Checkout Link: la forma más simple de recaudar en un país cada vez más digital

Today, collecting payments simply, immediately, and without technical friction has become a strategic necessity for businesses in Colombia. According to Impacto TIC, the country is undergoing a rapid digital transformation in payments: more than 78% of Colombian businesses already sell online, creating a favorable environment for new payment solutions.

Tools such as payment links (Checkout Links) have emerged to address this reality, allowing companies to collect payments in seconds via a simple link sent via WhatsApp, email, or social media. These alternatives have established themselves as secure and reliable options for Colombians, setting themselves apart from slower traditional methods.

In this article, we’ll explore why your business in Colombia needs a Checkout Link today and how this B2B payment solution can boost your collection capabilities easily and effectively.

Colombian customers are digital: frictionless payments

A large proportion of Colombian consumers already prefer to make quick and secure online payments. A Checkout Link allows businesses to offer a seamless digital payment experience.

The customer profile has changed: an increasing number of banked and digital customers expect agile, hassle-free payment solutions. According to recent surveys, more than 50% of Colombians have increased their use of digital payment channels, including e-commerce gateways, PSE payments, online banking platforms, QR codes, and mobile wallets.

This boom is reflected in the exponential growth of new payment methods: for example, the use of digital wallets grew by 120% between 2020 and 2024, reaching 40 million monthly transactions. During the same period, payments via digital links grew by 95%, demonstrating the rapid adoption of Checkout links in the country.

In this context, offering a Payment Button or payment link becomes crucial for reaching your customers. A Checkout Link allows you to collect payments from customers at any bank or digital wallet immediately, without them having to navigate complex processes. The buyer simply needs to click on a secure link, choose their preferred payment method, and confirm the transaction in seconds.

For businesses, this means simpler payments (no lines at banks, no physical receipts, no waiting for manual confirmations), which improves the customer experience and boosts sales conversion rates. It also allows you to receive your funds immediately and use them for instant disbursements through Cobre’s Local Payments, for example.

Furthermore, by using a local checkout optimized for Colombia, your company benefits from a solution designed for our context (local currency, language, Colombian payment methods), unlike generic global options that may not cover all local needs.

In short, your customers are already digital; your payment method must be too in order to meet their expectations.

Instant collections to improve business liquidity

In the financial management of any company, the speed at which payments are received is key. When revenue doesn’t turn into liquidity on time, working capital weakens and obligations begin to pile up. Therefore, minimizing collection time has a direct impact on the health of your business.

Solutions like Checkout stand out precisely because they speed up cash flow: they allow you to receive payments instantly or within minutes, avoiding the delays associated with traditional bank transfers or checks.

By implementing an instant payment solution, you improve your cash flow and support the company’s liquidity. Various studies indicate that by receiving payments more quickly and efficiently, funds are available when needed, also reducing the time and effort required to manage collections.

For example, advanced solutions like Cobre’s Checkout credit each payment to your account immediately, without a 24- to 48-hour wait to see the funds reflected. This means you can reinvest or use that money instantly through Cobre’s Local Payments to pay suppliers, payroll, or other operations, gaining financial agility.

Another important benefit is the reduction in the risk of delinquency and delays: by making it easier for your customers to pay immediately through a checkout link they receive via text or email, you decrease the likelihood of forgotten or postponed payments.

Even for B2B collections, such as inter-company invoices, a Checkout Link can significantly speed up payment times compared to traditional methods (such as manual bank transfers). In short, collecting faster means collecting better, strengthening your liquidity and protecting your business’s financial autonomy.

Seamless technical implementation (no-code)

A major advantage of Checkout solutions is that you don’t need to be a technical expert or invest in development to use them.

Historically, many Colombian companies have relied on complex integrations or custom development to enable a payment button on their websites, which requires time, money, and specialized knowledge. With modern Checkout Links, that barrier disappears: you can create payment links in minutes without writing a single line of code.

