Direct Debit with Nequi for Collections is a Cobre capability that enables businesses to collect funds via Direct Debit by allowing payers to securely link their Nequi account once through a consent flow. After the payer approves the linking, businesses can initiate subsequent real-time debits without requiring payer confirmation for each transaction, reducing friction and improving conversion rates.
This feature is available through API and Portal, and is designed for recurring or repeat collections where a seamless pay-in experience is critical.
1. What Cobre Enables with Nequi Tokenization for Direct Debit Collections#
With this feature, Cobre enables businesses to:Collect funds from Nequi accounts using a Direct Debit with Consent model
Perform a one-time account linking (tokenization) that authorizes future debits
Execute real-time debits without repeating the consent flow on every collection
Support collections from payers represented as counterparties (individual or business profile structures)
Track collection readiness through clear Direct Debit Registration statuses
Receive real-time operational updates through subscription events for registration lifecycle changes
Improve collection success rates and reduce drop-off for frequent payers
2. Nequi Tokenization in the Cobre Model#
Nequi tokenization fits into Cobre’s pay-ins ecosystem through three core building blocks:Counterparties represent the payer and store the information needed to request authorization and collect funds.
Direct Debit Registrations (DDR) represent the payer’s consent and authorization to allow debits from their Nequi account.
Money Movements (Direct Debit) represent the actual debit collection initiated by the business once authorization is in place.
Cobre Balances are where collected funds are credited, and where businesses manage their liquidity.
Transactions provide the financial record of the collection outcome (e.g., credits posted to the balance after successful debits).
Authorization (one-time) from
Collection execution (repeatable, real-time)
3. Key Capabilities / Options#
3.1 One-Time Consent (Tokenization) for Nequi Accounts#
Cobre supports a secure linking flow where the payer receives a single push notification in the Nequi app to approve or reject being registered for direct debits.
Once approved, the payer becomes eligible for ongoing debits without re-approving each transaction.Future debits do not require additional payer acceptance
Consent has a defined acceptance window
3.2 Direct Debit Registration (DDR) Lifecycle and Readiness#
Direct Debit Registration is the mechanism used to obtain authorization and manage payer eligibility.Cobre provides clear DDR statuses, including:Processing: registration is being processed and the payer’s institution is validating consent
Registered: payer is successfully authorized for direct debits
Unregistered: payer is not authorized (or registration was rejected/cancelled/expired)
Failed: registration failed and must be retried
3.3 Real-Time Direct Debit Collections Once Registered#
Once a payer is registered, businesses can initiate real-time debits using Direct Debit money movements.Debits execute in real time
Payer does not need to re-approve each debit
Collections can be directed into any eligible Cobre Balance in Colombia
3.4 Registration Types (Nequi as the Current Available Option)#
Cobre supports registration types that determine which rail is used for debits.
Currently, the functional documentation describes Nequi Direct Debit as the available type.Nequi Direct Debit characteristics include:Requires payer confirmation in Nequi app
Registration acceptance window is time-bound
Debit processing is real-time
Enabled financial institution: Nequi
3.5 Operational Notifications via Subscription Events#
To support real-time operational workflows, clients can subscribe to lifecycle events tied to DDR updates.Supported event themes include:updating internal payer eligibility status
triggering retries or fallback flows
monitoring onboarding conversion for payer linking
4. Core Concepts and Terminology#
Direct Debit with Consent: A direct debit model where the payer authorizes future debits through a consent flow.
Nequi Tokenization: The one-time linking of a Nequi account through payer approval, enabling future debits without re-approval.
Counterparty: The payer entity represented in Cobre, required for registration and debits.
DDR (Direct Debit Registration): The authorization record that confirms a counterparty can be debited.
Registration Status: The state indicating whether a payer is eligible for direct debits.
Direct Debit Money Movement: The execution of a debit collection after authorization is in place.
dd_credit transaction: The credit posted into a Cobre Balance after a successful direct debit collection.
Subscription Events: Notifications that allow businesses to track registration state changes in real time.
5. Speed, Settlement & Reliability#
Nequi direct debits are designed to support real-time collection execution once the payer is registered.Operational timing is driven by two phases:Registration phase:
Payers have up to 15 minutes to accept or reject the authorization request in Nequi.
Collection phase:
Once registered, debits are processed in real time.
subscription events to track status changes
explicit rejection/cancellation/expiration signals that reduce ambiguity and operational rework
6. Typical Business Use Cases#
This feature is well suited for:Ride-hailing and mobility platforms collecting recurring charges
Subscription-based services and recurring billing models
Insurance and lending collections for repeat payers
Marketplaces collecting fees, commissions, or recurring seller charges
Utility-like businesses collecting periodic payments
Any business requiring high conversion and low-friction pay-ins
7. Transactions, Reporting & Reconciliation#
Nequi direct debit collections produce clear accounting outcomes:Each collection is represented as a Direct Debit money movement
Successful collections result in a dd_credit transaction posted into the destination Cobre Balance
an auditable trail from authorization → collection → credit
structured reporting of successful collections through transactions
improved reconciliation, since balance credits are tied to direct debit outcomes
8. Governance, Controls & Auditability#
Nequi Tokenization for Collections supports governance by enabling:Clear eligibility gating: only registered counterparties can be debited
registration attempt history
registration status outcomes
money movement status tracking
Real-time monitoring via subscription events
Risk management through defined failure, rejection, cancellation, and expiration states
only collecting from payers with successful registration
requiring manual review if repeated failures occur
aligning collection attempts with customer consent and audit requirements
9. Summary — What Cobre Delivers with Nequi Tokenization for Direct Debit Collections#
Cobre enables businesses to: Tokenize Nequi accounts through a one-time consent flow
Collect funds via Direct Debit with Consent without re-approval per debit
Execute real-time debits once counterparties are registered
Track readiness via DDR lifecycle states (processing, registered, unregistered, failed)
Receive real-time registration updates through subscription events
Reconcile collections through dd_credit transactions credited to Cobre BalancesNequi Tokenization for Collections provides a scalable and low-friction way to run real-time direct debit pay-ins in Colombia, especially for businesses with recurring or repeat payer behavior. Modified at 2026-01-21 01:56:45
