Comparison · Updated November 13, 2026
Cielo vs Rede (Brazil card machines)
Cielo
B
Cielo is one of Brazil's two largest card acquirers, based in Barueri, São Paulo, and it serves Brazilian businesses only. It was incorporated in 1995 and traded as VisaNet until it was renamed Cielo (announced in November 2009; some sources date the formal change to July 2010). Banco do Brasil and Bradesco control it, directly and through companies they jointly own, and took it off the B3 stock exchange in August 2024. Cielo signs the merchant agreement itself and sells card machines (maquininhas), tap-to-phone, payment links and e-commerce APIs. As of October 2026 its plans page lists two published plans. The Aluguel rental plan, for registered companies (CNPJ), charges 1.19% on debit and 3.45% on one-payment credit. The terminal is free in any month your card sales reach R$15,000; otherwise it costs R$99.90 a month. The Comodato plan, open to individuals too, costs a one-off R$238.80 (or 12 payments of R$19.90) and charges 1.90% debit and 4.30% credit. Both plans pay out in up to one day, subject to eligibility. Instalment sales cost much more: up to 14.79% (Aluguel) or 19.00% (Comodato) for 12 instalments. The agreement has no fixed term and either side can end it on 30 days' written notice without penalty. Cielo holds Reclame Aqui's top RA1000 rating, but improper charges are the problem tagged on 52.9% of the complaints it classifies.
Rede
B-
Rede is the merchant acquiring business of Itaú Unibanco, Brazil's largest private bank. It started in 1996 as Redecard, Itaú took it private in 2012, and it has traded as Rede since 2013. The legal entity is Redecard Instituição de Pagamento S.A., authorised by the Banco Central do Brasil as a payment institution in the acquirer (credenciador) category. Rede signs the merchant agreement itself, so there is no reseller or sub-merchant layer between you and the acquirer. It rents out the orange "laranjinha" card terminals, and it also sells a payment-link tool, the e.Rede online API, the Maxipago gateway and prepayment of card receivables. It does not publish its card rates; its own FAQ says they are negotiated per business. It does publish terminal rental prices, which as of November 2026 run from R$19 to R$109 a month. Itaú Empresas account holders can have that rental waived once they bring enough sales volume to the bank. The contract has no fixed term, and either side can end it on 15 days' notice without penalty. Itaú reports that Rede was Brazil's largest acquirer by card volume in 2025. Rede holds Reclame Aqui's top RA1000 rating. It has settled two CADE competition cases, in 2014 and 2018.
VS
Overview
We compare the two for a small business in Brazil taking card and Pix payments in person, with a CNPJ, on the entry offer each publishes on its own website: Cielo's Aluguel (rental) plan with the Cielo Flash terminal, and Rede's Laranjinha+ terminal. Figures are in reais and come from each company's own website, contracts and published documents, read on 13 November 2026. Both are large Brazilian acquirers owned by banks. Cielo is controlled by Banco do Brasil and Bradesco, which bought out its minority shareholders in a 2024 tender offer that took it off B3's Novo Mercado. Rede (legal name Redecard) belongs to Itaú Unibanco. The main difference is price transparency. Cielo publishes its rates: on the Aluguel plan, 3.45% for a one-payment credit sale and 14.79% for 12 instalments, with the money in your account within a day, subject to eligibility, and a promotional 0.89% on debit until 30 November 2026 (1.19% after). Rede publishes no card rates; its website says they are negotiated for each business. Rede does publish its terminal rents (R$69 a month for the Laranjinha+), and waives the rent for Itaú Empresas customers whose card and Pix sales paid into that account exceed R$7,000 a month. Cielo waives the Flash's R$99.90 monthly rent in any month sales reach R$15,000. Cielo pays out to any bank account, while Rede's Pix acceptance and rent waiver need an Itaú Empresas business account. Neither has a fixed term or an exit fee. Cielo also offers a plan open to individuals with a CPF (Comodato: a one-off R$238.80 and no monthly rent, with the terminal lent rather than sold); Rede signs merchants up mainly through an Itaú business account.
Key Takeaways
- ✓It depends on whether you bank with Itaú. Cielo is the one you can price before you sign: it publishes debit, credit, instalment, Pix and payment-link rates on its website. Rede says its rates are negotiated per business and publishes none.
- ✓On Cielo's Aluguel plan (CNPJ), a one-payment credit sale costs 3.45% and a 12-instalment sale 14.79%, received within a day subject to eligibility. Debit is 0.89% until 30 November 2026 and 1.19% after; Pix on the terminal is free for 30 days and 0.99% after.
- ✓Rede's terminal rent is lower on paper (Laranjinha+ R$69 a month against R$99.90 for the Cielo Flash) and is waived at a lower volume, R$7,000 a month, but only if those sales are paid into an Itaú Empresas account. Cielo waives the Flash's rent at R$15,000 a month in sales, paid to any bank.
