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Paying for AWS from Brazil: Reais, Invoices, and Taxes

Who bills Brazilian AWS accounts, why prices stay in dollars while invoices come in reais, how to get the NFS-e, the taxes AWS lists, how to pay, and what still bills in USD.

Bruno RochaFounder and CEO
Published
Read time
15 min
Ler em portuguêsFatura da AWS no Brasil: dólar, nota fiscal e impostos

If your AWS account carries a valid Brazilian CPF or CNPJ, Amazon AWS Serviços Brasil Ltda. (AWS SBL) in São Paulo bills it, and has since November 1, 2020. AWS still prices and meters everything in US dollars, then converts the bill to reais at the exchange rate of the day it generates the invoice. Each invoice comes with an NFS-e, the electronic service invoice issued through the Brazilian government system, with PIS, COFINS, and ISS already in the total. You pay in reais by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Elo credit card, or by Pix after a card charge fails. Two things still bill in dollars from Amazon Web Services, Inc.: AWS Marketplace, except offers in the Brazil 2P program, and telecommunications services. Tax Help Brazil · AWS SBL FAQ · Accepted payment methods · Paying with Pix.

Each answer below says what an AWS or Brazilian government page states, and links to it. None of it is tax advice: how these rules apply to your company is a question for your accountant. We read the pages on October 28 and 29, 2026. AWS's main SBL FAQ says "last updated January 12, 2021", so where only that page states something, we say so.

Who bills AWS customers in Brazil?

Amazon AWS Serviços Brasil Ltda., CNPJ 23.412.247/0001-10, at Av. Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek, 2.041, Torre E, 18º e 19º andares, Vila Nova Conceição, São Paulo, 04543-000. AWS's Billing docs list it as the seller of record for accounts whose country is Brazil. The switch came with November 2020 usage: AWS, Inc. still issued the October 2020 invoice, and the first SBL invoice arrived in December 2020. Account numbers, content, and settings stayed the same. Tax Help Brazil · Finding the seller of record · AWS SBL FAQ.

The tax registration number decides which seller you get. At invoice time, AWS sets each account's location, seller, and taxes, and shows the result as the Tax Address on the Tax Settings page. With a valid registration, the account's location is the country of that registration. Enter the 14-digit CNPJ for a business or the 11-digit CPF for an individual on Tax Settings in the Billing console, and AWS validates the number and refreshes your tax details for you. AWS SBL FAQ · Account location.

What about an organization with many accounts?

AWS assesses each account on its own. In a consolidated billing family, "linked accounts do not inherit the Tax Address or TRN of the payer account", so a linked account without its own CNPJ goes without the payer's. Tax settings inheritance changes that: once you turn it on, AWS adds the payer's tax registration to member accounts, and "your usage from member accounts will consolidate to a single tax invoice." Account location · Tax settings inheritance · AWS SBL FAQ.

To check which seller bills an account, open Payment preferences in the Billing console and read the Service provider under the default payment method, or look at the Seller column on Tax settings. Finding the seller of record.

Why are prices in dollars but invoices in reais?

AWS prices, meters, and computes the bill in USD, and converts it to BRL only after the bill is final. For SBL, "Brazilian Real (BRL) will be the only payment currency", and "all payment must be remitted in BRL from a Brazilian bank." AWS sets the rate on the day it generates the invoice and says its rates "are aligned with market rates published by leading financial institutions and are subject to market fluctuations." AWS SBL FAQ.

Every invoice shows the USD amount, the BRL amount, and the rate AWS used. AWS doesn't announce rate changes in advance, applies the same calculation to every customer paying in a currency, and "does not use FX rates as a discounting mechanism." Enterprise Support follows the same rule: priced in USD, invoiced by SBL in BRL. Promotional credits stay in USD and come off the USD charges before tax and conversion. AWS SBL FAQ.

Your tools split by currency too. The 2021 SBL FAQ says the Billing console dashboard and the Bills page display BRL, while Cost Explorer, AWS Budgets, and the Cost and Usage Report (CUR) stay in USD. AWS's current guide to the Bills page describes both currencies side by side: "Totals are shown in US dollars (USD). If your invoices are issued in another currency, the total in the other currency is also shown." The Invoices tab follows the same rule. Expect the Cost Explorer total and the NFS-e total to differ until you apply the rate and the taxes. AWS SBL FAQ · Viewing your bill.

