What Cielo SA does

Cielo S.A. – Instituição de Pagamento is a Brazilian payment institution founded in 1995 and publicly listed on B3, headquartered in Alphaville, Barueri (São Paulo). The company operates a full-stack acquiring and payment processing platform serving over 900,000 merchants across Brazil, with 6,000+ employees and an annualized transaction volume of 871+ billion BRL (8% of Brazilian GDP, 10% of household consumption) across 7.8 billion transactions in 18 economic sectors. Its product portfolio spans physical POS hardware (Cielo Flash, Cielo Smart, Cielo LIO, Cielo Tap/Tap-to-Phone), a digital merchant account and self-service app (Minha Conta Cielo / App Cielo Gestão), and a complete e-commerce suite including API E-commerce, Cielo Checkout, Link de Pagamento, Split de Pagamento, and the Braspag-powered Gateway de Pagamento with Cybersource and ClearSale anti-fraud layers. The company also monetizes its transaction dataset through Cielo Farol (R$39.90/month BI subscription), the ICVA retail index, and the Cielo Store app marketplace.

Cielo's business model is anchored in percentage-based transaction fees (MDR) on card, Pix, and digital wallet payments, supplemented by recurring revenue from terminal rental and lease-to-own plans (Aluguel at R$99.90/month, Comodato at R$238.80 upfront or 12x R$19.90), marketplace commissions from Cielo Store apps, and BI subscriptions. Go-to-market is hybrid: self-service digital signup via cielo.com.br and the mobile app for small merchants, WhatsApp and phone-assisted inside sales for mid-market, and dedicated business managers for enterprise accounts (logos include Gol, Latam, Kalunga, Constance). Primary customer segments are MEIs and small-to-medium businesses, with secondary vertical-specific deployments in fuel stations, pharmacies, restaurants, and e-commerce. Technology infrastructure is PCI DSS certified and LGPD compliant, with a public REST API (docs.cielo.com.br) supporting tokenization, 3DS, and recurring billing. The company is recognized for nearly 30 years of operating history, including Top of Mind brand recognition, multi-year Valor Inovação Brasil and Great Place to Work awards, and inclusion in the ISE B3 sustainability index.

Name

Cielo SA

Legal name

Cielo S.A. – Instituição de Pagamento

Website

https://cielo.com.br

Company type

Public

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Cielo S.A. is a Brazilian payment institution and B3-listed acquirer serving 900,000+ merchants with POS hardware, e-commerce gateway, mobile payment solutions, and a transaction-data-driven BI business, generating revenue primarily through transaction fees, terminal rentals, and marketplace commissions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Transaction fees (Taxas de transação): Percentage-based fees charged on card transactions processed through POS terminals, e-commerce, and digital payment solutions. Rates vary by payment method (debit, credit), installment plan, and business segment.
2. Equipment rental and leasing (Aluguel de maquininhas): Monthly rental fees for POS terminals under rental and comodato (lease-to-own) models. The Aluguel plan offers free terminal with R$99.90/month fee if sales threshold of R$15,000/month is not met.
3. Cielo Store apps: Revenue from third-party applications available on Cielo LIO smart terminals, with subscription fees charged to merchants after free trial period
4. Cielo Farol subscription: Monthly subscription for business intelligence and competitor benchmarking service at R$39.90/month for the complete plan

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cielo SA is a Brazilian payment institution that provides end-to-end payment acceptance solutions for merchants, including physical POS terminals (Cielo Flash, Cielo Smart, Cielo LIO), mobile tap-on-phone solutions (Cielo Tap), e-commerce payment gateway (Braspag), hosted checkout, payment links, split payments, fraud management, and business intelligence tools (Cielo Farol, ICVA). The company serves over 900,000 merchants across Brazil, processing 871+ billion BRL in transactions annually with support for 80+ card brands and Pix.

Product overview

Cielo SA operates as a Brazilian payment institution (Instituição de Pagamento) offering a comprehensive portfolio of point-of-sale (POS) hardware terminals, mobile payment solutions, e-commerce payment platforms, and business intelligence services for merchants of all sizes. The product ecosystem centers on card payment acceptance hardware including Cielo Flash (ultra-fast terminal), Cielo Smart (intelligent terminal with app ecosystem), and Cielo Tap (phone-as-POS solution), alongside e-commerce solutions comprising API E-commerce, Cielo Checkout, Link de Pagamento, Gateway de Pagamento (Braspag), Split de Pagamento, and Gestão de Risco (AntiFraude). Complementary services include Pix integration, currency conversion, same-day receivables acceleration (Vendeu, Tá na Conta), merchant dashboard (Minha Conta Cielo), business intelligence tools (Cielo Farol and ICVA market index), and the Cielo Store app marketplace. The portfolio supports over 80 card brands and serves merchants from MEIs to large enterprises across Brazil's retail sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cielo Flash: Ultra-fast card machine capable of processing up to 3 sales per minute, accepts Pix, QR Code, NFC proximity payments, and 80+ card brands
• Cielo Smart
• Cielo Tap
• Cielo LIO
• Cielo E-commerce
• Gateway de Pagamento
• Cielo Farol
• ICVA (Índice Cielo do Varejo Ampliado)
• Cielo Store
• Cielo Conversor

