Regional payment methods: ACH, Boleto and PIX
Arca supports more than just credit cards. This guide covers the regional methods you can accept — ACH (US bank transfer), and Boleto and PIX (Brazil) — what your customer needs to provide, how long settlement takes, and the rules to know.
What's supported
| Method | Where | Currency | Settlement time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit card | US & Brazil | USD / BRL | Same day |
| ACH (bank transfer) | United States | USD | 2–5 business days |
| Boleto | Brazil | BRL | 2–7 days (paid offline, then cleared) |
| PIX | Brazil | BRL | Near-instant (QR valid 24 hours) |
ACH — bank transfer (United States)
Accept payment by direct debit from a US bank account. Good for larger or recurring B2B charges where card fees are a concern.
- What the customer enters: name, US address, phone, routing number, account number, and whether the account is checking or savings.
- Bank account country must be US; non-US accounts are rejected.
- Settlement is not instant. The payment status moves to Pending right away; final settlement (or a return / bounce) lands a few business days later via webhook.
- Returns are possible. A charge can come back days later as declined (e.g. insufficient funds, account closed) — check the transaction status before treating ACH as fully settled.
PIX — instant payment (Brazil)
PIX is Brazil's near-instant bank transfer rail. The customer scans a QR code in their banking app and the payment lands within seconds.
- What the customer enters: name, email, and a valid Brazilian tax ID (CPF for individuals, CNPJ for businesses).
- Arca returns a QR code; the customer scans it in their bank's app and confirms.
- The QR code is valid for 24 hours. After that, a new payment must be started.
- Currency is BRL; the buyer must be in Brazil.
Boleto — offline bank slip (Brazil)
Boleto is a printable/digital bank slip the customer pays offline (at a bank, ATM, banking app, or lottery house). Settlement happens after the customer pays.
- What the customer enters: name, email, address (street + number, neighborhood, city, state, ZIP), and a CPF or CNPJ.
- A due date is required — the boleto expires after that date and can't be paid.
- The customer receives a Boleto URL / PDF; they pay it offline, then the bank confirms back to Arca a few business days later.
Common problems
"CPF or CNPJ required"
-
Cause
A PIX or Boleto payment was attempted without a Brazilian tax ID.
SolutionCollect an 11-digit CPF (individual) or 14-digit CNPJ (business). Arca detects which one it is from the length.
An ACH charge looks paid, then bounces days later
-
Cause
ACH settlement is asynchronous — the bank can return the charge after the fact (e.g. closed account, insufficient funds).
SolutionDon't treat ACH as finalized until the status moves from Pending to a settled state. Wait for the webhook before fulfilling.
"Boleto can't be refunded"
-
Cause
By design — Arca doesn't return Boleto funds through the platform.
SolutionReturn the money to the customer outside Arca (PIX or bank transfer) and record a credit note for your books.
"This payment method isn't available in your region"
-
Cause
No matching method is configured for the buyer's country.
SolutionEnable the method for that region in your dashboard, or ask the customer to use a supported method.
A PIX QR isn't scanning
-
Cause
The QR has expired (valid 24 hours from creation), or the customer's bank app rejected it.
SolutionStart a new payment to generate a fresh QR.
Error message reference
| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| CPF or CNPJ required | Missing Brazilian tax ID | Collect a valid 11-digit CPF or 14-digit CNPJ |
| Customer bank account already exists | That routing + account is already saved | Use the existing saved account |
| The account routing number already exists | That routing number is already on file | Use the saved bank account |
| Phone number is required / invalid | ACH needs a valid phone number | Collect a complete phone with country code |
| No payment methods available for your location. | No method is enabled for the buyer's country | Enable a supported method for that region |
| Cannot refund boleto payments | Boleto refunds aren't handled in Arca | Refund outside the platform and record a credit note |
Still having trouble?
Contact Arca support and include:
- The method (ACH / PIX / Boleto / card) and region
- The payment or order ID
- The exact message (a screenshot helps)