Rio to Accept Pix on Municipal Buses Before Cash Is Banned

Overview

• Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere announced on Friday that Pix payments will be enabled on Jaé validators before the May 30 deadline that ends cash on municipal buses, and that debit and credit card acceptance will follow on a rollout schedule to be announced.
• The city will make single-ride green Jaé cards available for cash purchase at about 700 newsstands starting May 26 and will open roughly 1,100 cash recharge points across all regions of Rio.
• New transfer rules will let passengers make multi-bus integrations only with Jaé black cards or the Jaé app; tourists may use the green unitary card or the app, and Riocard remains valid for intermunicipal connections.
• Some lines have already stopped accepting cash — including line 634 between Ilha do Governador and Tijuca — prompting passenger complaints and pushing the city to accelerate payment options and to add 100 new buses for Grande Bangu due to arrive around May 24.
• Riders and polls show concern that unbanked and digitally excluded users may be left behind unless the sales and recharge network works well, a change that could cut uncontrolled cash flows but raise short-term access problems for vulnerable passengers.