Vakinha
Platform · this deep dive is built from the official pages of the platform itself and of the tools that support it.
Overview
Vakinha is a Brazilian crowdfunding platform. The name plays on the Portuguese *vaquinha* — "to chip in", literally "little cow": in Brazil that is what a whip-round for a common cause is called. A user creates a campaign, describes the situation, sets a goal in reais, and outside people send money through Pix or a card.
Legally the platform describes itself carefully: Vakinha Plataforma de Arrecadação Ltda. provides a technological solution that allows online donation campaigns to be created, and is not a financial institution or a payment organization authorized by the Central Bank of Brazil. The funds collected belong to the creator of the campaign, and Vakinha merely receives them on their behalf and allows them to be withdrawn.
The difference from classic crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter is that there are no rewards for a contribution here. Using the platform for commercial transactions in goods or services is expressly forbidden.
Who's here
The platform publishes audience figures sparingly and without dates. On its about page it says that by 2024 it was recognized as the largest online donation platform in Latin America, and that the team has more than 50 employees. This is the platform's statement about itself, not an independent measurement, and the method of counting "largest" is not disclosed.
The history, by its own chronology: the idea was born in 2006 at the wedding of one of the founders, Luiz Felipe Gheller, who was moving abroad and did not want gifts; the official launch took place in January 2009; in 2017 the platform established itself as the largest whip-round site in Brazil.
The geography is Brazil. The legal entity is registered in Porto Alegre, state of Rio Grande do Sul, CNPJ 22.831.673/0001-26. There is one interface language, Portuguese. Donations from abroad are possible, but with a different clearing time (see below).
Getting started
Registration is mandatory and requires Brazilian documents. For an individual the conditions are: at least 18 years of age, a valid CPF and proof of address on request. For a legal entity: registration in Brazil, a valid CNPJ, proof of address and a representative with proper authority. At registration you have to give your full name, email address, CPF or CNPJ, date of birth, phone number and address.
One user, one account: creating more than one account is expressly forbidden, and on discovering duplicates Vakinha may at any time disable all existing accounts of that member and refuse to accept new ones. Selling, renting out and transferring an account are not permitted under any circumstances.
To withdraw money you have to name a current or prepaid payment account in your own name. The platform warns: the recipient is responsible for an error in the bank details, and Vakinha is not obliged to reimburse such transfers.
What you can publish
The shop window here is the campaign page. The creator presents the basic information and the details of the campaign, and may use images and data belonging exclusively to them and at their own responsibility. This material is published on the site together with the general description of the campaign and its goal.
Two requirements for the material that are easy to forget. First: if there are people in a photo or video other than the author of the campaign, their permission or that of their representatives must be obtained. Second: images and videos with nudity, violence or offensive content may lead to the campaign being cancelled. On a substantiated complaint about improper use of images a campaign may be cancelled and the money returned to donors minus the platform's fees.
The list of what may not be done is long. Besides the obvious (breaking the law, defamation, threats, malware), members are forbidden to provide false, incomplete or incorrect information; use the platform to simulate donations; take part in potentially fraudulent or suspicious operations; refuse to cooperate with internal investigations; collect contributions outside the platform; use the platform for commercial transactions in goods and services; or use it in a way that, in Vakinha's assessment, will create negative publicity — in which case campaigns may be halted or closed.
How to grow
The platform does not describe campaign promotion mechanics: its pages show no selection algorithm, no paid promotion and no advertising. The only visibility tool described is the catalogue: visitors see running campaigns with a description of their characteristics, the collection goal, the sums raised and other details, plus a separate selection of "most loved" campaigns in the site navigation.
There are two ways to donate: with the "Quero Ajudar" ("I want to help") button or by the Pix key issued to a specific campaign. The second route matters for distribution: a Pix key can be sent round in chats, and the donor needs no account on the platform.
The only paid visibility tool we found is "hearts": the platform offers buying them so that a campaign gains prominence. Buying hearts and making donations enter you into the "Vakinha Premiada" lottery: a donation of 25 reais or more gives a "lucky number", and 15 thousand reais are drawn twice a year; the draws are backed by savings certificates from Aplicap Capitalização S/A, and participation by people under 16 is forbidden.
The platform names transparency as one of its principles and promises that a visitor can see all the information on every campaign — from the very beginning to its current state.
Path to monetization
Creating a campaign is free: "the cost is zero, you pay nothing to create a campaign". The platform earns on the movement of money.
