Bre-B, the instant payment system run by Colombia's central bank (Banco de la República), is about to turn one year old with numbers few expected: more than 34 million users in its first six months and over 111 million registered keys as of August 2026. Now it adds a feature that changes the game for anyone who bills monthly: automatic debits.
Bre-B in two lines
It is the network that connects banks and digital wallets so money arrives in seconds, at any time and at no cost to the user. Instead of asking for an account number, the customer pays to a key: your ID number, mobile number, email or a merchant code, or by scanning a QR code. Keys officially went live on October 6, 2025.
In its first six months it processed more than 670 million transactions worth about COP 105 trillion, with a record of 5.8 million operations in a single day.
What's new: recurring billing without cards
In July 2026, the fintech DRUO became the first to enable recurring debits through Bre-B keys. The customer authorizes once and subsequent charges are processed automatically, without approving each payment. The cap per transaction is 1,000 UVB (about COP 12 million in 2026), and the central bank strengthened the rules so users clearly understand what they authorize, how to cancel it and which notifications they receive.
This works for:
- Tuition at schools, gyms and academies.
- Building maintenance fees.
- Subscriptions and service plans.
- Loan and insurance payments.
How to get the most out of it with automation
Collecting through Bre-B is only half the job. The other half is making the rest of the process run by itself:
- Link or QR at the right moment. When the customer confirms a purchase or an appointment, they get the QR code or key to pay via WhatsApp.
- Automatic reconciliation. Every payment received is logged in your spreadsheet, CRM or accounting software, without checking the bank statement by hand.
- Friendly reminders. If a payment does not arrive, the system sends scheduled reminders before you have to write yourself.
- Receipt and invoice. Once the payment is confirmed, the customer gets their receipt and your team gets notified.
Money already arrives in seconds. What many businesses still lack is for the confirmation, the record-keeping and the follow-up to do the same.
If you want to connect Bre-B to your billing flow, book a discovery call and we will review what can be automated in your case.
Sources: Vanguardia · Portafolio · El Heraldo · Banco de la República
