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The new security rules of Pix established by the Central Bank are now in effect and allow banks like Nubank, Caixa, and Itaú to retain values received for up to 72 hours in case of suspected fraud. In addition to the cautious block, the changes include reduced limits for transfers on unregistered devices and restrictions at night.
The Pix has just gained new layers of security that may catch many users by surprise. The Central Bank has implemented a set of national guidelines that standardize protection mechanisms in the financial system, and the changes are already directly affecting clients of Nubank, Caixa, and Itaú. The main novelty is the so-called cautious block, which allows financial institutions to retain values received via Pix for up to 72 hours when there are signs of irregularity, without prior communication to the client.
The measure is part of a strategy by the Central Bank to reduce scams and frauds that use Pix as a tool for quick resource movement. In addition to the block, the rules include more restrictive limits for transfers made on unrecognized phones or devices, with a cap of R$ 200 per operation and R$ 1,000 per day, as well as specific restrictions for transactions made at night. The goal is to hinder the actions of criminals without preventing the legitimate use of the system by its millions of users.
How the cautious block of Pix works and when it is activated
According to information released by the portal ndmais, the cautious block is the mechanism that most impacts users’ routines. When a financial institution identifies signs of irregularity in a transaction received via Pix, it can retain the amount for up to 72 hours for analysis. During this period, the money is unavailable in the recipient’s account, and the bank assesses whether the operation is legitimate before releasing or returning the funds to the sender.
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In practice, the block does not immediately cancel the transfer. It acts as a preventive retention that prevents suspicious resources from being quickly moved between accounts, a common tactic in scams where criminals receive the money and transfer it to other accounts before the victim can react. Clients of Nubank, Caixa, and Itaú have already reported situations where amounts were held without prior notice, raising questions about when and how the money will be released.
Why changing your phone may limit your transfers via Pix
Another point of the new rules directly affects those who change their mobile device or access their bank account on a different device than usual. When Pix is used on a phone not registered with the bank, the transfer limits automatically drop to up to R$ 200 per transaction and R$ 1,000 per day. The gradual release of the original limits only occurs after the new device is validated by the financial institution.
This restriction exists because criminals often use stolen or cloned devices to access victims’ accounts and make transfers via Pix before the account holder notices. The rule serves to confirm that the person moving the money is indeed the account owner, but it can cause inconveniences for legitimate users who simply bought a new phone or needed to access the bank from a borrowed device. The recommendation is to register the new device with the bank before making higher value transfers.
The restrictions at night and what motivated the change
The timing of the transaction has also begun to influence the limits of Pix. During the night period, usually between 8 PM and 6 AM, the standard ceiling for transfers between individuals is R$ 1,000. This measure was designed to combat crimes such as express kidnappings and coercion fraud, which tend to occur outside of business hours when access to banking service channels is more limited.
The Central Bank allows customers to request adjustments to the night limit, but the release is subject to the criteria defined by each financial institution. At Nubank, for example, the change can take up to 48 hours to be processed, while at Caixa and Itaú, the timelines and procedures vary according to the customer’s profile. The logic is that the increase in the night limit should be a conscious and pre-planned decision, not something done under pressure during a coercion.
What to do if your Pix is blocked by mistake
The possibility of precautionary blocking in legitimate transactions is real and can cause inconveniences, especially for those receiving payments from clients or business partners. If the amount is held, the first step is to check the transaction status in the bank’s app and, if necessary, contact the institution’s customer service to request the analysis and early release of the funds.
The Central Bank advises that the block should not last more than 72 hours and that, at the end of the analysis, the money will be released to the recipient or returned to the sender. If the deadline is exceeded without a solution, the customer can file a complaint directly on the Central Bank’s website or through the financial institution’s ombudsman channels. To avoid unwanted blocks, experts recommend keeping your banking registration updated, always using the same device for transactions, and avoiding atypical movements that may trigger automatic security filters.
What the new rules mean for the future of Pix
The changes implemented by the Central Bank signal that the security of Pix will continue to be reinforced as the system matures and scams become more sophisticated. The precautionary blocking, limits for unregistered devices, and nighttime restrictions form a layer of protection that did not exist in the early years of Pix, when speed and convenience were the top priority and security was a secondary concern.
For the more than 150 million Brazilians who use the system daily, adapting to the new rules will require attention to details that previously went unnoticed: registering devices, planning nighttime transfers, and accepting that not every retention of funds is a sign of a problem. The balance between security and convenience is the challenge that the Central Bank and financial institutions will have to calibrate in the coming months, listening to both the complaints of those who had their money mistakenly blocked and the data of those who were protected from a scam thanks to the new measures.
Have you ever had a Pix blocked or limited by the new rules, or have you not yet felt the effects of the changes? Share your experience with precautionary blocking in the comments and whether you think the measures protect or hinder those who use Pix in their daily lives.
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