🇨🇴 This is the brand hub for Bancolombia. For the bigger picture on pesos, the low ATM caps, the casas de cambio, and the fact that Colombia has no Bank of America Alliance partner, see the Colombia Money Guide. For exact ATM areas and the fee-beating playbook, see the Bogotá ATM Guide. For card acceptance by district and the airport run, see the Bogotá Money Guide. For the higher-limit alternative, see the Davivienda guide. Flying in? El Dorado (BOG) guide.
🧾 Order Pesos Before You Fly
Land in Bogotá with a peso float so your first machine can be a careful one. Insured 2–5 day US delivery, rate below the airport counters.
Order Pesos → CEI Currency ExchangeWhat Bancolombia is, in one paragraph
Bancolombia is the largest bank in Colombia by assets and the country's biggest ATM network, founded in 1875 in Medellín (as the Banco de Colombia) and today a group spanning Central America and the Caribbean, listed on the New York Stock Exchange. It runs the widest branch and cajero network in the country, so its yellow-and-blue machines are the ones you will see most often, from the El Dorado arrivals hall to the boulevards of Chapinero and the Zona T, and across Medellín, Cartagena, and Cali. For US travelers the practical points are specific: Bancolombia machines dispense pesos at the interbank rate, add a posted COP 20,000 to 30,000 foreign-card operator fee shown before you confirm, cap each withdrawal fairly low, and tend to be the most reliable for stock and uptime, which matters most outside the big cities.
What Bancolombia charges foreign cards
| Fee component | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Bancolombia operator fee (foreign card) | ~COP 20,000-30,000 per withdrawal | Bancolombia, shown on screen (refunded by Schwab) |
| Exchange rate | Mid-market (interbank) | Visa or Mastercard network |
| Per-transaction cap | ~COP 400,000-600,000 (withdraw the maximum) | Bancolombia (Davivienda/BBVA often allow more) |
| Your home bank's foreign ATM fee | $2-5 | Your home bank, unless waived (Schwab, Wise) |
| Bank of America non-network fee (no Alliance) | 3% (Colombia has no Alliance partner) | Bank of America, on every Colombian ATM |
| DCC markup (if accepted) | +5-12% | Always decline. Pick Colombian pesos every time the screen offers US dollars. |
Bancolombia posts its operator fee on screen before you confirm, so you always see it. The peso is freely convertible, so you can pre-order a float. Unlike Peru, Colombia has no BoA Alliance partner, so a BoA card pays 3% here and at every other Colombian bank; a no-FX-fee card is the fix.
How to make Bancolombia cheap: max out, refund the fee
Three moves keep Bancolombia cheap. First, withdraw the maximum each time: because the COP 20,000 to 30,000 fee is per transaction and the cap is low (often COP 400,000 to 600,000), fewer larger pulls cut your per-peso cost more here than almost anywhere. If you want a bigger single withdrawal, a Davivienda or BBVA machine often allows more. Second, carry a Charles Schwab card, which refunds ATM operator fees worldwide, the Bancolombia fee included, turning a withdrawal effectively free. Third, always decline DCC and choose pesos, never the "charge in US dollars" offer, which layers 5 to 12 percent on top.
Bank of America customers should note that Colombia, unlike Peru, has no Alliance partner: a BoA card pays its 3 percent non-network fee at Bancolombia and at every other Colombian bank, so there is no fee-free machine to walk to. The clean answer is to bring a Wise or Schwab card for Colombia rather than relying on a traditional BoA debit card for cash.
Where to find Bancolombia in Colombia
Chapinero & the Zona T
Bancolombia ATMs throughout Chapinero, the Zona T, Usaquén and Parque 93, plus the Andino and Unicentro malls. Covered in the Bogotá ATM Guide.
Nationwide coverage
Bancolombia runs Colombia's largest ATM and branch network, so a machine is rarely far in Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla, or smaller towns.
El Poblado & the center
Bancolombia is headquartered in Medellín, so coverage is dense around El Poblado, Laureles, and the El Tesoro and Oviedo malls.
