Cash Payment Voucher

What a cash payment voucher is

In online payments, a cash payment voucher is a reference a customer uses to pay for an order with cash. The customer selects the method online, receives a voucher or payment reference, then pays through a participating location or banking service. Boleto, short for Boleto Bancário, is Brazil’s version. It was established in 1993. OXXO is a separate cash voucher method used in Mexico.

The term can also mean an internal accounting document that records a cash payment your business made to a supplier. That document is not a customer payment method. Here, the entry covers the online payment method, which is relevant to a US business mainly when selling to customers in Brazil or Mexico.

A voucher is only a promise to pay until the customer completes the cash payment.

How the payment works

For Boleto, your business generates a voucher with the amount, an expiry date, a bank code, a barcode, and a serial number. Customers pay by presenting the voucher at an authorized payment location or entering its details in a banking app. The voucher also includes a Pix QR code under Brazilian requirements. The issuing bank confirms payment and credits the business.

Creating or sending a voucher does not mean the order is paid. The customer still has to complete the cash payment. As described in 2026, Boleto vouchers expire 3 to 15 days after purchase, and payment confirmation takes 1 to 3 working days. OXXO is a Mexican cash voucher method, but the available research does not establish its payment steps or timing.

What it means for a US business

This is a cross-border payment option, not a standard US in-store tender. It gives customers without a bank account or card a way to pay for an online purchase with cash. The tradeoff is slower confirmation than an immediate card approval. Keep the order pending until you receive confirmed payment, or you risk shipping an unpaid order.

A foreign business cannot directly issue or process Boleto without a registered presence in Brazil. You need a Brazilian subsidiary or a partner with a Brazilian entity to offer it. The research identifies no equivalent US rule or detailed OXXO eligibility requirements, so do not assume a US business can activate either method without checking the service’s supported markets.

Fees and refunds

Financial institutions or payment service providers set Boleto fees, and businesses commonly pay a per-transaction fee. The research gives no standard amount, so compare the actual fee and payout timing for your sales market rather than treating the voucher as free. It does not specify OXXO fees.

The research describes Boleto payments as nonrefundable and says they do not carry card chargeback risk. That changes how you handle a customer who cancels or receives a wrong item: establish a refund process before offering the method. No statement line name or standard US merchant-statement presentation is established for either Boleto or OXXO.

What you can actually change

1. 01
   Confirm market access. Before adding Boleto or OXXO, confirm that your business is eligible to accept payments in the customer’s country. Boleto requires a registered Brazilian presence or a Brazilian partner.
2. 02
   Hold unpaid orders. Keep the order pending until payment confirmation arrives. For Boleto, allow 1 to 3 working days for confirmation as described in 2026.
3. 03
   Compare the full fee. Record the transaction fee and payout timing offered for each method. The research provides no standard fee amount for Boleto or OXXO.

Frequently asked questions