Colombia has launched its first government-backed real-time payments rail. Bre-B debuted on Oct. 8. It is the national real-time payment system developed by Banco de la República, and integrates into institutional mobile wallets and platforms.
Paytech dLocal wasted little time in integrating Bre-B payments for its customers. dLocal customers can ensure Bre-B is integrated in any checkout across all merchants.
Bre-B is powered by Banco de la República and modelled after Brazil’s Pix and India’s UPI. It enables settlement in less than 20 seconds around the clock while using Alias-based transfers instead of account numbers. The transfers also employ digital keys (llaves) — phone numbers, IDs, emails, or custom aliases — instead of full bank account details.
There is full interoperability across Colombia’s payment ecosystem. End-users will not be charged fees for at least three years.
With Bre-B, businesses will gain immediate fund availability, lower drop-off rates at checkout, and a stronger position in Colombia’s evolving payment landscape,” dLocal said.
dLocal powers local payments in emerging markets, connecting global enterprise merchants with billions of consumers across the APAC, Middle East, Latin America, and Africa. Through the “One dLocal” concept (one direct API, one platform, and one contract), global companies can accept payments, send payouts, and settle funds globally—without the need to manage separate processors or set up local entities.
Users can now process peer-to-peer transfers and peer-to-merchant payments. Bre-B is mandatory for Colombian banks and eWallets, meaning true interoperability for the first time in the country. Transactions are capped at 11 million COP, roughly equivalent to $2,800. Banks and e-wallet providers can apply lower limits based on user risk profiles.
To deploy Bre-B, customers scan a QR code from their bank app. Bre-B’s central switch identifies the alias and account. Funds settle in under 20 seconds, and both parties receive real-time confirmation.
dLocal said the Bre-B will drive financial inclusion and reduce the reliance on cash, which accounts for 78% of daily transactions in Colombia. It should also enable new use cases, such as government disbursements and B2B payments.
