On November 28, Brazil's central bank's instant payment system, Pix, set a new transaction record of 166.2 billion reais in a single day. It was not only the day when Brazilian workers received the first installment of their 13th salary but also "Black Friday," a shopping season characterized by large-scale promotions by retailers.

According to sources, Pix also set a new record for the number of transactions on the same day. As per data released by the central bank, the Pix system processed a total of 297.4 million transactions in a day.

As per the Brazilian Labor Law (CLT), as per employment regulations and civil servant provisions, workers must receive the first installment of their 13th salary by November 30. Since November 30 fell on a Sunday, the deadline for the first installment payment was set for the end of the previous Friday.

This new transaction record surpasses the one set by Pix on September 5 when the system completed 290 million transactions in a day, totaling 164.8 billion reais.

In a statement, the Central Bank of Brazil stated, "This achievement once again demonstrates the importance of Pix as a public digital infrastructure for the operation of the national economy."

Five years after its launch, the Pix system has solidified its position as a primary payment method in Brazil. Currently, Pix has attracted approximately 162 million registered users, surpassing Brazil's economically active population of around 110 million. Since its launch in November 2020, Pix transactions have exceeded 85 trillion reais.

Pix has become one of the most commonly used payment methods in Brazil. According to central bank statistics, 76.4% of Brazilians use Pix for payments, surpassing debit cards (69.1%), credit cards (51.6%), and cash (68.9%). The Pix system continues to evolve with various new features such as scheduled payments, contactless payments, and automatic payments.

In recent months, due to a series of hacker attacks resulting in millions of dollars in losses, the security of payment systems has become a focus. To address this, the monetary authority has announced a series of measures aimed at improving procedures and strengthening the financial system.

The Special Return Mechanism (MED) is a tool used by the Central Bank of Brazil to track fund flows and return funds in Pix transactions that involve suspected fraud, scams, or coercion disputes. Once activated, the payer's bank will start reviewing the transaction. If signs of fraud are detected, the received funds will be frozen in a suspicious account.