Start your own digital banking app in São Paulo and take on Itaú Unibanco and Nubank
By SendPay Business · · 4 min read
- 1Name it and pick your colours
- 2Choose what it does
- 3Launch when you are ready
São Paulo is one of the biggest money cities in Brazil. Brazil's instant payment system, Pix, turned the country into one of the world's biggest digital payment markets. Most of it flows through Itaú Unibanco, Banco do Brasil, Bradesco and Caixa, plus apps like Nubank and Mercado Pago. A brand built for São Paulo, its neighbourhoods, communities and small businesses, can win people the national giants treat as just another account number.
How São Paulo pays today
São Paulo is Brazil's financial capital and home to Nubank. Pix, the instant payment system launched by Brazil's central bank in 2020, is now used for everything from street food to rent.
In a city where paying is already instant, a new brand wins by owning a community: a neighbourhood, a trade or a group of creators.
Who you'd be competing with in São Paulo
The big banks, Itaú Unibanco, Banco do Brasil, Bradesco and Caixa, are everywhere in São Paulo. The apps, like Nubank and Mercado Pago, won people over by being simpler. Your edge is being local: your language, your community, your city's name on the card.
Try it
Name your platform and watch it come to life
Type a name, tap a colour and pick what it does. The phone changes as you go.
Colour
What it does
Design and preview your whole platform free, then launch when you are ready.
What you can launch under your own brand
An everyday account app with balances and a branded card, a money transfer app, a payment-link product for invoices, a marketplace that pays its sellers, or a membership platform. Each is a template: your name, your colours, your domain, your fees.
How it works, in a few clicks
Pick the template closest to your idea, type your platform name and preview every page before you launch.
0 of 5 done
Tick each step as you do it, so you can see what is left.
You set the fees, you keep them
Charge 1%, 2.9% or nothing: it's your call. On every real your users move, your platform earns the fee you set.
How it works
Money on its way- 1Pick who to pay and type the amount
- 2Tap send and it is on its way
- 3It lands in their account
Permissions: the honest part
The accounts, cards and payments behind your platform are powered by licensed partners. Depending on what your platform does and who it serves, you may also need your own registration, and serving customers in Brazil can bring local rules from the Central Bank of Brazil. We tell you in writing which permissions apply to your platform before you launch, and introduce specialists who handle them. We are not licensed advisers and don't guarantee outcomes.
Why sign up
Create your free SendPay account
It's all about creating your own financial platform with ease. Start with a free account today.
- 🪪A free business accountOpen it in about a minute with your business name, email, password and mobile. No card and no documents to start.
- 💳Get paid from day oneTake card payments, and share your own payment link and invoices so customers pay in a click.
- 🌐A free business websiteFree to build, free to publish and free to keep, with unlimited visits.
- 🚀Your own financial platformDesign and preview your whole platform free, then launch when you are ready.
SendPay Business is a technology company, not a bank. Accounts, cards and payments are powered by licensed partners.
Questions people ask
Can I really compete with Itaú Unibanco in São Paulo?
Not on size on day one. But you can beat any big bank on focus: a platform built for one city, community or kind of customer, with a better experience and fairer fees.
Can I call it a bank?
In most countries, including Brazil, "bank" is a protected word you can only use with a banking licence. Call it an account, an app or a platform.
Is SendPay Business connected to Itaú Unibanco or Nubank?
No. We name them only to describe the market. SendPay Business is an independent technology company, not a bank.
Should I put São Paulo in my app's name?
It can help if you only plan to serve São Paulo, because people trust a local name. If you want to grow across Brazil later, pick a name that still works outside the city. The free name generator gives you ideas and opens your favourite straight in the builder.
Payment app name generator →How much could a platform in São Paulo earn?
It depends on how many people in São Paulo use it, how much they move and the fee you set. Put your own numbers into the free calculator.
Platform earnings calculator →Is there a guide for the whole of Brazil?
Yes, the Brazil guide covers the national picture.
Brazil guide →Is there a step-by-step plan I can follow?
Yes. The free launch checklist takes you from picking your people and naming your app to setting fees, going live and winning your first ten customers. Tick each step off as you go.
Digital bank app launch checklist →How do I start?
Pick a template, name it and preview every page before you launch. Your platform can be live on your own domain within 24 hours of confirmation.
Build my platform →Read next
Spotted a mistake or something out of date? and we'll fix it. How our guides are made
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. SendPay Business is a technology company, not a bank, and does not take deposits; regulated services on the platforms are provided by licensed partners. Other companies named in this guide are reference points only and are not affiliated with SendPay Business.