Products and services

• Cielo Flash Ultra-fast card payment terminal capable of processing up to 3 sales per minute. Supports receipt printing, accepts over 80 card brands on debit/credit/benefits, Pix, NFC contactless, and QR Code payments. Features Wi-Fi and 4G connectivity, accepts two cards in a single transaction, long battery life, free payment link, and free Cielo Tap transformation. Offered at R$99.90/month rental or free with R$15,000/month minimum billing. Available for SMB merchants across Brazil.
• Cielo Smart Intelligent payment terminal integrating sales and business management in one device. Features omnichannel experience connecting physical and digital inventory, product catalog creation with barcode scanning, optimized operations for faster service, easy reconciliation with one-click box closure, and access to over 250 apps through Cielo Store. Available in keyboard and keyboard-free (full touch) models. Accepts Pix, QR Code, NFC contactless, digital wallets, and over 80 card brands. Designed for small to medium businesses requiring integrated POS and management.
• Cielo Tap Transforms a compatible mobile phone into a card payment terminal without additional hardware. Supports debit and credit card payments including installment up to 12x, with funds received within 1 day. Zero monthly fee; users pay only per-transaction rates. Available on Android 10+ with NFC and iPhone XS+ with Tap to Pay. Accepts Elo, Mastercard, Visa, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay. Targeted at individual entrepreneurs and micro-merchants.
• Gateway de Pagamento A Braspag-powered solution that connects e-commerce to major payment methods with simplified integration. Offers PCI DSS certified secure environment, recurring payment automation, VerifyCard for fraud prevention, 3DS authentication, Velocity Check for monitoring suspicious transaction patterns, and integration with leading anti-fraud platforms. Supports multiple payment methods including cards, Pix, wallets, and international acquirers. Designed for online merchants and e-commerce platforms.
• Link de Pagamento Online payment solution enabling sales through WhatsApp, social media, email, and SMS without requiring a website. Creates unlimited payment links with no monthly fee, only per-transaction rates. Features customizable payment page with business branding, integrated CyberSource anti-fraud protection, and automatic recurring billing for subscriptions. Accepts credit cards, Pix, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Apple Pay, and bank slips. Targeted at SMB merchants selling via social channels.
• Cielo Checkout Ready-to-use secure and responsive checkout page for websites with or under development. Offers personalized merchant name on statements to reduce disputes, integrated anti-fraud protection, PCI compliance, automatic retry of rejected recurring payments, scheduled billing for plans and subscriptions, and BIN card identification. Accepts major credit card brands, debit, digital wallets (Pix, Google Pay, Apple Pay), and bank slips. Designed for online merchants seeking quick payment integration.
• API E-commerce Complete and flexible modular payment API for online stores. Features tokenization for secure card data storage, card validity verification, BIN lookup for card characteristic identification, 3DS authentication, Velocity Check fraud monitoring, and automated subscription billing without compromising installment credit limits. Offers sandbox environment and technical documentation at docs.cielo.com.br for Android, iOS, Java and other platforms. Targeted at developers and e-commerce platforms integrating payment processing.
• Split de Pagamento Automatic sales division service enabling a single transaction value to be split among different participants. Ideal for franchises, reseller networks, shared inventory businesses, marketplaces, and events. Supports division at transaction time, post-transaction, or pre-configured on platform. Compatible with credit cards, debit, bank slips, and Pix; integrates via APIs with major e-commerce platforms and PCI DSS certified. Designed for marketplaces and franchise networks.
• Gestão de Risco (AntiFraude) Integrated fraud prevention and risk management solution. Includes anti-fraud analysis calculating purchase risk levels with average 1.5-second processing time, 3DS authentication with bank-validated buyer identity, and Velocity Check monitoring for repeated or blocked suspicious transactions. Reduces chargeback losses and cyberattack risks. Providers include Cybersource and ClearSale. Designed for e-commerce merchants seeking fraud mitigation.
• Pix na Maquininha Instant Pix payment feature integrated into Cielo card terminals. Generates dynamic QR Code for customer scanning, with immediate fund receipt and printed receipt confirmation. Supports Pix Automático for automated recurring charges on e-commerce (via API E-commerce). Pix by NFC proximity payment available on Cielo LIO On, Cielo Flash, TEF, and Cielo Zip devices with R$500 per-transaction limit. Targeted at all Cielo merchants for instant payment acceptance.
• Vendeu, Tá na Conta Same-day or next-day sales proceeds acceleration product for debit, credit, and installment transactions. Includes weekend and holiday coverage with immediate fund availability up to 6:59 PM, no bureaucracy for any Pix-accepting account. Also offers ad-hoc anticipation of already-processed credit sales with same-day or next-business-day receipt. Designed for merchants needing accelerated cash flow.
• Minha Conta Cielo Digital merchant account and management platform. Allows sales consultation within 3 seconds of transaction, payment link generation for social media sales via app, over 25 self-service options (bobbin request, terminal support), and flexible fund receipt timing preference. Accessible via web platform and Cielo Gestão mobile app on Android and iOS. Targeted at all Cielo merchants for account and sales management.
• Cielo Store Exclusive app store for Cielo LIO smart terminals with over 50 applications covering delivery management, case management, POS control, car wash, donations, tickets, and park management. Supports over 250 apps on Cielo Smart. Offers both public store (certified apps for various business types) and private store (custom solutions integrated with automation systems). SDKs available for native Java/Kotlin and hybrid Deep Link integration. Generates commission-based revenue from third-party developer subscriptions.
• Cielo Farol Market intelligence tool comparing business performance against similar competitors. Provides indicators for billing, average ticket, customer quantity (new and recurring), purchase frequency, average sales, customer income level, customer location, card type used, sales format (credit/debit/installment), and consumption profile. Available in free and R$39.90/month paid plans with 30-day free trial. Classifies businesses into 18 economic sectors via CNAE codes. Designed for merchants seeking market benchmarking insights.
• ICVA (Índice Cielo do Varejo Ampliado) Monthly retail evolution index tracking Brazilian commerce across 816 billion reais in processed transactions, 7.8 billion annual transactions, and 18 economic sectors. Uses real transaction data from over 900,000 merchants versus survey-based competitors, with reports available 8-10 days faster than alternatives. Includes Cielo Setorial, Cielo Benchmark, Consumer Analysis, Cielo Expansão, and Cielo Shoppings modules for customized reporting. Targeted at retailers, analysts, and media organizations.
• Conversor de Moedas Foreign currency acceptance solution enabling international card payments with automatic conversion on terminals. Supports over 100 foreign currencies with same-day receipt in reais and automatic 0.50% rate discount on foreign card transactions. Available on Cielo Flash, ZIP, LIO On, POS, and TEF devices for Visa debit and Visa/Mastercard credit at sight. Designed for merchants serving international tourists.

