Fintech company Global66 moved more than US$225 million out of Colombia between July and September 2026 — triple what it handled in the same quarter last year, and up 45% on the previous three months. September alone broke monthly records with over US$90 million in transfers. Colombia now drives the company's growth across its four Latin American markets, jumping from 18% to 35% of activity while Chile's share slipped from 63% to 48%.
The interesting bit for travellers is where that money goes. Half of all transfers from Colombia were either for travel or had no declared purpose at all — suggesting people are using these apps for everyday foreign spending, not just sending cash home. Family remittances were the biggest stated reason at 28%, followed by education (8%), freelance and professional services (6%), and business payments (4%). Study-abroad transfers grew 103% in the first half of the year.
The destinations tell their own story. The United States topped the list at just over US$9.5 million, with Spain close behind at more than US$9 million — mostly for travel, study, and dual nationals. Mexico took over US$5 million, and Canada and Chile more than US$4 million each. Money also flows the other way: Colombia received over US$24 million from Chile, Peru and Argentina during the quarter.
The wider numbers back it up. Colombians made more than 5.8 million trips abroad in 2025, and the central bank recorded a national record of US$13.09 billion in remittances that year — up 10.6% on 2024. Global66 expects that figure to hit US$14.8 billion in 2026.
Two caveats worth keeping in mind. This is one app's customer base, not the whole country — the named destinations account for only around US$32 million of the US$225 million total, so the country breakdown is partial at best. And "no declared purpose" is a broad bucket. Still, the direction is clear: Colombians increasingly want fast, cheap cross-border payments, and traditional banks are under pressure to keep up.
For anyone visiting Colombia or sending money there, it's a reminder that digital transfer services have become mainstream across the region — often beating bank rates and fees on the corridors that matter most, like Colombia–US and Colombia–Spain.
