The Central Bank of Colombia published a technical document explaining the conception, design and implementation of Bre-B, Colombia’s interoperable instant payments system, which it leads as regulator and operator of public digital infrastructure. The paper also describes early operational outcomes since the system went live and sets out the main elements of its forward strategy. Bre-B was developed under a “build on what exists” approach, integrating prior industry developments through common rules, technical standards and a public-private governance model intended to address coordination failures and promote interoperability. Since entering operation in October 2025, the system has achieved wide institutional coverage, rapid registration of payment “keys” and a significant volume of transactions, and is described as improving user experience for payments and transfers while strengthening competition and expanding access for households, merchants and businesses. Looking ahead, the strategy highlighted in the document focuses on broad adoption, promotion and security of the scheme, and scaling the platform to new business use cases to support innovation and further digitisation of payments in Colombia.
Central Bank of Colombia 2026-02-26
Central Bank of Colombia publishes technical paper on the design implementation and roadmap for Bre-B interoperable instant payments
The Central Bank of Colombia released a document on Bre-B, the interoperable instant payments system. Since its October 2025 launch, Bre-B has achieved extensive institutional coverage and transaction volume, enhancing user experience and competition. The strategy emphasizes broad adoption, security, and scaling for new business use cases to drive further payment digitization.