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I have the same issue and I gave up trying to figure out why. I now just use my Apple card and "tap" with my iPhone for purchases. For pulling out cash, I usually say a prayer and hope it works. For some reason, most ATM machines physically located at banks do not work, but ATMs at pharmacies or grocery stores do. 

05/05/23 @mberrigan.  I had the same problem with my US cards being accepted in some places and not in others, particularly for large purchases where acceptance really would have come in handy.

Like ChicagotoSaopaulo I gave up trying to figure it out, and like you, I got a Brazilian card.  After the typical struggle to get the credit limit up to a meaningful level it's now useful, although I'm careful to pay it off every month, because the interest rate is criminal.

Are you using machines on the CIRUS network or same network as BOA? Machines marked with the VISA/MASTER CARD logo? Regular machines may or may not complete transactions with non network cards.

Its pretty much the same thing happens when you buy google play cards for example, you would need to verify with google proof of purchase ( which I feel is criminal because you already need to provide your taxpayer id when you create your brazilian google play account ).

Most of the time its to offset fraud or scams,

Like another example is to offset that by limiting amount of transactions, Historically what Americans would do is visit asia, get home then claim fraud on credit card which results in requiring cash transactions ( excluding china and pre sanctions ) So put them into an awful position.

Even with cirrus and or PLUS network which is more widely used, you will run into this across the board unless you can somehow manage to get in touch with the visa company ( I use visa ) thats managed by your credit card to update your location and after they learn and build a profile on your shopping habits it over time gets resolved.

However mastercard seems to be at a shortbus in terms of being widely accepted in recent years, not fully sure why

However in china you pretty much need to use platforms like alipay etc and the likes that work with wechat normally.

I find it a very convenient payment platform

I think that like @abthree I'm simply going to give up trying to understand why.....

@Houston_Rio asks what network PagSeguro uses and there is no answer that I can find. These are the point-of-sales machines used in stores, restaurants and other businesses.

The imposed limit is not on the processing terminal ( maquininhas ).

It's in between your bank draft limits,  and the VISA/Mastercard processor. 

C/C processing terminals are programed to process what the issuing bank has authorized your account to bear. Somewhere along these two, they see a large transaction of this, by Brazilian Standards, abnormal, and deny payment. 

Since you do not have a sponsoring bank in Brazil to process the funds, other than VISA/MasterCard, which are only third party processors. you have to straighten this up with BoFA.

Most vendors / retailers carry more than one terminal. If the issue is with the terminal, ask them to switch to another one. If other terminals deny funds, then you know where the problem lies.

It's that simple.