GuideBrazil
Can tourists use iFood in Brazil? Cards, Pix and CPF explained
Dinner should be the easy part of your trip. Here is what to check before ordering, how Pix checkout works and what to do when your card is declined.
In this article
Start by checking you can sign in to iFood. Once you can reach checkout, look at cards, Pix and payment on delivery. A rejected foreign card is a payment problem; a phone-verification prompt needs a different solution.
If you need food tonight
Choose your next step based on where you are stuck:
| What is stopping you? | What to try |
|---|---|
| You cannot complete signup or phone verification | Use iFood's account help, or ask your accommodation about restaurants that take direct orders. |
| Your card is declined in the app | Check the details and issuer restrictions, then look for another method offered for that order. |
| Pix is offered and your payment app can pay the code | Check your balance, pay the complete checkout code and return to iFood to confirm the order status. |
| You have no usable online payment method | Look for cash or card on delivery. Confirm the restaurant offers it and, for cards, that its terminal accepts yours. |
iFood lists Pix, cards and cash paid to the courier among its methods. Your order's checkout determines which options are available. Avoid buying gift credit before you know you can access the account and place an order. iFood's payment guide.
If you order directly from a restaurant, agree its payment and delivery terms separately. Do not redirect payment for an existing iFood order to a code someone sends in a message.
For future trips, Tucu is being built to let you pay supported local QR codes without opening a Brazilian bank account for a short stay. One travel wallet for Brazil and Argentina, ready for the local payment options your card cannot cover. Join the waiting list for early access.
Check account access before choosing dinner
Before you spend twenty minutes choosing a restaurant, open iFood and complete the sign-in process. Email access, mobile verification and any requested personal details are worth sorting out before you are hungry.
Do you need a CPF?
A CPF is Brazil's individual tax identification number. iFood's current consumer privacy notice says it is collected when applicable for certain establishments' tax requirements. iFood's consumer privacy notice.
You may see CPF na nota, meaning CPF on the receipt. iFood's account guide describes this as a choice at checkout. Account setup and card registration are separate steps where you may encounter another CPF prompt. iFood's account guide.
Check whether the field is optional or blocks your next step. Leave an optional field empty if it does not apply. If a required CPF field stops you, use the official help route or choose another way to order. Do not enter a made-up number or someone else's CPF.
Foreign nationals can apply for a CPF through Receita Federal's official service. Card acceptance still depends on the payment checks described below.
Will your foreign phone number work?
Be prepared for mobile verification even if you sign up by email. iFood's account guide includes adding a number and receiving a code by SMS or WhatsApp after email confirmation.
In a public support reply dated 15 November 2024, iFood said only Brazilian phone numbers could be used to create an account. We have not verified whether the current app accepts additional country codes, so check your own number before relying on iFood for your arrival meal.
A data-only travel eSIM supplies internet access, rather than a Brazilian number for verification. Resolve account access before funding a wallet specifically for iFood.
Why your foreign card may be declined
iFood accepts major card networks, but an individual foreign-issued card may still be declined. Its troubleshooting guidance covers personal and card details, duplicate accounts, issuer limits and security restrictions. iFood's payment troubleshooting.
Check that the method is offered for your order, the details are correct and your issuer has not blocked the purchase. If it still fails, look at the other options in checkout.
Paying inside the app and paying on a card terminal at delivery use different payment routes. If the restaurant offers a terminal, confirm it accepts your card, even if you have already used that card elsewhere in Brazil.
For help before an order exists, look under Perfil (Profile), then Ajuda (Help) and the payment categories.
How to pay with Pix on the same phone
Pix is Brazil's instant payment system. At an online checkout, Pix Copia e Cola lets you copy a payment code and paste it into a compatible payment app. You do not need a second phone to point your camera at. Banco Central's explanation of Pix.
Check whether your payment app can do this
Look for Pix Copia e Cola or an explicit option to paste a Pix payment code. Check that the feature is available for your own account, including where it is registered. A general QR scanner or an option to send money to Brazil is not enough.