- ✓Both contracts are open-ended with no exit fee. Cielo asks for 30 days' written notice; Rede for 15 days.
- ✓Both hold Reclame Aqui's top RA1000 rating, with almost identical six-month scores (Cielo 8.9, Rede 8.8 out of 10).
Cielo
Cielo suits a small Brazilian business that wants to know its rates before signing and to be paid into whichever bank it already uses. Its published Aluguel plan charges 3.45% for one-payment credit and 14.79% for 12 instalments, received within a day subject to eligibility, and the Flash's rent is free from R$15,000 a month in sales. It also takes individuals with a CPF on its Comodato plan and publishes payment-link rates. Below R$15,000 a month the Flash costs R$99.90 a month to rent.
Rede
Rede suits a business that already has, or is willing to open, an Itaú Empresas account and wants to negotiate its rates. Terminal rent is published (Laranjinha+ R$69 a month), and is waived from R$7,000 a month in sales received in the Itaú account. Pix on Rede also needs that account. Rede publishes no card or Pix rates, so you will only know the price after a quote, and the Itaú account carries its own monthly fee unless you meet its waiver.
The Verdict
It Depends on Your Needs
Why?
Cielo is the easier one to choose without a sales call. It publishes every rate a small business needs: on its Aluguel plan, 3.45% for one-payment credit and 14.79% for 12 instalments with the money in a day, debit at 0.89% until 30 November 2026 and 1.19% after, Pix free for 30 days and 0.99% after. It pays to any bank account and also accepts individuals with a CPF. Rede publishes no card or Pix rates, so its price is whatever you negotiate. Its terminal rent is lower and is waived at a lower volume, but only for sales paid into an Itaú Empresas account, which Pix on Rede also requires. Both have open-ended contracts without exit fees and top Reclame Aqui ratings. Choose Cielo if you want published prices and your own bank. Consider Rede if you already bank with Itaú and can get a quote that beats Cielo's published rates.
Feature by feature
Detailed Comparison
Filter Options
Card machine rates (entry offer, CNPJ, November 2026)
| Feature | Cielo | Rede |
|---|---|---|
| Debit | 0.89% until 30 Nov 2026; 1.19% after | Not disclosed |
| Cielo's Aluguel plan, for companies with a CNPJ, received within a day subject to eligibility. Its plans page footnotes the promotional debit rate as valid until 30 November 2026 and 1.19% after; on the Comodato plan debit is 1.90%. Cielo says rates may vary with turnover and whether the business is an individual or a company. Rede's terminal pages say its rates are negotiated and personalised to your business model, and we found no published rate table on its website or in its contract. | ||
| Credit, one payment (à vista) | 3.45% | Not disclosed |
| Cielo's Aluguel plan rate, with the money in your account within a day subject to eligibility; 4.30% on the Comodato plan. Rede publishes no rate. | ||
| Credit, 12 instalments | 14.79% | Not disclosed |
| Cielo's Aluguel plan quotes 14.79% for a 12-instalment sale received within a day, so the rate includes being paid early rather than in monthly instalments; on Comodato it is 19.00%. Rede pays instalment sales over their normal schedule unless you contract prepayment, whose rates it also negotiates per business. | ||
| Pix on the terminal | 0% for 30 days; 0.99% after | Not disclosed |
| Cielo needs a CNPJ for Pix on the terminal and quotes 0% for the first 30 days and 0.99% after on Aluguel; its table shows 0.99% on Comodato. Rede charges a fee per settled Pix transaction, billed monthly by Itaú to your account; its Pix page says the amount is shown only in the Rede portal. Pix on Rede needs an Itaú Empresas account. | ||
| Payment link, one-payment credit | 3.48% | Not disclosed |
| Cielo's payment-link page lists debit 1.07%, one-payment credit 3.48% and instalments from 5.97% (2x) to 16.07% (12x), with no monthly fee. Rede's payment link also has no monthly fee or sign-up cost, accepts credit in up to 12 instalments and Pix, but its rates are not published. | ||
Debit
Cielo
0.89% until 30 Nov 2026; 1.19% after
Rede
Not disclosed
Cielo's Aluguel plan, for companies with a CNPJ, received within a day subject to eligibility. Its plans page footnotes the promotional debit rate as valid until 30 November 2026 and 1.19% after; on the Comodato plan debit is 1.90%. Cielo says rates may vary with turnover and whether the business is an individual or a company. Rede's terminal pages say its rates are negotiated and personalised to your business model, and we found no published rate table on its website or in its contract.
Credit, one payment (à vista)
Cielo
3.45%
Rede
Not disclosed
Cielo's Aluguel plan rate, with the money in your account within a day subject to eligibility; 4.30% on the Comodato plan. Rede publishes no rate.