How do I download the AWS nota fiscal (NFS-e)?

AWS SBL charges through the Nota Fiscal de Serviços eletrônica (NFS-e), in reais with all applicable local taxes, and can issue one only after it has a valid CPF or CNPJ. Each invoice brings three documents: a Request for Payment (RFP); the NFS-e, "a tax invoice issued by the Brazil government system in Portuguese that is tax inclusive"; and a supplementary billing document. You can pay against the RFP or the NFS-e, and all three carry the wire details. Tax Help Brazil · AWS SBL FAQ · Launch post.

In the console, you find it on the Bills page:

  • In the Billing and Cost Management console, open Bills, pick the billing period, and confirm the Bill status reads Issued.
  • Open the Invoices tab, go to Tax Invoices and Supplemental Documents, and choose the Document ID to view and download the PDF. That section's Invoice ID column shows the commercial invoice tied to each tax invoice. Viewing your bill.

Two emails bring it as well. The São Paulo municipality writes from nfe-auto@prefeitura.sp.gov.br with a link to the PDF and XML copies, and AWS SBL sends the PDF. If you pay by invoice, the NFS-e goes to your billing contact; if you pay by card, to the root email. The supplementary document links to the NFS-e too, and the city's NFS-e system lives at nfe.prefeitura.sp.gov.br. Tax Help Brazil · AWS SBL FAQ.

When does the NFS-e arrive?

AWS invoices monthly usage around the fourth day of the following month, and invoices one-time purchases such as Reserved Instances, domain names, and Savings Plans at the time you buy them. It reads your billing information at the moment it generates each invoice, so a tax-setting change you make mid-month shows up from the next invoice AWS generates. AWS SBL FAQ.

Why did I get more than one NFS-e?

AWS issues one NFS-e per combination of Brazilian tax registration and service tax code, so one RFP can map to several. In AWS's own example, a payer and a linked account, each with its own CNPJ, both using AWS storage and AWS Support (two service tax codes), receive four NFS-e. Two accounts that share a CNPJ get a single NFS-e for the period. Each NFS-e comes with a supplementary document in Portuguese that breaks the charges down by account and service. If your finance team works with purchase orders, add separate POs for the Brazil seller under Purchase orders in the Billing console. AWS SBL FAQ.

Which taxes are on the AWS invoice?

Before SBL, Brazilian customers paid various taxes directly to the government. Since the launch, the NFS-e carries the applicable taxes. AWS lists PIS and COFINS at 9.25% combined, and ISS charged by the São Paulo municipality. The ISS rate depends on which AWS page you read. The 2021 SBL FAQ gives "ISS (2.9% or 5%, depending on the type of service provided, charged by São Paulo Municipality)." The newer Tax Help Brazil page gives "ISS (2.9%, charged by São Paulo municipality)" and mentions no 5%. The Brazil 2P Marketplace buyer FAQ calls 9.25% and 2.9% the nominal rates. AWS SBL FAQ · Tax Help Brazil · Brazil 2P buyer FAQ.

Both numbers are rates in São Paulo law. Lei 13.701/2003, article 16, sets 2.9% for the services in item 1 of its list (except subitem 1.09) and in subitem 17.24, and 5% for services the article doesn't list at a lower rate. Item 1 is "Serviços de informática e congêneres" (IT services), and its subitem 1.03 covers processing, storage, and hosting of data and applications. The city's Instrução Normativa SF/SUREM nº 23/2017 lists service code 02684, under subitem 1.03, at 2.9% for companies. AWS doesn't say which of its charges fall under the 5% rate. Lei 13.701/2003, consolidated · IN SF/SUREM nº 23/2017.

How do the taxes add up?

AWS publishes one worked example in reais, and it covers a Brazil 2P Marketplace offer rather than AWS service usage. In it, AWS converts first and then adds the taxes on the BRL amount.