Quantifiable outcome

• 871+ billion reais transacted annually through Cielo solutions
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• BraspagcoreTechnology or IntegrationBraspag provides the payment gateway technology for Cielo's e-commerce solutions including Split de Pagamento, Gestão de Risco, and Gateway de Pagamento. Braspag enables multi-acquirer integration and advanced fraud protection for Cielo's online merchants.
• CybersourcecoreTechnology or IntegrationCybersource provides anti-fraud solutions integrated into Cielo's e-commerce and Link de Pagamento products, protecting merchants against fraudulent transactions and chargebacks.
• ClearSalecoreTechnology or IntegrationClearSale provides additional anti-fraud analysis and protection for Cielo e-commerce merchants, offering real-time transaction risk assessment.
• Cielo Store DeveloperscoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party developers create applications for the Cielo LIO smart terminals through the Cielo Store ecosystem, providing specialized solutions for vertical markets like gas stations, pharmacies, and restaurants.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• SumUp: POS specialist serving SMBs and micro-merchants globally with mobile card readers and Tap-to-Phone solutions — comparable as an emerging player in SMB payment acceptance.

Direct peers

• Rede Itaú: Itaú-owned payment processor providing POS terminals, e-commerce gateway, and acquiring services to Brazilian merchants — directly competes with Cielo with bank-backed distribution and merchant lending capabilities.
• Stone Co. Brazilian payment processor and merchant acquirer offering POS terminals (Stone Smart, Stone Ton), e-commerce gateway (Stone Linx), and integrated banking (Stone Bank) — directly competes with Cielo for SMB and enterprise merchants in Brazil.
• GetNet (Santander): Santander-affiliated payment processor providing POS terminals, e-commerce solutions, and merchant services across Brazil — directly competes with Cielo leveraging bank parent distribution.
• PagBank PagSeguro: Brazilian digital bank and payment processor (PagSeguro/PagBank) offering POS terminals, online payment gateway, and merchant accounts — directly competes with Cielo across SMB acquiring and digital banking segments.
• Mercado Pago: Payment processor and digital wallet serving Brazilian merchants with POS terminals (Point), online checkout, QR code payments, and integrated MercadoLibre ecosystem — directly competes with Cielo in SMB and online segments.

Broad incumbents

• Worldline: European payment processor providing merchant acquiring, POS, online payments, and financial services globally — comparable as a broad incumbent in payment processing infrastructure.
• Stripe: Global payment processor primarily serving online merchants with payment gateway, APIs, and developer-friendly infrastructure — comparable as a broad incumbent in online payment processing.
• Adyen: Global unified commerce platform providing POS, online payments, and acquiring services to enterprise merchants — comparable as a broader incumbent in payments infrastructure with global reach.
• Block (Square): Global payments ecosystem with Square POS, Cash App, and merchant services — comparable as a broad incumbent in SMB payment acceptance and merchant financial services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cielo_br
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CieloCampanhas
• Facebookfacebook.com/cielobr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cielo
• Instagraminstagram.com/cielooficial/?hl=pt-br

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Cielo SA