---
title: "How to fund a stablecoin card with Pix or SPEI, and cash out what is left"
seoTitle: "Fund a stablecoin card with Pix or SPEI"
description: "The full top-up and cash-out loop for stablecoin cards in Brazil and Mexico: Pix and SPEI payins, where FX happens, timing, limits, and what to check."
date: "2026-10-11"
updated: "2026-10-11"
category: "payments"
author: "BlindPay Team"
faq:
  - q: "Can I top up a stablecoin card with Pix?"
    a: "Yes, if the card program uses a funding provider that accepts Pix payins. The app requests a quote, shows the cardholder a Pix code to copy or scan, and the cardholder pays from any Brazilian bank app. The BRL deposit converts into USDC or USDT and lands in the wallet the card spends from, usually within minutes."
  - q: "Can I top up a stablecoin card with SPEI in Mexico?"
    a: "Yes. With a SPEI payin, the app shows the cardholder a CLABE number for that top-up, and they send MXN from their bank. BlindPay's cut-off table lists SPEI payin arrival at up to 10 minutes. Once the deposit lands, it converts into stablecoins and is sent to the card wallet, the same as a Pix top-up."
  - q: "How long does a Pix top-up take to reach a stablecoin card?"
    a: "Pix runs 24/7, and BlindPay's cut-off table lists Pix payin arrival at up to 5 minutes. Conversion and the on-chain transfer to the card wallet follow. If a non-OTC Pix payin never arrives, BlindPay waits up to 30 minutes before marking it failed, after a reconciliation check. Credit the card only when the payin completes."
  - q: "How many currency conversions happen on a Pix-funded stablecoin card?"
    a: "Up to three. BRL converts to USDC or USDT at top-up. If the cardholder spends in BRL at a local merchant, the card network converts the USD amount back to BRL. If they cash out leftovers to Pix, stablecoins convert to BRL again. Each step has its own rate, so local spend on a USD card pays FX twice."
  - q: "What is the difference between Pix and SPEI for card funding?"
    a: "Pix is Brazil's instant payment system, run by Banco Central do Brasil, and the payer sees a Pix code. SPEI is Mexico's interbank system, run by Banco de México, and the payer sees a CLABE. Both run around the clock and both usually settle within minutes. Both also work as payout rails for cashing out."
  - q: "Is there a minimum or maximum for a Pix or SPEI top-up?"
    a: "Yes. BlindPay payin quotes enforce minimums of R$10.00 for BRL and $10.00 for MXN. The maximum that applies is the receiver's per-transaction limit, which defaults to $10,000 to $50,000 depending on KYC tier. The quote enforces the exact range, so read the error instead of hardcoding numbers."
---

*Reading time: about 8 minutes.*

**Summary:** To fund a stablecoin card in Brazil or Mexico, create a local payin: the cardholder pays a Pix code or sends SPEI to a CLABE, the deposit converts into USDC or USDT, and it lands in the wallet the card spends from, usually within minutes. Cashing out reverses the path over Pix or SPEI. Plan for FX at each step.

**Key takeaways**

- Pix and SPEI fund a card through a payin per top-up, not through a standing bank account.
- Both rails run around the clock. BlindPay lists Pix payin arrival at up to 5 minutes and SPEI at up to 10.
- A USD stablecoin card funded in BRL and spent in BRL converts currency twice. Show that to users.
- Cash-out over Pix or SPEI is what makes cardholders comfortable topping up more than they need.
- Credit the card on payin completion, never on creation.


The [Latin America card guide](/resources/more/stablecoin-cards-latin-america) covers why stablecoin cards caught on in the region. The [local on-ramp guide](/resources/more/how-to-on-ramp-local-currency-latin-america) covers the payin mechanics for every rail. This page connects the two. It follows one cardholder's money through the whole loop: BRL or MXN in, card spend, and whatever is left back to their bank.

## How does the top-up loop work end to end?

The loop has three legs. Local currency in through a payin, card spend from the stablecoin balance, and an optional payout back to local currency. Each leg is a separate transaction with its own quote, status, and rate.

```
Top-up:   Bank app ──Pix code / CLABE──▶ Payin ──BRL or MXN → USDC──▶ Card wallet
Spend:    Card wallet ──authorization + settlement──▶ Merchant paid in local currency
Cash-out: Card wallet ──USDC → BRL or MXN──▶ Payout ──Pix / SPEI──▶ Bank account
```

The card issuer owns the middle line. The first and last lines belong to the funding and payout layer.