Offer price
Amount
USD 100.00
Converted at BRL 5.10 per USD
Amount
BRL 510.00
PIS/COFINS (9.25%)
Amount
BRL 47.18
ISS (2.9%)
Amount
BRL 14.79
Estimated total
Amount
BRL 571.97

AWS's example for Brazil 2P Marketplace offers. AWS sets the real rate and tax amounts when it creates the invoice. Source: [Brazil 2P buyer FAQ](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/marketplace/latest/buyerguide/brazil-2p-buyer-faq.html).

What about withholding, exemptions, and resellers?

AWS addresses withholding for one case: a federal government entity may be subject to local withholding taxes and should email its annual Informe de Rendimentos to informe-rendimentos@amazon.com. Customers who qualify for special tax treatment, such as a special tax regime, contact AWS Support with their documentation. Buy through a Solution Provider partner, and the partner applies its own tax settings and charges you the applicable taxes. For any other withholding question, ask the São Paulo municipality and your accountant. Tax Help Brazil · AWS SBL FAQ.

Does the 2026 tax reform (IBS and CBS) change anything?

In the 2026 test year of the reform, the rules come from the government. Since January, fiscal documents show IBS and CBS without adding them to the transaction total. CGIBS calls that disclosure informative only as long as the taxpayer meets the ancillary obligations (obrigações acessórias) the law sets, and the NFS-e field started out optional. From August 3, 2026, regular-regime companies can't issue electronic fiscal documents without the IBS and CBS fields, at a 1% test rate (0.1% IBS, 0.9% CBS). CGIBS says the assessment carries no tax effect in this period, on the same condition. None of the AWS pages we read mention IBS, CBS, or the reform. CGIBS, January 2026 · CGIBS, August 2026.

How can I pay AWS in reais: card, Pix, or bank transfer?

By credit card first. AWS's Knowledge Center page on payment methods by seller, updated September 30, 2026, lists Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Elo credit cards for AWS SBL, and notes that your agreement with AWS can limit the methods you get. SBL doesn't take Diners Club or Discover. For SBL accounts, AWS stopped accepting direct debit (ACH, SEPA) and debit cards on November 1, 2020, the same day it started accepting Elo. Accepted payment methods · AWS SBL FAQ · Launch post.

Can I pay AWS with Pix?

Yes, as a fallback. AWS sets three conditions: you're an AWS Brazil customer, your invoices are generated in BRL with BRL as the preferred currency, and a credit card is your default payment method. You have to register the card, and while it's a valid payment option, Pix stays off the list. In AWS's words, "If your credit card payment fails, you can choose PIX as a payment method." Paying with Pix.

  • In the Billing console, open Payments, then Payments due.
  • Pick an invoice with Past due status, choose Complete payment, then Change payment method or Use PIX, and then Generate QR code.
  • Pay with the QR code within its 30 minutes, or copy the Pix code. Confirmation takes up to two minutes.

What about bank transfer (TED)?

The 2021 SBL FAQ and the 2020 launch post limit invoice-terms payment to domestic wire transfer (TED), with payment instructions on the tax invoice. The current Knowledge Center page lists only credit cards for SBL. If you pay on invoice terms, check what your agreement says. AWS SBL FAQ · Accepted payment methods.

Why do I still get a dollar invoice?

AWS SBL "will not provide telecommunications services or AWS Marketplace", and Amazon Web Services, Inc., in the U.S., keeps selling and charging for both. In a month with an invoice from each seller, you make two payments: USD to AWS, Inc. for Marketplace, and BRL to AWS SBL for AWS services. AWS, Inc. and Marketplace take Visa, MasterCard, American Express (USD only), Discover, Diners Club, JCB, and other methods. If you get invoices from more than one seller, set up a payment profile per seller to fix the currency and payment method for each. Tax Help Brazil · AWS SBL FAQ · Accepted payment methods · Payment profiles.

Which Marketplace purchases bill in reais?

