Do Colombians still pay in cash?
Yes. Banco de la República survey data show 66% of Colombians preferred cash in 2026, down from 91% in 2012. Online shoppers without cards pay at cash networks such as Efecty, which has about 10,000 points.
In detail
Yes. Cash is declining in Colombia, but it is still the default for many routine payments. Banco de la República survey data reported by Portafolio show that 66% of Colombians preferred cash as a payment method in 2026, down from 91% in 2012. The same report links the recent drop to the rollout of Bre-B, the instant payment system.
Cash in online commerce
Online, cash is a niche but a necessary one. Cash payments, including cash on delivery, made up 1.8% of e-commerce transactions in 2025 according to the CCCE. Shoppers without cards receive a reference number at checkout and pay it at a physical network. Efecty, the largest, has about 10,000 points covering 95% of the country. Su Red, Paga Todo and Gana add thousands more. The Vía Baloto network stopped operating in May 2022.
What it means for payment operators
A cash reference option widens the pool of Colombian shoppers your merchants can reach, especially outside large cities and among people without cards. Operators need a local provider that issues references and confirms payments automatically, and reconciliation that matches each cash payment to its order, since settlement arrives later than for cards or PSE.