What Blu does

Blu (legal name: Blu Instituição de Pagamento Ltda., CNPJ 10.506.341/0001-97) is a Brazilian fintech founded in 2011 and headquartered in Rio de Janeiro that operates as an electronic money issuer authorized by Banco Central do Brasil. The company runs a two-sided platform serving two primary customer segments: retail SME merchants ("lojistas") across furniture, mattresses, optics, electronics, bicycles, and raw materials, and the suppliers ("fornecedores") who sell to them. The retailer-side offering includes BluTap (NFC-based phone-as-POS), Maquininha Blu card terminals, PIX acceptance, Link de Pagamento, a free Conta Digital PJ, and the proprietary PagBlu mechanism that lets retailers pay partner suppliers using credit card installment receivables at zero anticipation fees. The supplier-side offering includes Farol de Crédito (credit risk analytics), Blu Análises (customer discovery), Split de Pagamento (franchise sales automation), and Boleto Mais Seguro (secure invoicing), with PagBlu delivering 100% payment guarantee on the supplier side. CredBlu extends credit to retailers and Portabilidade de Vendas allows receivables portability from competing terminals.

Underlying the platform is a cloud-based payment infrastructure with PCI DSS-compliant card data handling, PIX integration, QR code payment technology, and credit risk analysis systems; the company cites adoption of ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27701 frameworks alongside LGPD compliance. The business model is predominantly transactional: revenue comes from Merchant Discount Rates (MDR) on card transactions processed through Blu terminals and QR codes, anticipation fees on PagBlu-processed installment receivables, subscription/recurring fees for supplier credit analysis services (Farol de Crédito, Blu Análises), and float on deposits held in the free digital PJ account. Go-to-market is product-led growth with self-serve onboarding through portal.useblu.com.br and the mobile app, supplemented by WhatsApp and phone support.

Blu has raised R$300 million in a July 2021 Series B led by Warburg Pincus, and the company reached operational scale of 70,000+ retailer merchants and 5,000+ supplier partners prior to the December 2023 divestiture of its local credit division to Shopee. The company currently operates exclusively in Brazil across single-country domestic scope.

Name

Blu

Legal name

Blu Instituição de Pagamento Ltda.

Website

https://blu.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Brazilian fintech authorized by Banco Central do Brasil that operates a two-sided platform connecting 70,000+ retail merchants with 5,000+ supplier partners, offering payments acceptance, PagBlu supplier financing, credit, and analytics tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Payment Processing & Merchant Financial Services

NAICS

Sales Financing (522220), Sales Financing (52222), Credit Bureaus (56145)

SIC

Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159), Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B / Invoice-Based BNPL (Trade Credit at Checkout) (FSAGAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

B2B BNPL (Invoice Split/Net Terms for SMB Procurement) (FSAKACAJ), Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) Platforms (BPAMAFAG)

Keywords

• Payment processing services
• Merchant card acceptance
• Supply chain finance
• SMB digital banking
• Retail fintech solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Rio De Janeiro

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Payment Transaction Fees (MDR): Fees charged on credit and debit card transactions processed through Blu's card terminals and QR codes. Retailers pay a small MDR (Merchant Discount Rate) on each transaction.
2. PagBlu Anticipation Fees: Revenue from processing credit card installment receivables for early payment to suppliers, with minimal administrative fees for zero-fee anticipation.
3. Supplier Credit Analysis Services: Farol de Crédito and Blu Análises solutions provide credit risk data and analytics to suppliers for a fee.
4. Digital Account Services: Free digital PJ account for retailers with revenue from float on deposits and interbank transfers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Blu is a Brazilian fintech payment institution authorized by the Banco Central do Brasil that provides integrated payment acceptance (POS terminals, BluTap softPOS, payment links, PIX) and supply-chain financing solutions (PagBlu, CredBlu, digital PJ account, credit analysis) connecting more than 70,000 retail SMB merchants with 5,000+ supplier partners. Its flagship PagBlu solution enables retailers to use credit card installment receivables to pay suppliers with zero anticipation fees while guaranteeing supplier collection.