SaaS private offers in the Brazil 2P distribution program. For these, "AWS Brazil is the seller of record" and invoices in BRL with the applicable Brazilian taxes. The program covers SaaS Contract, SaaS Contract with Consumption, and SaaS PAYG; AMI, container, and professional services products sit outside it, and only buyers located in Brazil per their Tax Settings qualify. On the private offer details page, the Offered by field displays AWS Brazil. The offer carries a USD price and bills in BRL at the Oanda exchange rate on the invoice creation date. You pay by Visa, Mastercard, Amex, or Pay By Invoice, and send purchase orders to AWS Brazil. Invoices come at acceptance, at each installment, and at month end for consumption. Brazil 2P buyer FAQ.

The 2P price includes a margin: "AWS Brazil adds a margin of 6% (new) and 5% (renewals) to the buyer's cost", says the seller-side page, and the seller FAQ calls those margins "current and subject to change." Fixed-currency private offers come in USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, JPY, and INR; BRL isn't on that list. Brazil 2P for sellers · Brazil 2P seller FAQ · Fixed exchange rate offers.

What do Brazilian rules add to a card charge in dollars?

Brazilian rules apply when a Brazilian card pays a foreign seller such as AWS, Inc. For each purchase abroad on an international card, Banco Central requires the card statement to show the USD amount on the day of the transaction, that day's USD to BRL rate, and the BRL amount. Resolução BCB nº 277/2022.

The IOF tax on card purchases from abroad is 3.5% today, under a preliminary STF injunction. Decreto nº 6.306/2007, article 15-B, VII, as worded by Decreto nº 12.499/2025, sets that 3.5%. Congress suspended Decreto nº 12.499 (Decreto Legislativo nº 176/2025), and on July 16, 2025, STF Justice Alexandre de Moraes restored it in ADC 96, except for risco sacado operations, a decision Receita Federal told collectors to follow. The merits case is still open, with no ruling from the full court as of the August 26, 2026 docket entry. Ask your accountant how this applies to your company. Decreto nº 6.306/2007, compiled text · STF, July 16, 2025 · ADC 96 docket · Receita Federal.

Savings Plans and Reserved Instances from Brazil: which rate applies?

The commitment stays in dollars. AWS measures a Savings Plan commitment in $/hour, and SBL keeps pricing, billing, and metering in USD, converting to BRL after it computes the bill. AWS invoices one-time purchases such as Reserved Instances and Savings Plans at the time of purchase, and for an All Upfront Reserved Instance the invoices FAQ says "you will receive subscription invoices for which you are charged immediately." Savings Plans FAQ · AWS SBL FAQ · AWS invoices FAQ.

Put two AWS statements together: AWS sets the rate on the day it generates the invoice, and it invoices a one-time purchase when you buy. The upfront part of a Reserved Instance or Savings Plan then converts at the purchase-day rate, and the monthly part at each month's invoice rate. No AWS page says this in one sentence; it's our reading of the two. The same dollar-per-hour commitment can cost a different amount in reais each month. To choose between the two commitment types, read Savings Plans vs Reserved Instances. AWS SBL FAQ.

How much more does sa-east-1 cost?

Between 54% and 62% more for the five instance types below, at AWS's own list prices. An m7i.xlarge (4 vCPU, 16 GiB) on Linux, On-Demand, costs $0.3213 an hour in South America (São Paulo) and $0.2016 in US East (N. Virginia). Over 730 hours that's $234.55 against $147.17 a month: 59.4% more, about $87.38 per instance. Both are USD list prices, before the BRL conversion and the NFS-e taxes. EC2 On-Demand pricing.

m7i.xlarge
sa-east-1, São Paulo (USD/hour)
0.3213
us-east-1, N. Virginia (USD/hour)
0.2016
São Paulo premium
59.4%
m6i.xlarge
sa-east-1, São Paulo (USD/hour)
0.3060
us-east-1, N. Virginia (USD/hour)
0.1920
São Paulo premium
59.4%
c7i.xlarge
sa-east-1, São Paulo (USD/hour)
0.2751
us-east-1, N. Virginia (USD/hour)
0.1785
São Paulo premium
54.1%
r7i.xlarge
sa-east-1, São Paulo (USD/hour)
0.4221
us-east-1, N. Virginia (USD/hour)
0.2646
São Paulo premium
59.5%
t3.medium
sa-east-1, São Paulo (USD/hour)
0.0672
us-east-1, N. Virginia (USD/hour)
0.0416
São Paulo premium
61.5%

Linux, On-Demand, shared tenancy, effective October 1, 2026. All five checked against the Price List Bulk API and the data behind the [EC2 On-Demand pricing page](https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/pricing/on-demand/).