Already use Wise or Revolut? Our Wise and Pix guide and Revolut and Pix guide explain which features are documented for different accounts. They are account-feature guides, not tested iFood payment routes.
The checkout code is different from a Pix key, such as a phone number or email address. Use the payment-code feature, not a field for adding a recipient's key.
Complete the checkout
iFood documents a copied-code payment flow. Set up and fund your payment app before generating the code, then follow the timer shown for your order. iFood's Pix explanation.
When Pix is available:
- Review the order. Check the delivery address and full price, including delivery and service charges.
- Choose Pix and copy the complete checkout code. Use the code generated for this order.
- Open your compatible payment app and paste the code. Review the recipient and amount in reais, plus any conversion and fees.
- Confirm within the checkout's deadline. If the code expires before you pay, follow iFood's instructions to generate a fresh one.
- Return to iFood. Check that payment has been recognized and follow the order's status.
If your payment app shows a debit but iFood still shows the order as unpaid, check both statuses and contact support before making another payment. Keep the payment reference and order details.
Where Tucu's paste-code option fits
For a supported code already on your phone, Tucu lets you paste it straight into the wallet. No second screen to scan. Before paying, review the local amount, exchange rate, payment fees and total, so you can decide with the full cost in front of you.
Tucu has not launched, and iFood payments and refunds through it remain unverified. You will still need to meet iFood's account and phone requirements.
For the wider picture, our guide to Pix for tourists in Brazil explains local QR payments and how to prepare for them.
Receive your meal and protect your refund
For a hotel or apartment, check the street number, entrance and delivery instructions. Agree where you will collect the meal and keep notifications on. Do not assume the courier will come to your room or reception will accept the order for you.
iFood recommends handover at the first point of contact and gives customers a ten-minute collection window after the courier arrives. iFood's delivery guidance.
Give the delivery code only when the courier is there and you have the order. Never share an account login code. An unexpected message asking for an extra Pix to release your delivery deserves scrutiny: use the order's official help flow rather than paying a new code sent in a message. Order guidance and iFood's fraud guidance.
Check where a refund will go
If something goes wrong, open Pedidos (Orders), select the affected order and choose Ajuda (Help). A cancellation request does not automatically mean a refund is approved. iFood's support guide.
iFood publishes a same-day timeframe for approved Pix refunds to the originating account. A payment wallet may need additional time to credit that return to you.
You may instead be offered saldo iFood, credit for future orders. That balance cannot be transferred to your bank account. Before accepting instant credit, consider whether you will still be in Brazil to spend it. Check your refund preference and the destination shown for the particular refund; iFood also says it may use wallet credit when refunding the original method fails. Refund rules and wallet guidance.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use iFood without a CPF?
CPF on the receipt is optional in iFood's checkout guidance. Its privacy notice qualifies collection for certain establishments' tax requirements, but other signup or payment prompts may still stop you. Check the particular field before proceeding.
Can I register using only my email?
iFood's published email-signup instructions also include mobile verification. Plan for both. Acceptance of foreign numbers in the current app remains unverified for this guide.
Do I need a Brazilian bank app to use Pix checkout?
The feature to check is Pix Copia e Cola: paying a complete Pix code from your own account. Sending reais or transferring to a Pix key is a different feature. Check account eligibility, code support and available balance before starting checkout.
Does paying with Pix guarantee the restaurant will accept my order?
No. The restaurant still needs to accept the order. Return to iFood after paying and follow its status. If payment is debited but the order is cancelled or remains unpaid, use the affected order's help flow. How an iFood order works.
Add Tucu to your travel plans
Dinner is one reason to prepare for local payments. The next could be a café counter, a market stall or a stop in Argentina. Keep a working card and some cash, and plan for the QR codes you will encounter along the way.
Join Tucu's waiting list for early-access invitations and launch updates. Only your email is required; destination and travel timing are optional, so you can tell us where you are heading.
Identity verification is required before your first payment. We will share eligibility and supported funding options with early-access invitations.