--- title: "How to Accept Online Payments in Colombia: PSE, Nequi, Daviplata, and More for Your Website" description: "2026 Guide to payment gateways in Colombia: PSE, Nequi, Daviplata, Wompi, PayU, and more. Real commissions, comparison, and WooCommerce integration." canonical: "https://webbooster.com.co/en/accepting-online-payments-in-colombia-pse-nequi-daviplata/" published: 2026-09-07 author: "Web Booster" category: "E-commerce" --- Electronic commerce in Colombia continues to grow rapidly and is consolidating as one of the country's most dynamic economic engines. More and more businesses want to sell online, but there is a problem that still holds back many entrepreneurs and SMBs: they don't know how to receive payments in an automated, secure, and efficient way. Many start by accepting manual bank transfers via WhatsApp: the client writes, requests bank details, sends a screenshot of the receipt, and waits for you to confirm. Every additional step creates friction, and friction reduces conversions. By the end of this article, you will know exactly which payment methods are mandatory for the Colombian market, which gateway best adapts to your business, and how to connect it to your website to turn visits into real sales without manual processes. --- ## What is a payment gateway and why do you need it? A payment gateway acts as a digital cashier: a secure intermediary between your online store, your client's bank, and your own bank account. Its main function is to authorize, process, and validate payments in real-time, ensuring that sensitive data is encrypted and protected against fraud. Without a gateway, you rely on a slow process full of friction. The customer chooses a product, writes to you on WhatsApp, waits for the bank details, makes the transfer, sends you the screenshot, and you must verify it manually. Each of those steps is an opportunity for the buyer to change their mind or abandon the purchase. And in the worst cases, receipts can be altered. A gateway eliminates this flow entirely. When the user clicks "pay", the system processes the transaction in seconds, validates the funds, and automatically notifies your store. The order status changes, the inventory is adjusted, and the customer receives a confirmation email. All of this happens 24/7 without you lifting a finger. In addition to automating the process, gateways offer: - Certified anti-fraud security. - Native integration with WooCommerce and other platforms. - Support for multiple payment methods under a single contract. - Automated sales reconciliation and reporting. - Real-time notifications (Webhooks) that update your orders instantly. --- ## The payment methods your business needs in Colombia Colombia has one of the most dynamic payment ecosystems in Latin America. Unlike more banked markets where credit cards dominate almost everything, here there is a diversity of alternatives that responds to cultural habits and financial inclusion needs. If you want to sell competitively, your gateway must cover these channels: ### Credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Diners) They remain the international standard and are indispensable for middle- and high-income customers, as well as for high-value transactions. Their advantage is ease of use and the ability to offer installment payments. Their weak point is that they usually have the highest commissions, so it is not wise to build your payment strategy relying solely on them. ### PSE (Pagos Seguros en Línea) Operated by ACH Colombia, PSE allows users to pay by debiting directly from their savings or current account at any bank in the country. It represents between 18% and 22% of the total transaction volume in Colombian e-commerce, depending on the sector. Its big advantage is cost: commissions typically range between **1.49% and 1.99%**, notably lower than those of credit cards. If you sell high-ticket products (technology, appliances, professional services), encouraging PSE can save you significant amounts in intermediation costs each month. ### Nequi With over 21 million active users, Nequi has become the favorite payment method of younger audiences and freelancers. Its flow is almost frictionless: the customer enters their mobile number and confirms a push notification from the app. The typical commission is around **1.79%**, making it highly attractive for quick, lower-value transactions. If your business targets younger demographics, Nequi is practically mandatory. ### Daviplata Davivienda's digital wallet has over 18 million users across the country. It is a critical channel if your audience includes employees, families banked in the Davivienda ecosystem, or beneficiaries of government subsidies. Like Nequi, it eliminates friction by not requiring complex bank passwords or physical cards. ### Cash at physical points (Efecty, Baloto, Su Red) Although it seems contradictory to talk about cash in e-commerce, about **15% of online purchases in Colombia are still paid at physical points**. The flow is simple: the store generates a payment reference code, the customer pays at the nearest point, and the gateway notifies confirmation within minutes. Ignoring this channel means closing your doors to a massive segment of people who do not yet trust digital channels or who do not have bank accounts, especially in intermediate cities. > **Rule of thumb:** A truly competitive gateway in Colombia must cover the entire ecosystem: **cards + PSE + at least one digital wallet (Nequi or Daviplata) + cash collection**. If the option you choose lacks one of these pillars, you are losing customers to your competition. --- ## Comparison of the main payment gateways in Colombia (2026) > ⚠️ **Important:** Commissions vary based on monthly billing volume, the mix of payment methods, and the conditions you negotiate directly with each provider. The values below are market estimates for 2026—verify current rates on official portals before signing any contract.