Most of these solutions offer intuitive web portals where the business user generates the payment by filling out a simple form (amount, description, reference) and obtaining a link or QR code ready to share. There’s no need for your own tech infrastructure or to hire developers. For example, from the Cobre Portal, you can create Checkout Links quickly and 100% visually—essentially an online payment button without using code, which you can easily customize yourself.

This simplicity allows any business—from a solo entrepreneur to an SME or large corporation—to start accepting digital payments immediately, without relying on lengthy or costly technological developments.

For companies with IT departments or more advanced requirements, many platforms also offer the option of API integration. This means that, if you wish, you can connect the Checkout functionality to your internal systems or automate the bulk generation of links.

However, the key point is that you don’t need to write any code to take advantage of this solution: in short, Checkout is a plug-and-play tool for digital payments.

This ease of implementation translates into savings in time and resources, allowing you to focus on the strategic and commercial aspects of your business rather than on technical complications.

Common Use Cases for Checkout Links in Colombia

A Checkout is extremely versatile. Below, we highlight some common use cases in Colombia where charging via link makes a difference:

Deposits on Online Betting Platforms

Sports betting and online gaming sites need to offer instant deposits so their users don’t miss a single minute of gameplay. A Checkout solution allows these platforms to send a payment link to the bettor (via SMS, email, or in-app chat) so they can instantly top up their balance using PSE, a credit card, or a digital wallet.

By eliminating cumbersome steps, users can make their deposit in seconds and continue betting, which improves the experience and builds loyalty. For the betting company, this means higher deposit conversion rates and fewer abandoned transactions due to payment friction.

Payments in credit fintechs and digital wallets

Loan and credit fintechs in Colombia also leverage Checkout Links to streamline payments. For example, if a customer applies for a loan on a fintech platform, the company can provide them with a payment link to easily make the initial deposit or pay installments.

The same applies to savings fintech platforms or digital wallets: when a user wants to add funds to their account, they are provided with a link where they can choose which bank or payment method to use. This method is ideal for microloans, revolving credit, or prepaid models, as it reduces the hassle of having to make manual deposits or transfers.

The result is a higher repayment rate (customers pay on time because the process is simple) and transactions that occur practically in real time.

Invoicing for products or services (B2B and B2C)

Many professional service firms, B2B suppliers, and even B2C SMEs are choosing to send invoices with a payment Checkout Link included. At the end of the document or collection email, they add a payment button/link where the customer can settle the invoice immediately.

This applies to project billing, subscription payments, educational services, and administrative fees, among others. By allowing for open balances, the same link adjusts to the amount each customer owes, eliminating the need to generate unique bank references or verify payments one by one.

The benefits are clear: your customers appreciate the convenience of paying with a single click using their preferred method, and your company accelerates receivables collection, reducing the risk of past-due accounts. In the B2B environment, where payments traditionally took weeks, a Checkout Link significantly streamlines the collection cycle, supporting liquidity for both parties.

Full customization and control over every payment

A common concern for businesses is how to maintain control and brand image when using third-party payment solutions. With modern Checkout Links, this isn’t an issue: you can customize every payment link and have full visibility into transactions.

First, when generating a Checkout Link, you can define all the payment details: from the description the customer will see (for example, “Payment for XYZ Hotel Reservation”) to conditions such as the expiration date or whether the link will be deactivated after a single use.

Plus, you have complete control, with no limits on how and how much to charge. You can create links for fixed amounts (e.g., $50,000 for a specific product or service) or open amounts, where the customer enters the amount to be paid. This open-amount flexibility is extremely useful for variable charges—think of donations, bill payments whose value changes based on usage, or account deposits.

You decide the format based on the situation. Additionally, solutions like Cobre’s Checkout Link allow you to assign unique references or notes to each payment (e.g., invoice number, customer ID), so that every payment received is identified. This traceability facilitates financial reconciliation and detailed tracking of each transaction: you know who paid, for what, and when, without having to guess the origin of each payment.

