Bre-B’s launch: A payment team’s guide to Colombia’s new real-time payment rail

Author Alejandro Tomás Scasserra Lead Product Manager

A new payments chapter for Colombia

On October 6, 2025, Banco de la República will officially fully launch Bre-B, Colombia’s first government-backed real-time payment rail.

For the first time, licensed banks, eWallets, and PSPs in the country will be connected to the same instant, interoperable infrastructure.

Bre-B introduces:

• Instant account-to-account (A2A) transfers in under 20 seconds.
• 24/7/365 availability, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Alias-based payments (llaves), so users don’t need to share full account numbers.
• Mandatory interoperability across banks, wallets, and PSPs.

For payment leaders who understand the impact of instant payments—like Pix in Brazil and UPI in India—Bre-B is a transformative opportunity in Colombia. For those still discovering this shift, now is the time to catch up.

From today’s rails to Bre-B’s design

Colombia’s payment mix is already diverse, with cards, bank transfers, eWallets, and cash all playing important roles. Most of these systems, however, were built around banking hours or closed networks. Bre-B takes the next step by introducing a national RTP rail, offering real-time settlement, alias-based transfers, and full interoperability across the financial ecosystem.

Unlike private fintech initiatives, Bre-B is built and mandated by Banco de la República, ensuring national legitimacy, mandatory participation, and fast adoption traction.

What changes for merchants

Faster settlement

Bre-B brings better cash flow visibility and immediate fund availability, even on weekends or holidays.

Simpler checkout

Customers can pay businesses by scanning a QR code. Transactions confirm in seconds, improving conversion and reducing drop-off.

Example: A shopper buys from an online retailer late on Sunday:

• Before Bre-B: the payment clears, but funds are available the next banking day.
• With Bre-B: the retailer receives settlement confirmation instantly, and the order can move forward right away.

Comparing Bre-B and PSE in Colombia

For years, PSE has been the default way for Colombians to make account-to-account payments online. PSE follows traditional banking cycles. Without replacing it, Bre-B will offer a faster, always-on alternative for both users and businesses.

Making Bre-B work for your business

Bre-B introduces new technical standards. By working with a single integration partner like dLocal, businesses can simplify adoption and benefit from:

• Seamless activation: Bre-B is enabled directly through your existing connection.
• Instant reconciliation: transactions appear in your reports the moment they settle.
• Continuous updates: as Banco de la República rolls out new Bre-B features, they’ll be available to you automatically, no extra development required.
• Built-in compliance: fraud prevention and regulatory controls are embedded from the start.

Where Bre-B fits in Colombia’s payment mix

• Cards: continue to play a central role, especially for credit. Bre-B complements them with instant A2A transfers.
• PSE: remains relevant, while Bre-B adds real-time settlement and broader use cases.
• Cash: still very significant, but Bre-B offers a compelling digital alternative.
• eWallets (like Nequi): now interoperable through Bre-B.

Best-fit use cases

At launch, Bre-B is expected to perform best in one-time, instant-confirmation payments where speed and reliability are critical.

• Online retail & marketplaces: orders can be confirmed and processed right away, even across borders.
• Food delivery: real-time confirmation keeps orders moving without delays.
• Ride-hailing & mobility: instant settlement builds trust with drivers and platforms.
• Travel & ticketing: payments clear immediately so inventory can be released at any hour.

Future phases are expected to expand into recurring payments, higher-value B2B transfers, and government disbursements (G2C).

Learning from global models

Colombia joins a growing list of markets adopting real-time rails powered by governments:

• Pix (Brazil): mass adoption within two years thanks to simplicity and interoperability.
• UPI (India): exponential growth powered by open APIs and mandatory participation.
• Transferencias 3.0 (Argentina): interoperable QR accelerating eCommerce adoption.

Bre-B is aligned with these models and backed by the central bank—putting Colombia on a clear path to widespread RTP usage.

Opportunities and considerations

Opportunities with Bre-B

• Real-time settlement supports stronger merchant liquidity
• Interoperability unites banks and wallets under one system
• No end-user fees for at least 3 years → adoption potential is high
• Simpler checkout to reduce friction and improve conversion
• Aligned with global RTP successes (Pix, UPI, Transferencias 3.0)

What to keep in mind

• Transaction caps apply at launch (COP 11M per transfer)
• Early flows are QR-first, with roadmap for broader use
• Customer education will shape how quickly usage grows
• Fraud prevention must adapt to alias-based flows

Conclusion: Bre-B is not optional

Bre-B will quickly become a core payment method in Colombia. Customers will expect it, regulators require it, and competitors will adopt it.

From day one, we will be ready to integrate Bre-B, reinforcing our commitment to advancing digital payments and financial inclusion across Latin America.

CTA: Ready to discuss? Reach out to our team of Bre-B experts today.