| Gateway | Backing | Key Methods | Approx. Commission | Best For | |---|---|---|---|---| | **Wompi** | Grupo Bancolombia | PSE, Nequi, Daviplata, cards, cash | ~2.5% (PSE from 1.49%) | Businesses focusing on Nequi and Bancolombia accounts | | **PayU** | LATAM Leader | Complete local method coverage | ~2.8% + COP 900 per transaction | Mid-sized and large businesses with regional projection | | **ePayco** | Colombian Company | PSE, Nequi, Daviplata, cards, payment links | ~2.6% + COP 900 | SMBs looking for balance and diverse tools | | **Mercado Pago** | MercadoLibre Ecosystem | Cards, interest-free installments, balance, QR | ~2.85% | Stores that also operate on MercadoLibre | | **Bold** | Colombian Fintech | Physical POS + online gateway, wallets | Variable by volume | Omnichannel businesses with physical and virtual sales |
A key concept to understand is the **effective commission**: the real cost at the end of the month does not depend on a single rate, but on the mix of methods your customers use. A business where most pay via PSE and Nequi will have a much lower cost than one where almost everything comes through credit cards. Analyze how your customers actually pay before choosing. Also pay attention to **fixed costs per transaction**: if you sell low-value products (COP 15,000–30,000), a fixed charge of COP 900 per transaction can eat into your margin much more than the variable percentage. --- ## Which gateway is best for your business? There is no absolute "best gateway"—there is the right gateway for your company's operational model and current stage. ### Choose Wompi if: - The bulk of your transactions come from Nequi users or Bancolombia accounts. Its integration with these channels is the smoothest on the market, and technical rejection rates are the lowest. - You want to offer direct Bancolombia transfer as an additional alternative. - You value the institutional backing of Colombia's largest bank and fast payouts. ### Choose PayU if: - You handle medium or high billing volumes and need robust infrastructure against system crashes. - You plan to expand to other Latin American countries (Mexico, Peru, Chile) under a single regional account. - You have enough volume to negotiate preferred rates directly with their sales representatives. ### Choose ePayco if: - You are a growing SMB looking for a balance between costs, ease of use, and complementary tools. - You need payment links to sell via WhatsApp without having a structured web store. - You look for stable plugins and fast configuration with WordPress and WooCommerce. ### Choose Mercado Pago if: - You also sell within the MercadoLibre marketplace and want to unify reports and balances in one place. - Your model benefits from offering interest-free installments to encourage high-value purchases. - You value the immediate availability of money in your digital account to reinvest it or use it with their business cards. --- ## How to integrate a payment gateway into your WooCommerce store If your store runs on WordPress + WooCommerce, the integration process follows this sequence: **1. Create your business account.** Register on the official portal of the chosen gateway. Have your updated RUT, bank certification, representative's ID, and Chamber of Commerce certificate (if applicable) ready. **2. Wait for validation.** The gateway's risk team will review your documentation and the type of products you will sell. This process usually takes **1 to 5 business days**. **3. Get the API Keys.** Once the account is approved, log into the dashboard and locate the API keys—both for the test environment (Sandbox) and production. Keep them secure. **4. Install the official plugin.** In WordPress, go to *Plugins > Add New*, search for the official plugin of your gateway, and install it from the repository. This ensures automatic security updates. **5. Connect the credentials.** Go to *WooCommerce > Settings > Payments*, locate the gateway, and paste the API Keys. Activate **Sandbox Mode** first for testing. **6. Test in simulation environment.** Perform test purchases using the card numbers provided by the gateway's documentation. Verify that the order status changes correctly in WooCommerce and that the customer receives confirmation. **7. Activate production and make a real purchase.** Switch to the live environment and insert the production API Keys. Make a purchase of a minimum amount with a personal account to confirm that everything works from end to end. **8. Configure Webhooks and notifications.** This step is critical: if the gateway approves the payment but your site does not receive the automatic notification due to poor configuration, the order will remain in a pending state indefinitely. Configure Webhooks correctly from the start to avoid manual checks. > Setting up payment systems demands attention to detail to avoid vulnerabilities or interruptions in the user experience. If you prefer not to handle the technical side, at Web Booster we configure complete WooCommerce stores with integrated, optimized, and ready-to-sell Colombian gateways from day one. [E-commerce solutions](/en/ecommerce/) --- ## Common mistakes when collecting online ### 1. Offering only credit cards In Colombia, a substantial part of the population prefers PSE, Nequi, or cash. Limiting options because it simplifies accounting translates directly into abandoned carts and lost sales. ### 2. Ignoring the impact of fixed costs per transaction If you handle low-value products, a fixed cost of COP 900 per transaction can eat into your margins far more than any percentage. Calculate the real cost based on your average ticket size, not just the general percentage advertised by the gateway. ### 3. Not testing in Sandbox before launching Activating real payments without a rigorous testing cycle exposes your business to checkout errors from day one. A customer who encounters an error during payment rarely returns. ### 4. Neglecting the mobile experience More than 75% of online store traffic in Colombia comes from mobile phones. If the payment window is not responsive, forces zooming, or does not integrate well with banking apps, the user will abandon out of frustration. ### 5. Not configuring Webhooks correctly If the gateway approves the payment but your site does not receive the automatic notification, you end up manually verifying orders via email or WhatsApp—destroying the main benefit of selling online. --- Choosing and properly integrating your payment gateway is the factor that determines whether your website is a commercial asset that sells on its own 24 hours a day, or a digital showcase that still requires manual validations all day. At Web Booster, we develop optimized WooCommerce stores for Colombia, integrating the correct gateways according to your type of business, your customer, and your real margins. 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