In fact, thanks to these tools, it’s possible to track each transaction in detail, minimizing errors and flagging potential inconsistencies. In short, a Checkout Link isn’t just a generic link, but a payment channel that can be customized to meet every need, where you maintain complete control over the information and the payment experience

Support for all local payment methods

Another key strength of Checkout Links is that they integrate multiple local payment methods into a single solution. This means that with a single link, you can offer your customers the option to pay with credit/debit cards, PSE, or digital wallets—whichever they prefer—thereby expanding your reach.

Instead of implementing a separate payment button for each bank or wallet, Checkout acts as a one-stop shop: the customer chooses the option that suits them best and completes the payment. Below, we review the most relevant methods in Colombia typically included in these solutions:

PSE Payment Button: Wide coverage of accounts in Colombia

The PSE (Electronic Services Provider) Payment Button has become a standard for online payments debited from bank accounts in Colombia. Essentially, PSE connects more than 20 Colombian banks on a single platform: a customer can pay from their savings or checking account at any financial institution through PSE, securely and in real time.

Including PSE in your checkout gives you access to the power of local online banking. You’ll be offering your banked customers the option to pay directly from their trusted bank—a vital feature, considering that many prefer to use their bank accounts rather than credit cards. In fact, in 2024, more than 105 million instant bank transfers were recorded via digital wallets and PSE in a single six-month period, reflecting the widespread adoption of this method.

With a Checkout Link, your payment option appears practically as a universal PSE Payment Button, without requiring you to integrate individually with each bank. This saves you effort and gives the customer the convenience of a familiar process: with a single click, they choose their bank, log in to their online banking, and validate the payment in a familiar environment. In business terms, enabling PSE means greater reach (you reach millions of bank users) and guaranteed payments (funds are debited instantly from the customer’s account).

Nequi Payment Button: Reach a Very Broad Audience

Nequi is the leading digital wallet in Colombia, with millions of users, particularly among young people and the mobile-first population. Many people use Nequi daily to send money, shop online, and pay for services quickly and easily.

With a Checkout Link that supports the Nequi Pay Button, your business can take advantage of the speed and simplicity of mobile payments. What does this mean? It means your customers can pay you directly from their cell phones in just a few taps, using their Nequi balance or linked cards, without needing cash or entering complex information. The Nequi payment experience is practically instantaneous: the customer scans a QR code or taps the Nequi button at checkout, confirms through their app, and that’s it—money transferred instantly.

According to Colombia Fintech, annual growth of 24.5% is projected in this sector through 2026. So with this rapid growth, integrating Nequi into your payment options is key to not leaving behind purely digital customers. In particular, many shoppers appreciate not having to expose additional banking information; with Nequi, their information is already in the app, and the payment is fast, secure, and frictionless. For your business, accepting Nequi via Checkout Link means having payments confirmed instantly and available in your account, with the convenience of a 100% mobile channel.

Bancolombia Payment Button: Business Trust

Bancolombia is the country’s largest bank, and its brand evokes trust in the business community. Many traditional companies have used the Bancolombia Payment Button (or other banking gateways) because it provides them with security by working with a recognized institution.

The good news is that a well-designed checkout can offer the same level of bank-grade trust and security, combined with greater speed and flexibility. These fintech solutions operate under security standards equivalent to those of the banking sector (with encryption, robust authentication, and regulatory compliance), so both you and your customers can rest assured.

In fact, many Colombians already consider alternative digital payments to be just as secure as traditional methods. When a customer pays through a Checkout, they are actually using bank gateways (such as PSE, which routes them to Bancolombia, Davivienda, etc., depending on their choice) or monitored networks, so the transaction is backed by their trusted financial institution.

For the business receiving payment, this translates to a payment guarantee (if the bank approved the transaction, the money will arrive) and fraud prevention, since authentication is performed directly with the customer’s bank or wallet.

In short, with a single Checkout Link, your business offers customers all major local payment methods: from the power of online banking (PSE/Bancolombia and other banks) to the immediacy of digital wallets (Nequi and others), including card payments.

Without switching platforms or implementing multiple integrations, you can offer a comprehensive payment experience tailored to each user’s preferences. This increases the likelihood of successful collections (there will always be a payment method that’s convenient for the customer) and positions your company as modern and customer-centric.