Fees
The help page names two main ones: the donation fee — 6.4% of the sum plus 0.50 reais per transaction; the withdrawal fee — 5.00 reais for a term of up to 3 business days and 9.99 reais for a term of up to 1 business day. They are deducted at the moment of withdrawal.
The terms of use list four charges, and one of them did not make it into the help section: besides the "Taxa Vakinha" fee (6.4%), the transaction charge of 0.50 reais and the withdrawal charge of 5.00 reais, a "maintenance charge" is named there — a fixed 5.00 reais a month for maintaining a balance, levied after 90 days of inactivity. If you have collected money and not withdrawn it, the balance will start melting away. The platform also reserves the right to review prices at its own discretion with prior notice.
Timing
A donation goes through a check. Every donation is analysed within up to 5 days; on the 5th day the sum becomes available for withdrawal. The terms spell out what the help page leaves out: for donations made in Brazil the availability period is 5 days, while for donations by cards issued abroad it is up to 35 days. After a withdrawal request the money arrives in an account or by Pix within no more than 3 business days, and in express mode — on the next business day.
Holds
The most important thing for planning: the money can be held back. For reasons of security and risk management Vakinha may hold up to 10% of the sum collected for 90 calendar days from the date of the last contribution or of the campaign's closure — whichever comes later. This applies to campaigns that in the platform's assessment may cause a large public reaction or are subject to a raised risk of being disputed. Separately: operations capable of creating reputational or credit risks for the platform may be held for up to 60 days, and for all that time the member has no access to the balance.
A donor may change their mind: a donation can be cancelled within 5 days of the transaction.
Tools and automation
Vakinha announces no official API: there is no developer section on its pages, and programmatic access is not mentioned in the terms. Nor are there third-party automation services that claim support for this platform.
Of the built-in features: the personal account shows the balance received for each campaign and the donor's transaction history; every campaign has a Pix key of its own; and there are mobile apps for iOS and Android, links to which the platform publishes in the site footer. Support works Monday to Friday from 9:30 to 17:00.
Limits and rules
- Age and documents. From 18 years of age, a valid CPF; for companies — registration in Brazil and a CNPJ.
- One account. A second account is grounds for disabling them all.
- No commerce. Using the platform for transactions in goods and services is forbidden; Vakinha bears no responsibility for consideration given in return to donors.
- KYC. Donors whose contributions individually or in total exceed 5000 reais in one month go through stricter verification procedures, and donations may be returned if the platform deems it appropriate.
- Pix and small sums. The recipient bears the costs of a donation smaller than 25 reais, and the platform may disable the Pix key feature in the case of repeated small transfers that create additional costs for it.
- Taxes. Donations may be subject to ITCMD tax; meeting tax obligations rests with the parties, and Vakinha is released from tax liability.
- Recovery after withdrawal. If violations are discovered after the funds have been withdrawn, the platform may recover the sum from the recipient, up to passing the information to credit bureaus.
Who it's for
It suits Brazilian individuals and organizations that need to collect money for treatment, aid, a project or an initiative: the entry threshold is only adulthood and a CPF, creating a campaign is free, and Pix makes donating a matter of one tap.
It does not suit you if you are outside Brazil: registration requires a CPF or a Brazilian CNPJ. It does not suit selling anything — commerce is expressly forbidden. It does not suit you if you need money urgently and in full: a 5-day check, a hold of up to 10% for 90 days and 35 days for foreign cards make a quick collection unpredictable in timing.
Verified data
The checked data this deep dive rests on.
About the platform
the platform describes itself as: “Crie uma vaquinha online, encontre causas para apoiar e doe com segurança. Milhares de histórias ganham força com a ajuda da comunidade.”