To reproduce the table, download the Price List Bulk API files for sa-east-1 and us-east-1 and filter for On-Demand Linux, shared tenancy, no pre-installed software, License Model No License required, and CapacityStatus Used. Each m7i.xlarge hour you cut in São Paulo, by rightsizing or by stopping an environment overnight, saves 59.4% more dollars than the same hour in N. Virginia. Our guide How to Reduce Your AWS Bill prices its fixes at us-east-1 rates; for an m7i.xlarge in São Paulo, multiply the instance-hour savings by about 1.59.

How do I reconcile a BRL invoice with USD cost data?

Finance closes the month on the NFS-e in reais, and engineering reads Cost Explorer in dollars. To move one number to the other, use what the invoice prints.

  • Start from the period's USD total in Cost Explorer or the CUR, both in dollars, and check that promotional credits are netted out. AWS applies credits to USD charges before tax and conversion. AWS SBL FAQ.
  • Pull out the month's one-time purchases, such as Reserved Instances, upfront Savings Plans, and domain names. AWS invoices each one at the time of purchase, on its own invoice.
  • Multiply the rest by the rate printed on the month's invoice, which shows the USD amount, the BRL amount, and the rate. Viewing your bill.
  • Add the taxes from each NFS-e. More than one CNPJ or service tax code means several NFS-e under one RFP, and each one's supplementary document breaks the charges down by account and service.
  • Leave out what AWS, Inc. bills in USD (Marketplace outside Brazil 2P, and telecommunications). It has its own invoice and its own payment.

Common mistakes with AWS invoices in Brazil

  • Registering the CNPJ on the payer account and assuming linked accounts inherit it. Without tax settings inheritance, AWS assesses each account on its own.
  • Comparing the Cost Explorer total with the NFS-e total without the invoice rate and the taxes.
  • Treating four NFS-e in one month as an error, when each pair of CNPJ and service tax code gets its own.
  • Looking for Pix while your card still works. It appears only after a card charge fails.
  • Expecting an upfront Reserved Instance or Savings Plan purchase on the monthly usage invoice. AWS invoices it on its own, the day you buy.

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Frequently asked questions

Does AWS bill Brazilian customers in reais?

Yes, for accounts with a valid CPF or CNPJ. AWS SBL invoices in BRL and takes payment only in BRL from a Brazilian bank. Prices stay in USD. AWS SBL FAQ.

Who is AWS's seller of record in Brazil?

Amazon AWS Serviços Brasil Ltda. (AWS SBL), CNPJ 23.412.247/0001-10, in São Paulo. It has billed accounts with a valid Brazilian CPF or CNPJ since November 1, 2020. The Billing console shows it under Payment preferences as the Service provider. Finding the seller of record.

How do I get my AWS nota fiscal (NFS-e)?

In the Billing and Cost Management console, open Bills, pick the period, and open Tax Invoices and Supplemental Documents on the Invoices tab. São Paulo's NFS-e system also emails a link to the PDF and XML copies, and AWS SBL emails the PDF. Tax Help Brazil.

What exchange rate does AWS use for BRL invoices?

The rate on the day AWS generates the invoice, which AWS aligns with market rates published by leading financial institutions. Each invoice shows the USD amount, the BRL amount, and the rate. AWS SBL FAQ.

What taxes are on an AWS invoice in Brazil?

PIS and COFINS at 9.25% combined, and ISS charged by the São Paulo municipality. The 2021 SBL FAQ gives ISS as 2.9% or 5% depending on the type of service; the newer Tax Help Brazil page gives 2.9%. AWS doesn't say which services fall under each rate. Tax Help Brazil.

Are AWS Marketplace purchases billed in reais?

Usually not. Amazon Web Services, Inc. invoices Marketplace purchases in USD. The exception is SaaS private offers in the Brazil 2P program, which AWS Brazil invoices in BRL with Brazilian taxes, for buyers located in Brazil. Brazil 2P buyer FAQ.

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