CPF stands for “Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas,” which is a Brazilian taxpayer ID number for individuals. CNPJ (“Cadastro Nacional da Pessoa Jurídica”) is for registered businesses. It’s required by Brazilian customs for all orders shipped to Brazil. Shipping carriers won’t deliver orders without this number, so adding it is essential to avoid delays or rejections.
Whose CPF/CNPJ number do I need?
There are two possible CPF numbers that may be needed:
- Your customer’s CPF/CNPJ – This is always required for shipping to Brazil.
- Your own CPF/CNPJ – Only needed if you’re a registered taxpayer in Brazil. If you’re not, you can skip this step.
What happens if I don’t include the recipient’s CPF/CNPJ?
Orders without the customer’s CPF/CNPJ can:
- Get stuck at customs.
- Be rejected by the shipping carrier.
- Be canceled if the issue isn’t resolved within 30 days.
To avoid this, make sure to collect your customer’s CPF/CNPJ number before you ship an order to Brazil.
How to add the CPF/CNPJ number to an order
While we’re working on a permanent solution, orders submitted without the CPF/CNPJ number will be put on hold, and you’ll need to manually add the CPF/CNPJ to each order:
- Go to your Dashboard.
- Click Orders, then filter by On Hold.
- Find the order missing the CPF/CNPJ and click Remove hold.
- Add the CPF in the format 000.000.000-00 or CNPJ in the format 00.000.000/0001-00.
- Proceed to Review & pay and click Update order.
We’ll then remove the hold and fulfill your order.
Note: Orders that stay on hold for more than 30 days will be canceled and refunded.
Two exceptions (where orders won’t be placed on hold)
You’ll still need the CPF number, but these orders won’t be paused:
- Manually created orders: When you create an order manually in the Dashboard, you’ll be required to enter the CPF/CNPJ number in the shipping address.
- Shopify orders: Customers can input their CPF/CNPJ directly when placing an order, and it’ll be passed to us automatically.
How to submit your own CPF/CNPJ (for Brazilian taxpayers)
If you’re a registered taxpayer in Brazil, you can submit your CPF number so we add it automatically to your orders and customs documents:
- Go to your Dashboard.
- Head to Billing → Brazil CPF/CNPJ.
- Enter your CPF in the format 000.000.000-00 or CNPJ in the format 00.000.000/0001-00.
- Click Submit.
Note: This won’t exempt you from any taxes, but it helps avoid delays and ensures smoother shipping.
Important: Customers should monitor the Correios Brazil portal
In rare cases, parcels shipped to Brazil may be delayed even after all required information is provided. To help avoid delivery issues:
- Encourage your customer to monitor the Correios Brazil portal (using their CPF number).
- Let them know that Correios doesn’t send notifications for held shipments.
- Inform them they may need to pay customs or tax fees directly through the portal.
For any order going to Brazil, we recommend reaching out to the end customer ahead of time to request their CPF number and remind them to track their order on Correios.
If you have questions or need help, feel free to reach out to our Support team at support@printful.com.