Millions of users of Bancolombia and its digital wallet Nequi have experienced intermittent disruptions to banking services in recent days, prompting concerns about the stability of Colombia’s digital financial infrastructure. While the banks attribute the issues to scheduled maintenance and high demand, the repeated outages are raising questions about the resilience of these platforms and their ability to handle the country’s growing digital transaction volume.
As of , Bancolombia reported that its mobile app, virtual branch, and ATMs were operating with intermittent functionality. Correspondent banking locations were also experiencing disruptions. Transactions at physical commerce locations using debit and credit cards remained operational, offering a limited workaround for customers. Nequi users reported an inability to send or receive funds to and from Bancolombia accounts, as well as issues with QR code payments between the two platforms.
Bancolombia has stated that customers can still utilize debit and credit cards, ATMs, and correspondent banking locations during the maintenance periods. The bank is encouraging users to utilize these alternative methods for transactions. Users can still view their total account balances, including funds held in “bolsillos” (digital wallets within the Nequi platform).
Recent Outages and Scheduled Maintenance
This latest round of disruptions follows a significant technical failure on , which impacted millions of Nequi and Bancolombia users, preventing payments, transfers, and recharges. That incident sparked widespread frustration on social media, with users reporting difficulties accessing their accounts and completing essential transactions. The current issues appear to be linked to planned maintenance, but the frequency of these disruptions is fueling user anxiety.
Bancolombia announced scheduled maintenance spanning two nights: and , 2025, between midnight (12:00 AM) and 1:00 AM each night. During these periods, all digital transactions were temporarily unavailable. Nequi also announced maintenance scheduled for and , 2026, between 10:30 PM and 3:30 AM, impacting transfers between Nequi and Bancolombia, QR code payments, and incoming remittances. Further maintenance is scheduled for , 2026, between 3:00 AM and 4:00 AM, during which app access will be temporarily suspended, and PSE (electronic payment system) transactions will be unavailable.
Growing Concerns About Digital Banking Reliability
The repeated service interruptions at Bancolombia and Nequi highlight the challenges of maintaining reliable digital banking infrastructure in Colombia. The two institutions collectively serve a substantial portion of the country’s population, and disruptions to their services have a significant impact on economic activity. The incidents also raise questions about the adequacy of investment in system upgrades and cybersecurity measures.
The issues at Nequi are particularly noteworthy, given its rapid growth in recent years. Nequi has become a popular platform for financial inclusion, offering banking services to a segment of the population that may not have traditional bank accounts. However, its reliance on shared technological infrastructure with Bancolombia means that it is vulnerable to disruptions affecting the larger bank’s systems.
Impact on Users and Potential Financial Losses
The service disruptions have caused significant inconvenience for users, preventing them from making payments, transferring funds, and accessing essential financial services. Some users have reported financial losses due to the inability to complete transactions on time. A Reddit user reported losing 130,000 Colombian pesos due to issues with the Bre-B platform (a previous iteration of Nequi), and difficulties in recovering the funds. While this specific case predates the current issues, it underscores the potential for financial harm caused by platform failures.
Bancolombia has assured customers that their funds and information remain secure, but the repeated disruptions are eroding trust in the digital banking system. The bank has not yet provided a detailed explanation for the causes of the recent outages, but it has attributed similar incidents in the past to technical maintenance and security updates.
Looking Ahead
The ongoing issues at Bancolombia and Nequi underscore the need for continued investment in digital banking infrastructure and robust contingency planning. As Colombia’s digital economy continues to grow, it is essential that financial institutions are able to provide reliable and secure services to their customers. Regulators may also need to consider stricter oversight of digital banking platforms to ensure that they are adequately prepared to handle disruptions and protect consumer interests. The scheduled maintenance indicates a proactive approach to addressing underlying issues, but the frequency of these events suggests that more comprehensive solutions may be required.
