark modules on a light background. Inverted-colour codes and low-contrast designs fail frequently on phone cameras in variable outdoor lighting.

The PIX payload — including the merchant GUI, PIX key, name, city, TXID, and CRC-16 — is a moderately dense string. A static code with all fields populated will produce a more complex QR symbol than a URL QR. Print larger rather than smaller.

Use error correction level M as a baseline. Level M recovers approximately 15 percent of damaged codewords. If you embed a logo, use level H (approximately 30 percent recovery), and keep the logo to no more than 30 percent of the code area.

Troubleshooting: why your PIX QR code is not working

The PIX key is not registered with the BCB DICT. Generating a QR code with an unregistered PIX key produces a syntactically valid code that the banking app cannot route. Verify that the key is active in your banking app's PIX key settings before encoding it.

The CRC-16 checksum is wrong. Any change to any field after the checksum is calculated invalidates it. If you edited the raw payload string manually, recalculate the checksum. This generator calculates the checksum automatically.

The merchant name contains non-ASCII characters or accents. BCB specifies that the Merchant Name field (tag 59) must be uppercase ASCII with no accents. Replace "João" with "JOAO" and "São Paulo" with "SAO PAULO".

The merchant name or city exceeds the character limit. Tag 59 (Merchant Name) has a maximum of 25 characters. Tag 60 (Merchant City) has a maximum of 15 characters. Truncate to fit.

The TXID is empty or uses a disallowed format. For an open-value static QR, use three asterisks (***) as the TXID. For a fixed transaction, use 26 to 35 alphanumeric characters. An invalid TXID causes some banking apps to reject the payload.

The banking app is not PIX-enabled. All licensed Brazilian financial institutions above the BCB threshold must support PIX. Apps from institutions below the threshold, or non-Brazilian banking apps, will not process a PIX payment.

PIX versus other payment QR standards