## How does a Pix top-up work, step by step?

A Pix top-up is a quote, a code, and a webhook. The cardholder never leaves their bank app.

1. **Quote.** Your app requests a payin quote for the BRL amount, with `pix` as the method and the card wallet as the destination. The quote locks the amount, fees, and destination for 5 minutes ([payin quotes](/docs/payin-quotes)).
2. **Create the payin.** Create the payin from the quote inside that window. The response carries a `pix_code`.
3. **Show the code.** Display it as copyable text and a QR code. The cardholder pays it from any Brazilian bank app.
4. **Wait for the deposit.** BlindPay watches for the payment. Pix runs 24/7 ([BCB](https://www.bcb.gov.br/en/financialstability/pix_en)), and BlindPay's [cut-off table](/docs/kb/cut-off-times) lists Pix payin arrival at up to 5 minutes.
5. **Credit the card.** BRL converts into USDC or USDT and goes on-chain to the card wallet. On `payin.complete`, update your ledger. The card can spend it.

If the payment never arrives, BlindPay waits up to 30 minutes before marking a non-OTC Pix payin `failed`, after a reconciliation check ([payins](/docs/payins)). Your app should show "waiting for payment" until then, not an error.

## How does a SPEI top-up differ?

SPEI follows the same five steps with different instructions. Instead of a code, the payin returns a CLABE, the standard Mexican bank account number used for SPEI transfers. The cardholder sends MXN to it from their bank.

SPEI is owned and operated by Banco de México and runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year ([Banxico](https://www.banxico.org.mx/services/interbanking-electronic-payme.html)). BlindPay lists SPEI payin arrival at up to 10 minutes, and waits up to 30 minutes before marking a SPEI payin failed.

The same pattern covers two more countries. Transfers 3.0 in Argentina shows a CBU, and PSE in Colombia shows a payment link with a bank redirect.

## Pix vs SPEI vs ACH: which rail does what?

For a card program, each rail matters twice: once as a way in, once as a way out.

| | Pix (Brazil) | SPEI (Mexico) | ACH (United States) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Currency | BRL | MXN | USD |
| Funding: what the payer sees | Pix code, copy or QR | CLABE | Routing + account number (virtual account or memo code) |
| Funding: typical arrival | Up to 5 minutes | Up to 10 minutes | 1 to 3 business days; same-day ACH before 3:00 PM ET |
| Operating hours | 24/7 | 24/7, 365 days | Business days, with cut-offs |
| Payout (cash-out) speed | Minutes | Minutes | About 1 to 2 business days |
| Payin minimum on BlindPay | R$10.00 | $10.00 MXN | $10.00 |

Timings and minimums come from BlindPay's [cut-off times](/docs/kb/cut-off-times), [payment methods](/docs/kb/payment-methods), and [payin quotes](/docs/payin-quotes) pages. Maximums follow the receiver's per-transaction limit, which defaults to $10,000 to $50,000 depending on KYC tier ([KYC limits](/docs/kb/kyc)).

For US cardholders, the [virtual accounts guide](/resources/more/stablecoin-virtual-accounts-explained) covers ACH, wire, and SWIFT funding.

## Where does FX happen on a Pix-funded card?

Up to three times. This is the part most programs never explain to users, and it is the first thing they notice on a statement.

1. **At top-up.** BRL or MXN converts into USDC or USDT. The payin quote shows the rate and fees before the payer pays.
2. **At a local merchant.** The card is denominated in USD, the merchant charges in BRL, and the merchant is still paid in local currency. When Visa and Bridge announced stablecoin-linked Visa cards for Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Chile in April 2025, they described Bridge deducting the stablecoin balance and converting it so the merchant gets paid locally ([Visa](https://usa.visa.com/about-visa/newsroom/press-releases.releaseId.21371.html)). Bridge also notes that conversion at settlement could occur 1 to 3 days after authorization ([Bridge](https://bridge.xyz/learn/stablecoin-payments-global-card-issuance)). The issuer may add a foreign transaction fee, so check its disclosure.
3. **At cash-out.** USDC converts back into BRL or MXN on the payout quote.

