Cooperatives Accelerate Financial Inclusion in Colombia with Instant Payment Technology
Portafolio Journalist 04.01.2026 09:30 Updated: 04.01.2026 09:30
TL;DR
- The solidarity economy in Colombia, particularly savings and credit cooperatives, is increasingly contributing to financial inclusion.
- Cooperatives represent 173 financial entities with significant presence in remote regions, serving primarily low-income populations.
- The introduction of the Bre-B instant payment system, driven by the Banco de la República, aims to reduce cash usage and promote digitalization.
- Visionamos, an payment ecosystem, and its technology provider Passport, are enabling cooperatives to connect to the Bre-B system without developing their own technology.
- Passport's Banking as a Service model facilitates integration for cooperatives, fintechs, startups, and companies into the instant payment system.
- This infrastructure benefits not only the solidarity sector but also real sector companies and businesses by facilitating digital transactions.
- Cooperatives are positioning themselves as key players in financial inclusion in Colombia through next-generation fintech infrastructure.