Colombia has officially launched its instant payment system, Bre-B, designed to replicate the success of Brazil’s Pix network.
From the first day of its nationwide rollout on 6 October, global businesses can offer Bre-B as a payment method through EBANX, a FinTech specialising in cross-border payments for emerging markets. To enable this access, EBANX has partnered with MOVii, Latin America’s first Banktech, which provides a full issuing and acquiring payment infrastructure for both individuals and enterprises.
According to Colombia’s central bank, more than 30 million people—representing 76% of the adult population—have already registered to use Bre-B. In contrast, only 18% of Colombians have access to credit cards, one of the lowest rates in the region, as reported by the World Bank. This growing preference for electronic transfers highlights a clear shift towards alternative payment methods in e-commerce and digital transactions.
EBANX VP of product Eduardo de Abreu said, “Bre-B is a game-changer for Colombia’s digital economy, just like Pix was for Brazil. That is why bringing it to our platform from day one was so important to us. We want Colombian consumers and businesses to be part of this transformation right from the start.”
MOVii CCO Katherine Roa added, “Colombians can shop with global brands using the same instant, secure payment method they use locally. It is about bringing world-class e-commerce right at their fingertips without any barriers.”
Colombia’s digital economy has been expanding at double-digit rates since 2019 and is forecast to exceed $52bn in 2025, according to data from Payments and Commerce Market Intelligence (PCMI). By 2028, the market could reach $73bn, with Bre-B expected to accelerate this growth by enabling faster, more inclusive transactions for consumers and businesses alike.
EBANX played a critical role in the development of Bre-B as one of only two FinTechs invited by the central bank to join the Interdisciplinary Committee for Interoperable Payments. The committee drew on Brazil’s experience with Pix to shape Bre-B’s features, including QR code payments, user identification via keys such as ID or phone number, and mandatory interoperability between financial institutions.
De Abreu explained, “We process more real-time payments in Brazil than almost anyone else and handle transactions for 20% of all Pix users. Being able to share that experience and know-how with Colombian regulators and help them sidestep some of the bumps we hit early on with Pix was really rewarding.”
Unlike Pix, which relies on a single infrastructure connecting all financial institutions, Colombia built Bre-B atop its existing systems, linking previously separate services like Transfiya and EntreCuentas with newer platforms such as Credibanco and Visionamos. This modular approach allows the network to expand over time, accommodating future integrations and features.
Through MOVii’s Smart Router technology, EBANX enables merchants to connect to Bre-B via a single integration. The Smart Router provides access to all Bre-B nodes and optimises routing based on transaction type and fees. MOVii has also become the first “sponsor bank” to connect across all Bre-B nodes.
Currently, Bre-B supports person-to-person (P2P) and consumer-to-merchant (P2M) transactions, with plans to expand to government payments (P2G and G2P) and recurring services such as payroll and subscription payments.
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