Illustrative only: a cardholder who tops up R$1,000 and spends it all at Brazilian supermarkets has converted BRL to USD and back to BRL. Two spreads for money that never needed to leave reais. The same cardholder buying from a US software vendor converts once, at top-up, which is where a USD stablecoin card earns its keep.

So say it on the top-up screen: "Best for spending in dollars. For spending in reais, your Pix balance may be cheaper." The [FX spread guide](/resources/more/how-to-calculate-fx-spread) shows how to measure each spread.

## Why does the cash-out leg matter?

Because people top up more when they know they can get money out. A card that only accepts money feels like a gift card. A card that sends leftovers back to Pix in minutes feels like an account.

The cash-out is a payout: your app quotes it against the cardholder's Brazilian or Mexican bank account, shows the exact amount they will receive, and the cardholder authorizes it from their wallet. Pix and SPEI payouts usually settle in minutes ([payment methods](/docs/kb/payment-methods)).

If a payout cannot be delivered, the custody rule applies. BlindPay operates as a non-custodial payment processor for payout flows from customer-controlled wallets: you authorize the exact amount and BlindPay executes that single transaction. If a payout cannot be delivered after the stablecoins are collected, BlindPay refunds them to the quote's refund wallet, or to the sending wallet when none is set; on Pix and other non-USD local rails the refund is automatic, while USD payouts and payouts whose review times out are refunded after an operator review.

## What should you check for each country?

A few checks per market save most launch-week tickets.

- **Brazil.** Confirm the cardholder passes KYC in Brazil under the program's rules, decide whether users see the Pix code or a QR first, and read up on Brazil's self-custody wallet declaration, covered in the [self-custody declaration guide](/resources/more/brazil-self-custody-wallet-declaration).
- **Mexico.** Show the CLABE with a copy button, since typos are the top cause of a missing deposit, and say "usually arrives in minutes" rather than "instant."
- **Both.** Match token and network to what the card issuer pulls ([supported chains](/docs/kb/supported-chains)), and decide the minimum top-up you show, at or above the payin minimum.

Licensing and network rules also differ by country. The [cross-border compliance guide](/resources/more/cross-border-stablecoin-card-compliance-by-country) has a country readiness template.

## Where does BlindPay fit?

Pix and SPEI are BlindPay's strongest rails, on both legs. The card issuer runs the card. BlindPay moves money into and out of the stablecoin balance behind it.

On the way in, BlindPay creates Pix, SPEI, Transfers 3.0, and PSE payins with the payment instructions your app shows, then converts BRL, MXN, ARS, or COP into USDC or USDT and delivers it to the card wallet on Ethereum, Polygon, Base, Arbitrum, Tempo, Arc, Stellar, Solana, or Tron. On the way out, payouts run over Pix, SPEI, ACH Colombia, Transfers 3.0, ACH, RTP, SEPA, and SWIFT (POBO/COBO), and every quote shows the rate and fees before execute.

KYC runs inside the same API, and each top-up and cash-out sends signed webhooks your ledger can trust. Read the [payins docs](/docs/payins), or [talk to the team](/contact).

## What to read next

- [Stablecoin cards in Latin America](/resources/more/stablecoin-cards-latin-america)
- [How to on-ramp BRL, MXN, ARS, and COP into stablecoins](/resources/more/how-to-on-ramp-local-currency-latin-america)
- [Stablecoin card program architecture](/resources/more/stablecoin-card-program-architecture), for where these legs sit in the stack
- [A country readiness template for cross-border card compliance](/resources/more/cross-border-stablecoin-card-compliance-by-country), for onboarding and rails by market
- [How to calculate an FX spread](/resources/more/how-to-calculate-fx-spread)

## Sources

- Banco Central do Brasil, [Pix](https://www.bcb.gov.br/en/financialstability/pix_en)
- Banco de México, [SPEI](https://www.banxico.org.mx/services/interbanking-electronic-payme.html)
- Bridge, [Global card issuance with stablecoins explained](https://bridge.xyz/learn/stablecoin-payments-global-card-issuance)
- Visa, [press release on the Visa and Bridge stablecoin card partnership](https://usa.visa.com/about-visa/newsroom/press-releases.releaseId.21371.html), April 30, 2025

*This article is for general information only and is not legal, tax, or financial advice.*