Bre-B Payment Button: local infrastructure, immediate liquidity

In Colombia, few things convey more peace of mind than relying on the national payment infrastructure for collections. Bre-B was created precisely to facilitate modern, highly available interbank payments, backed by the trust of a regulated ecosystem designed to move money quickly between financial institutions. For businesses, this means a simple promise: collections via payment keys that don’t fall short and an experience that the payer recognizes as secure.

The key lies in combining that reliability with a user experience that doesn’t hinder the sale. A Checkout that integrates Bre-B alongside PSE, Nequi, and Bancolombia within a single interface allows customers to choose their preferred payment method without jumping from platform to platform.

The result: greater ease, more successful first-time payments, and a brand perception aligned with what today’s digital users expect.

Accept Payments Easily and Grow Without Limits

In today’s digital economy, adopting simple and instant payment tools is no longer optional—it’s essential. A Checkout solution gives Colombian businesses the ability to accept payments at the right time, through the right channel, and with as little friction as possible.

We’ve seen that this type of solution helps reach both banked and digital customers alike, facilitating payments from any financial institution or digital wallet, whether in B2C transactions or B2B payments between companies.

We’ve also seen how it positively impacts your business: it speeds up collections, reduces delays, strengthens liquidity, and eliminates the need for lengthy tech development. In short, a well-implemented Checkout Link allows you to focus on your business while payments flow automatically.

If Colombia is moving toward a more digital economy that is less dependent on cash, your company must move with it. Implementing a solution like Cobre’s Checkout—with customization, immediate crediting, code-free use, and full traceability—will give you a competitive advantage in this changing environment.

Ultimately, offering a Checkout Link means offering convenience, speed, and trust—values your customers will appreciate and that your company will see reflected in its financial performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Cobre Checkout payment method?

Cobre Checkout is a business payment solution using customizable payment links. Businesses generate unique links from the unified payments portal or API, share them with customers, and receive bank transfers into their Cobre Balance. It includes PSE, Nequi, and Bancolombia buttons with secure authentication and end-to-end encryption.

What does “collect via Checkout” mean?

Collecting payments via Checkout means receiving payments through a personalized checkout page without the need for an online store. The payment process is simple: you generate a checkout link, share it, and the customer completes the transaction securely. Ideal for B2B companies that need to collect invoices, advance payments, or service fees without complex sales processes.

What is a checkout link?

A checkout link is a unique URL that directs users to a customized payment landing page. It functions as a checkout URL that can be shared via WhatsApp, email, or SMS. Each link contains payment details (amount, description, reference) and allows the payer to complete the transaction using their preferred payment methods without prior registration.

Is Cobre Checkout reliable?

Yes, we operate with ISO 27001, SOC 2, and PCI DSS certifications, ensuring security and fraud protection. We process $10 billion USD annually for over 250 companies using bank-grade digital financial tools. Every transaction uses end-to-end encryption and complies with Colombian regulations. We do not handle money directly; we only process payments.

Does Checkout de Cobre work for e-commerce?

Although Checkout is optimized for B2B collections, it works perfectly for business-to-business e-commerce. Unlike a traditional online store, it generates specific payment links for each transaction. Ideal for high-value B2B sales where each client requires customized terms and business-level payment processes.

What is the payment process like with Checkout?

The payment process is straightforward: the customer receives the checkout link, accesses the checkout page, selects their payment method (PSE, Nequi, Bancolombia), completes secure authentication with their bank, and confirms. All in less than 10 minutes. No long forms or registration required. 98% of payments are completed successfully.

Does Checkout handle payouts or just collections?

Checkout is exclusively for collections (incoming payments). For payouts or outgoing payments, Cobre offers Real Time Payments, part of our global treasury management platform. You can collect payments with Checkout and make payments with Real Time Payments from the same balance, optimizing your global currency management.

Do I need special internal tools to use Checkout?

You don’t need any additional internal tools. Checkout works through our web portal (no coding required) or via API for integrations. It includes everything: link generation, payment collection management, webhooks for notifications, and reports. Compatible with your existing systems without replacing your current digital financial tools