How to receive money from the US via Bre-B

Good news: the days of reading an 11-digit account number over WhatsApp (and praying nobody mixes up a 3 and an 8) are over. With Bre-B, Colombia’s instant payment system, all you share is one tiny detail: your llave (key). Then the money lands right in the bank account or digital wallet you already use. Easy, right?

We’ll walk you through setting up your key, what information to share with the sender in the U.S., how long the money takes to arrive, and what to do if there are technical troubles.

Curious to know more about Bre-B? Start with our guide to what Bre-B is and how it works.

Have family in the U.S.? They can send money straight to your Bre-B key with Ria.

Before you start with Bre-B

Before your family in the U.S. hits send, make sure these three things are in place:

• A savings account, checking account, or low-amount deposit (the kind of account behind most digital wallets) at a Colombian institution that takes part in Bre-B, like Bancolombia, Davivienda or Nequi (all of which work with Ria)

• A Bre-B key registered to that account

• Someone in the U.S. who sends you money through a provider connected to Bre-B, like Ria

Most people already have the first one covered. Banco de la República publishes the full list of participating institutions, and it includes Bancolombia, Davivienda, Banco de Bogotá, BBVA Colombia, Nequi, Daviplata, Nu Colombia and a long list of cooperatives.

Bre-B itself is a domestic system that handles payments and transfers within Colombia. Ria takes care of the international part of the trip, turning your sender’s dollars into pesos, and then delivers the money to your key through Bre-B.

Anyone with an account can send money through Bre-B without a key, but you need a key to receive. So that’s the one thing to set up on your side.

How to register your Bre-B key

There’s no new app to download. You register your key inside the app or website of the bank or wallet where you keep your money. Banco de la República says you’ll usually find a Bre-B section on the first screen after you log in.

Step by step

1. Log in to your bank or wallet app of your choosing.

2. Open the Bre-B section.

3. Choose the option to register a key (the exact label changes from bank to bank).

4. Pick the type of key you want to use (see which key to choose below).

5. Link it to the account where you want to receive money, then confirm with your password, token or fingerprint.

Registering a key is free and happens without intermediaries. If you want a practice run first, Banco de la República has simulators that walk you through each screen.

Which key to choose

These are the key types available to individuals:

• Your national ID number (cédula)

• Your Colombian cell phone number

• Your email address

• An alphanumeric code generated by your bank, which starts with @

The options your app shows come from the details your bank already has on file. If you want to use a new phone number or email, update your information with the bank first.

A few things to weigh:

• A phone number is the easiest key for family to remember. If you switch numbers often, your cédula (ID) is the more stable choice.

• The same key can’t be registered at two institutions at the same time. If your phone number is already your key at Nequi, pick a different key at your bank or move it.

• Think about where you want remittances to land. If you save in a bank account but spend from a wallet, register the key you’ll share with your family on the account you’d rather fill up.

How to share your key

Your sender needs exactly one thing from you: the key. They don’t need your account number, your password or any code your bank sends you.

To keep things smooth:

• Type the key out in a message so they can copy and paste it instead of retyping it.

• Tell them which type it is: phone number, cédula, email or @ code.

• Share it exactly as you registered it, and ask them to check each character before confirming. A typo can send the money to someone else’s key.

What your sender does in Ria

On their side, it takes five steps:

1. Sign in or register for free.

2. Choose Colombia and enter the amount.

3. Pick how to pay: credit or debit card, bank, Google Pay, Apple Pay or cash.

4. Select Bre-B as the delivery method and enter your llave.

5. Confirm, then track the transfer with the PIN or order number.

They can do this in the Ria app, on our website or at a Ria location.

How long it takes and what it costs

Here’s what to expect once your sender hits confirm:

• Speed: money sent with Ria through Bre-B arrives in minutes.

• Availability: Bre-B runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, weekends and Colombian holidays included.

• Acceptance: you don’t have to accept anything. Once the transfer is processed, the money goes into the account linked to your key automatically.

On cost, your sender sees the fee and exchange rate before they confirm. On your side, each financial institution sets its own fees for Bre-B transfers, so check your bank’s terms.

Bre-B limits

There are a few limits to keep in mind:

• Bre-B has a ceiling of COP 12,110,000 per transaction in 2026, equal to 1,000 basic value units (UVB).

• Your bank can set lower caps on the amount or the number of transactions.

• Ria shows your sender the exact limits for their transfer when they set it up.

Bre-B vs other options

Bre-B is one of several ways your family can send money to Colombia with Ria. The others:

• Bank deposit to major Colombian banks like Bancolombia and Davivienda, using your account number

• Mobile wallet delivery to Nequi or Daviplata

• Cash pickup at a partner location

• Visa Direct to an eligible Visa debit card

Bre-B is a good fit if you have an account, want your sender to need just one detail, and like getting money on a Sunday night as easily as on a Tuesday morning. If you don’t have an account, cash pickup is still there. You can compare every option on our receive money page.

Bre-B doesn’t replace your account number, either. Traditional transfers still exist, so a relative who prefers bank deposit can keep using it.

What to do if the money doesn’t arrive

Work through these checks in order:

1. Ask your sender to confirm they chose Bre-B and to read back the key they entered, character by character.

2. Open your bank app and check that your key is active and linked to the account you’re looking at. If you recently moved the key to another bank, the money goes there.

3. Have your sender check the transfer status with the PIN or order number from Ria.

4. If something still looks off, your sender can reach our team through the Ria Help Center. For anything on the account side, Banco de la República says to use your financial institution’s own support channels, such as the chat in your bank’s app, its customer service line or a branch.

How to keep your Bre-B key safe

Banco de la República has warned about fraud attempts, including text messages with links to fake pages.

A few habits help:

• Register and manage your key only inside your bank’s official app.

• Registering a key is free and doesn’t involve intermediaries, so treat anyone asking for money to “activate” your key as a red flag.

• Your key is for receiving money. Keep your passwords, PINs and verification codes to yourself, since nobody needs them to send you money.

Ready to get started? Register your key, send it to your family in the U.S., and they can choose Bre-B the next time they send money to Colombia with Ria.

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