Product overview

Blu is a platform-based financial services provider for the Brazilian retail and supplier ecosystem, authorized by the Central Bank of Brazil as a payment institution. The core offering consists of a unified platform with multiple integrated modules: for retailers (varejo), Blu provides payment acceptance tools including the BluTap (turning any phone into a POS), the Maquininha Blu card reader, Link de Pagamento, and PIX; the proprietary PagBlu solution enabling zero-fee sales anticipation to pay suppliers; CredBlu for credit; Portabilidade de Vendas for receivables portability; and a digital business account. For suppliers (fornecedor/industria), Blu offers Farol de Crédito for credit analysis, Blu Análises for client discovery, Boleto Mais Seguro for secure invoicing, Split de Pagamento for franchise sales division, and PagBlu for guaranteed collection. The platform connects over 70,000 retailers with 5,000+ supplier partners across segments including furniture, mattresses, optics, electronics, and bicycles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BluTap SoftPOS solution that transforms any NFC-enabled smartphone into a contactless card payment terminal at no cost, targeted at retail SMB merchants.
• Maquininha Blu Traditional POS card terminal with no enrollment or rental fees, designed for small businesses to accept credit and debit card payments.
• Link de Pagamento Online payment link enabling merchants to conduct faster and more secure remote sales with receipt within one business day, also offered to suppliers as a chargeback-resistant collection link.
• PIX Brazilian instant payment acceptance solution providing merchants immediate receipt with security and affordable transaction rates.
• PagBlu Proprietary supply-chain payment solution that allows retailers to use credit card installment receivables to pay partner suppliers with zero anticipation fees, and allows suppliers to collect from retailers with 100% payment guarantee.
• CredBlu Credit solution providing extended payment terms, installment flexibility, and accessible rates for retailer orders, with an equivalent supplier-side offering for upfront receipt while customers gain more term and limit.
• Portabilidade de Vendas Receivables portability service that allows merchants to bring card sales from other POS providers to Blu and anticipate them with zero anticipation fees.
• Antecipação Smart receivables anticipation solution helping merchants save on anticipation fees, including the zero-fee pathway through PagBlu.
• Conta Digital PJ Free digital business account (PJ) with no monthly maintenance fees, providing financial management tools exclusively for retail merchants.
• Farol de Crédito Credit analysis tool enabling suppliers to evaluate the payment history and credit profile of retail customers and make safer commercial decisions.
• Blu Análises Analytics platform helping suppliers identify and connect with new retail customers exhibiting high purchase potential for their products.
• Boleto Mais Seguro Secure boleto (bank slip) processing solution providing extra protection for supplier invoice payments to reduce payment delays and defaults.
• Split de Pagamento Automated franchise and multi-store payment split solution enabling suppliers to receive divided sales proceeds on an accelerated schedule.
• Buscador de Fornecedores Searchable directory platform enabling retailers to find partner suppliers by region, segment, and discount level, connecting the 70,000+ retailer base with 5,000+ suppliers that accept PagBlu.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 13% total savings on supplier payments (8% from zero anticipation fees + 5% from supplier discounts)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Supplier Partners (5,000+)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of over 5,000 supplier partners across furniture, mattresses, optics, electronics, bicycles, and raw materials who accept PagBlu as payment and offer exclusive discounts to Blu retailers. Includes major brands like Ortobom, Gazin, Herval, and others.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cielo: Brazil's largest card acquirer, controlled by Banco Inter and Bradesco. Directly competes with Blu's Maquininha and POS business for retail merchants across Brazil, with deep bank relationships Blu lacks.
• PagSeguro / PagBank: Major Brazilian acquirer with integrated PagBank digital account and credit products. Competes with Blu on POS, PIX, and SMB banking, and offers installment-based financing to retailers similar in spirit to PagBlu.
• Mercado Pago: The payments and credit arm of Mercado Livre, providing POS, digital account, and consumer/SMB credit in Brazil. A broad incumbent competing for the same SMB retailer wallet as Blu, with much larger marketplace distribution.
• Stone Co. One of Brazil's largest acquirers and SMB banking/credit platforms. Directly comparable to Blu on POS/payment acceptance and increasingly on SMB credit and digital account, with significantly larger scale and capital.
• Banco Inter: Brazilian digital bank offering PJ accounts, payments, and credit to SMBs. A broad incumbent competing for the same retail SME primary-banking relationship Blu targets with Conta Digital PJ.
• Rede (Itaú): Card acquirer owned by Itaú Unibanco, providing POS and SMB payment services. Comparable to Blu on card acceptance and increasingly on SMB credit, with the backing of Brazil's largest private bank.

Direct peers

• a55: Brazilian B2B fintech providing working capital and trade-credit solutions to SMBs through a marketplace of supplier and buyer integrations. Directly comparable to Blu's PagBlu supplier-payment and Farol de Crédito risk analytics.
• Cora: Brazilian B2B digital bank for SMBs offering digital account, payments, and working-capital credit. Closely comparable to Blu's Conta Digital PJ and CredBlu offerings and competes for the same retail SME segment.
• Kanastra: Brazilian fintech focused on B2B credit and receivables-backed financing for SMBs. Closely comparable to Blu's PagBlu and CredBlu trade-credit mechanic of using receivables to extend supplier/buyer financing.

Emerging players

• Parcelex / Jeitto: Brazilian B2B BNPL/credit fintechs enabling SMBs to split supplier invoice payments into installments — a model that overlaps with Blu's PagBlu B2B trade-credit mechanic, particularly for retail procurement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9z8n3gJ_QlCemWFmgD-hQw
• Facebookfacebook.com/useblu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/useblu
• Instagraminstagram.com/blu_varejo

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blu