Self-description: this is the platform's claim about itself, not an independent assessment
source, checked 2026-07-28
the platform is run by Vakinha Plataforma de Arrecadação Ltda.; it provides a technological solution for creating online donation campaigns and is not a financial institution or a payment organization authorized by the Central Bank of Brazil
Clauses 1.1 and 2.1.1 of the terms of use
source, checked 2026-07-28
the funds collected belong to the creator of the campaign; Vakinha receives them on their behalf and provides for withdrawal
Clause 2.2 of the terms
source, checked 2026-07-28
the platform reports that the idea was born in 2006, that the official launch took place in January 2009, and that in 2017 it established itself as the largest whip-round site in Brazil
The company's own chronology
source, checked 2026-07-28
Who's here
the platform reports that by 2024 it was recognized as the largest online donation platform in Latin America and that the team has more than 50 employees
The platform's statement about itself; the counting method is not disclosed, and there are no figures for users or campaigns
source, checked 2026-07-28
Getting started
for an individual: at least 18 years of age, a valid CPF and proof of address on request; for a legal entity: registration in Brazil, a valid CNPJ, proof of address and a duly authorized representative
Clause 3.4 of the terms
source, checked 2026-07-28
Account and access
creating more than one account is expressly forbidden; on discovering duplicates the platform may disable all of the member's accounts and refuse to accept new ones; selling, renting out and transferring an account are not permitted
Clauses 3.10 and 3.16 of the terms
source, checked 2026-07-28
Business terms
support works Monday to Friday from 9:30 to 17:00
source, checked 2026-07-28
Content
if there are people in a photo or video other than the author of the campaign, their permission is required; material with nudity, violence or offensive content may lead to the campaign being cancelled
Clauses 4.4.2 and 4.4.4 of the terms
source, checked 2026-07-28
Promotion
a donation of 25 reais or more gives a “lucky number” in the Vakinha Premiada lottery; 15 thousand reais are drawn twice a year; the draws are backed by savings certificates from Aplicap Capitalização S/A; participation by people under 16 is forbidden
The full rules of the lottery were not checked
source, checked 2026-07-28
the only paid visibility tool found is “hearts”: the platform offers to sell them so that a campaign gains prominence
The price of a heart and the mechanics of its effect on display are not named on the page
source, checked 2026-07-28
How the money works here
every donation is analysed within up to 5 days; on the 5th day the sum becomes available for withdrawal
source, checked 2026-07-28
for donations by cards issued abroad the availability period for the funds is up to 35 days
Clause 7.4 of the terms; this period is not named in the help section
source, checked 2026-07-28
after a withdrawal request the money arrives in an account or by Pix within no more than 3 business days, and in express mode on the next business day
source, checked 2026-07-28
the platform may hold up to 10% of the sum collected for 90 calendar days from the date of the last contribution or of the campaign's closure — whichever comes later; it applies to campaigns that in its assessment may cause a large public reaction or are subject to a raised risk of being disputed
Clauses 7.8 and 7.8.1 of the terms
source, checked 2026-07-28
operations capable of creating reputational or credit risks for the platform may be held for up to 60 days, and for all that time the member has no access to the balance
Clause 7.8.3 of the terms
source, checked 2026-07-28
a donor may cancel a donation within 5 days of the transaction
Clause 6.6 of the terms
source, checked 2026-07-28
Pricing
the donation fee is 6.4% of the sum plus 0.50 reais per transaction; it is deducted at the moment of withdrawal
The page is marked with the date 30 January 2025
source, checked 2026-07-28
the terms of use name a maintenance charge — a fixed 5.00 reais a month for maintaining a balance, levied after 90 days of inactivity
This charge is not mentioned in the tariffs section on the site; a discrepancy between the documents
source, checked 2026-07-28
creating a campaign is free: “the cost is zero, you pay nothing to create a campaign”
source, checked 2026-07-28
Sources diverge: the withdrawal fee is 5.00 reais for a term of up to 3 business days and 9.99 reais for a term of up to 1 business day
The terms of use name only the fixed 5.00 reais for a withdrawal and do not mention the 9.99 tariff
source, checked 2026-07-28
Limits and restrictions
donors whose contributions individually or in total exceed 5000 reais in one month go through stricter registration, verification and KYC procedures; donations may be returned if the platform deems it appropriate
Clause 5.2 of the terms
source, checked 2026-07-28
the recipient bears the costs of a donation smaller than 25 reais; the platform may disable the Pix key feature in the case of repeated small transfers that create additional costs for it
Clauses 5.3.1 and 5.3.2 of the terms
source, checked 2026-07-28
Restrictions
using the platform for commercial transactions in goods or services is forbidden; the platform bears no responsibility for consideration given in return to donors
Clause 9.2(j) of the terms
source, checked 2026-07-28
Legal
donations may be subject to ITCMD tax; meeting tax obligations rests with the parties, and Vakinha is released from tax liability
Clause 6.7 of the terms
source, checked 2026-07-28
if violations are discovered after the funds have been withdrawn, the platform may recover the sum from the recipient, up to passing the information to credit protection bodies
Clauses 7.7 and 7.7.1 of the terms
source, checked 2026-07-28
Languages
the interface language of the home page: pt-BR
The language is taken from the markup attribute, the versions from hreflang
source, checked 2026-07-28
Catalogue section: all similar See also: catalogue index · region: Latin America · scheduler comparison · find by situation · platform restrictions