Credit, 12 instalments
Cielo
14.79%
Rede
Not disclosed
Cielo's Aluguel plan quotes 14.79% for a 12-instalment sale received within a day, so the rate includes being paid early rather than in monthly instalments; on Comodato it is 19.00%. Rede pays instalment sales over their normal schedule unless you contract prepayment, whose rates it also negotiates per business.
Pix on the terminal
Cielo
0% for 30 days; 0.99% after
Rede
Not disclosed
Cielo needs a CNPJ for Pix on the terminal and quotes 0% for the first 30 days and 0.99% after on Aluguel; its table shows 0.99% on Comodato. Rede charges a fee per settled Pix transaction, billed monthly by Itaú to your account; its Pix page says the amount is shown only in the Rede portal. Pix on Rede needs an Itaú Empresas account.
Payment link, one-payment credit
Cielo
3.48%
Rede
Not disclosed
Cielo's payment-link page lists debit 1.07%, one-payment credit 3.48% and instalments from 5.97% (2x) to 16.07% (12x), with no monthly fee. Rede's payment link also has no monthly fee or sign-up cost, accepts credit in up to 12 instalments and Pix, but its rates are not published.
Best For Your Business
Recommendations based on your business type
Small shop with a CNPJ that wants to know its rates before signing
Recommended
Cielo
Cielo publishes its full Aluguel rate table (debit, credit, 6x, 12x and Pix) and its payment-link rates. Rede's website says its rates are negotiated per business and lists none.
Business that already banks with Itaú and sells over R$7,000 a month
Recommended
Rede
Rede waives the rent on one terminal when sales received in an Itaú Empresas account exceed R$7,000 a month, and its Pix acceptance runs through that account. Get a written rate quote and compare it with Cielo's published rates before signing.
Self-employed seller with a CPF and no company
Recommended
Cielo
Cielo's Comodato plan is open to individuals: a one-off R$238.80 (or 12 × R$19.90) and no monthly rent, at 1.90% debit and 4.30% one-payment credit; the terminal is lent and goes back at the end of the contract. Pix on the terminal needs a CNPJ. Rede's pages direct new merchants to an Itaú Empresas business account or its contact centre and publish no offer for individuals.
Business that wants to keep its current bank
Recommended
Cielo
Cielo pays out to any bank account you register, by Pix for its fast payouts. On Rede, Pix acceptance and the rent waiver both depend on an Itaú Empresas account.
Seller who mainly takes payments by link over WhatsApp
Recommended
Cielo
Both payment links have no monthly fee, but only Cielo publishes the price: 1.07% debit, 3.48% one-payment credit and up to 16.07% for 12 instalments.
Cielo: Best for 4 use cases
Rede: Best for 1 use case
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this comparison
We cannot say from published prices, because Rede does not publish its card rates; its website says they are negotiated for each business. Cielo publishes its Aluguel plan rates for companies: debit 0.89% until 30 November 2026 and 1.19% after, 3.45% for one-payment credit and 14.79% for 12 instalments, with the money in your account within a day subject to eligibility. Ask Rede for a written quote at the same receipt term and compare.
As of November 2026, Cielo's Flash is free in any month your sales reach R$15,000 and R$99.90 a month otherwise, on the Aluguel plan. Rede lists the Laranjinha+ at R$69 a month, the Laranjinha Smart at R$109 and the Laranjinha Pin Pad at R$19. Rede waives one terminal's rent for Itaú Empresas customers whose sales received in that account exceed R$7,000 a month. Cielo's Comodato plan instead charges a one-off R$238.80 or 12 payments of R$19.90 and no monthly rent; the terminal is lent, not sold, and goes back when the contract ends.
For Pix, yes: Rede's Pix page says you need a key linked to an Itaú Empresas account, and that clients paid at other banks cannot use Pix on Rede yet. The rent waiver also depends on being paid into an Itaú Empresas account. Rede's terminal pages direct new merchants to open an Itaú Empresas account or call its contact centre. Cielo pays to any bank account.
Yes. Both contracts are open-ended and either side can end them without cause or penalty. Cielo requires at least 30 days' written notice, and rented or lent terminals must be returned within five business days or you pay monthly pro-rata rent plus 40% until you do. Rede requires 15 days' notice and the return of its terminals.
Cielo's published plan rates assume the money arrives within a day, including weekends and holidays, subject to eligibility, and sales captured by 7 p.m. can be paid the same day through its Vendeu, Tá na Conta Hoje product, also subject to eligibility. Rede's contract pays card sales up to 32 days after the transaction unless another term is agreed. Its automatic prepayment pays credit sales in one business day, and a one-off prepayment requested by 15:45 arrives the same day, at fees it negotiates.
Cielo is controlled by Banco do Brasil and Bradesco, which bought out minority shareholders in an August 2024 tender offer that took Cielo off B3's Novo Mercado. Rede, legally Redecard, is part of Itaú Unibanco, which took Redecard private in 2012 and renamed the brand Rede in 2013.
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