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Banking in Brazil Final Customers Identification

Customers Categorization

The final customers in the Brazilian banking value chain can be broadly categorized into two main segments: Business-to-Consumer (B2C) and Business-to-Business (B2B).

B2C Customers:

  • Individuals: This is a large and diverse group encompassing all individual consumers who utilize banking services for personal financial needs.

B2B Customers:

  • Corporations: This segment includes businesses of varying sizes, from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to large corporations.
  • Institutions: This category covers various institutional clients such as pension funds, endowments, insurers, and other financial entities.
  • Government Entities: This refers to different levels of government and public sector bodies.
  • Merchants: Businesses that accept electronic payments for goods and services.
  • Fintechs and Payment Institutions: These entities, while also players in the financial ecosystem, can be customers of banks, particularly within the context of Banking as a Service (BaaS).

Detailed Profiles of Customer Characteristics and Demographics

B2C Customers: Individuals

The B2C segment, primarily composed of individuals, exhibits diverse characteristics and demographics influenced by factors such as income level, technological adoption, and financial literacy.

  • Characteristics: Individuals are the primary users of retail banking services, including deposit accounts (checking, savings, time deposits like CDBs), various forms of credit (personal loans, mortgages, auto loans, credit cards), payment methods (Pix, cards, boletos, TED/DOC), and investment products (retail funds, tax-exempt securities, shares). They seek convenience, accessibility, trust, and competitive pricing in banking products and services. The rise of digital banks highlights a growing preference among a significant portion of this segment for seamless online interactions and potentially lower fees.
  • Demographics: The individual customer base can be segmented by wealth, including Retail Traditional, Retail High Income, and Private Banking segments for investment purposes, indicating varying levels of financial sophistication and asset holdings. Despite advancements in digital inclusion, there remains a notable gap in financial literacy and inclusion across the population, suggesting that a substantial part of the B2C demographic may require basic financial education and accessible services.

B2B Customers:

The B2B segment comprises various types of organizations with distinct financial needs and relationships with banks.

  • Corporations: Businesses engage with banks for a wide array of services critical to their operations and growth.
    • Characteristics: Their needs include wholesale funding, corporate credit for working capital and investments, trade finance, and structured finance for larger projects. They require efficient corporate payment solutions for payroll, supplier payments, and receivables collection. Larger corporations also utilize investment banking services such as assistance with equity and debt capital markets issuances and M&A advisory. Relationships are often managed through dedicated personnel and are characterized by deeper engagement and tailored financial solutions based on the company's specific industry and business needs. Banks may analyze information from a firm's suppliers and customers to enhance lending relationships.
    • Demographics: This segment spans micro, small, medium, and large enterprises across all sectors of the Brazilian economy. The complexity of their banking needs often correlates with their size and operational scope.
  • Institutions:
    • Characteristics: Institutional customers, such as pension funds, endowments, and insurers, are significant participants in wholesale funding and key clients for investment banking and institutional asset management services. They typically manage large pools of capital and require sophisticated investment strategies, risk management, and regulatory compliance.
    • Demographics: These are primarily large, professional organizations with specific mandates and regulatory requirements governing their financial activities.
  • Government Entities:
    • Characteristics: Government bodies interact with banks for various purposes, including raising funds through the issuance of public debt and utilizing the services of state-owned banks for implementing public policies and financing specific sectors like housing and agriculture.
    • Demographics: This includes federal, state, and municipal government bodies and public sector enterprises.
  • Merchants:
    • Characteristics: Merchants are businesses that require services to accept electronic payments from their customers, primarily through cards and Pix. They interact with acquirers (banks or payment institutions) to process transactions and manage settlement, typically paying fees for these services.
    • Demographics: This diverse group ranges from small retail vendors to large e-commerce platforms and service providers.
  • Fintechs and Payment Institutions:
    • Characteristics: These entities often leverage technology to offer specialized financial services. They may act as customers of traditional banks, particularly in BaaS models where they white-label banking services or access core banking infrastructure and payment rails.
    • Demographics: These are generally technology-driven companies, varying in size and focus within the financial technology landscape.

References:

  • Agência Gov. (2023, December 28). BC regula atuação em educação financeira do setor financeiro. Retrieved from https://www.gov.br/pt-br/noticias/financas-e-impostos/2023/12/bc-regula-atuacao-em-educacao-financeira-do-setor-financeiro
  • Anbima. (2025, March 14). Investimentos dos brasileiros crescem 12,6% e chegam a R$ 7,3 trilhões em 2024. Retrieved from https://www.anbima.com.br/pt_br/noticias/investimentos-dos-brasileiros-crescem-12-6-e-chegam-a-r-7-3-trilhoes-em-2024.html
  • Banco Central do Brasil. (n.d.). Fintechs. Retrieved from https://www.bcb.gov.br/estabilidadefinanceira/fintechs
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