Brazil’s Ministry of Labor and Employment has announced that full interoperability under the Workers’ Food Program (PAT) must be implemented by November 7, 2026. From that date, any food or meal voucher card should be accepted by any payment terminal operating with this type of benefit, regardless of the card operator or brand.
The requirement was established in a presidential decree published in November 2025, which gave companies in the sector up to 360 days to adapt. Implementation has taken place in stages.
Operators with more than 500,000 users had 180 days, a deadline that ended in May, to open their payment arrangements and enable reciprocal card acceptance. The longer 360-day period was set for full interoperability across the national market.
The Ministry of Labor and Employment, through its Labor Inspection Secretariat, is responsible for monitoring compliance with the new PAT rules. The agency will verify whether operators and acquirers are ensuring reciprocal acceptance of the cards.
According to a government statement, refusing a card that should be accepted under the interoperability rules constitutes an irregularity and can be reported through the Ministry of Labor’s complaint channels.
Sources: G1.