El Dorado arrivals
Bancolombia cajeros in El Dorado's Terminal 1, your first pesos on arrival, away from the standalone machines. See the BOG airport guide.
Branch & mall machines
Use Bancolombia ATMs inside branches, Éxito hypermarkets, or malls rather than street-facing standalones, especially in La Candelaria and the center where skim risk is higher.
Walled city & Bocagrande
Bancolombia branches in and near Cartagena's walled city and Bocagrande; use the indoor machines and decline the street touts who offer to change dollars.
Bancolombia vs Davivienda: the actual decision
| Bancolombia | Davivienda | |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign-card operator fee | ~COP 20,000-30,000 (posted) | ~COP 19,000-28,000 (posted) |
| Per-transaction cap | Lower (often ~COP 400-600k) | Often higher |
| Network size in Colombia | Largest | Major, strong in cities |
| BoA Global ATM Alliance partner | No (none in Colombia) | No (none in Colombia) |
| Reliability outside big cities | Most reliable | Good in cities |
Decision tree: if you want the largest, most reliable network and you are pulling cash often, default to Bancolombia. If you want to take more in a single withdrawal to spread the fixed fee, a Davivienda machine often allows a higher cap. Neither is a BoA Alliance partner, so either way pair them with a Schwab card to refund the operator fee, take pesos not dollars, and decline DCC.
Best card pairing with Bancolombia
Wise for cards, Schwab to refund the peso fee
A Wise debit card gives zero FX markup and the real interbank peso rate at restaurants and on the Uber, Cabify and DiDi apps in Bogotá and Medellín. A Charles Schwab card refunds Bancolombia's COP 20,000 to 30,000 operator fee worldwide, the biggest saving available on Colombian cash given the frequent pulls the low caps force. Because Colombia has no Bank of America Alliance partner, do not rely on a BoA debit card here. Withdraw the maximum at a Bancolombia machine in a branch or mall, take pesos not dollars, and decline DCC every time.
Get the Wise Card →Charles Schwab Investor Checking
Schwab adds zero foreign-transaction fee and refunds ATM operator fees worldwide, including Bancolombia's COP 20,000 to 30,000. Pair it with a maximum withdrawal at a Bancolombia mall machine and your Colombian cash becomes effectively free. Still take pesos not dollars and decline DCC.
Bank of America debit (no Alliance here)
Unlike Peru, Colombia has no BoA Alliance partner, so a BoA card pays its 3 percent non-network fee at Bancolombia and at every other Colombian bank. There is no fee-free machine to switch to; bring a Wise or Schwab card for cash instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Bancolombia charge foreign cards at ATMs?
A posted ~COP 20,000-30,000 per withdrawal, at the interbank rate, shown before you confirm, with a low cap. Withdraw the maximum, and a Schwab card refunds the fee. Decline DCC.
Is Bancolombia in the Bank of America Global ATM Alliance?
No, and neither is any Colombian bank. A BoA card pays 3% here and everywhere in Colombia. Use a no-FX-fee card such as Wise or Schwab instead.
What is Bancolombia?
The largest bank in Colombia and its biggest ATM network, headquartered in Medellín and listed on the NYSE, with the widest cajero coverage in the country.
Can I get pesos before arriving?
Yes, the peso is freely convertible. CEI ships pesos to a US address in 2-5 days. Most travelers pre-order a small float and pull the rest at a Bancolombia machine.
Will my US debit card work at Bancolombia ATMs?
Yes, with a Visa, Mastercard, Plus, or Cirrus logo. Spanish/English option, 4-digit PINs. Use branch/mall machines, decline DCC, take pesos, withdraw the maximum.
Bancolombia or Davivienda for a bigger withdrawal?
Davivienda machines often allow a higher per-transaction cap, useful for spreading the fixed fee. Bancolombia has the larger, more reliable network. Either way, take the maximum.
The Bancolombia + Wise + Schwab Combo
Wise zero FX markup for restaurants and ride apps; Schwab refunds Bancolombia's COP 20-30k ATM fee. Take pesos not dollars, withdraw the maximum.
Get the Wise Card →