Every December, millions of Colombian workers receive a mandatory half-month salary bonus called the prima de servicios. It shapes holiday spending, retail sales, debt levels and even the exchange rate. Whether you employ people in Colombia, invest in Colombian retailers or banks, or simply live there, here is how the prima works and why it matters more than its size suggests.
What the prima is
Colombian labor law requires employers to pay formal employees one month’s salary per year as a prima, split into two installments: one due by June 30 and one due by December 20. For minimum-wage workers it also includes the transport allowance.
| Monthly pay (2026) | December prima (full semester) | Approx. in USD at 3,145 |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage: COP 1,750,905 + 249,095 transport | ≈ COP 1,000,000 | ≈ $318 |
| COP 3,000,000 | ≈ COP 1,500,000 | ≈ $477 |
| COP 5,000,000 | ≈ COP 2,500,000 | ≈ $795 |
Formula: monthly salary × days worked in the semester ÷ 360. Employers who pay late owe a penalty of one day’s wages for each day of delay.
The charts and screeners behind our market coverage. Create a free account; if you later choose a paid plan you get a $15 discount.
Open TradingView → · Affiliate linkWhy it matters beyond payroll
The prima arrives right before Christmas, so December sales at retailers such as Grupo Éxito, Falabella and Alkosto depend on it. It is a predictable seasonal tailwind.
Many Colombians use the prima to pay down credit cards, then borrow again in December. Bank card balances often swing around this date.
Colombians call January “the uphill climb”: school fees, property taxes, vehicle insurance (SOAT) and holiday debts all land when the prima is gone. Consumer spending typically slows in Q1.
Only formal workers receive it. With roughly half of Colombia’s workforce informal, the prima also highlights the gap between formal and informal households.
If you employ people in Colombia
- Budget for it: the prima, plus cesantías (severance savings) and interest on cesantías, add roughly 17%–18% to annual payroll cost.
- Pay by December 20. Late payment triggers daily penalties.
- Remote and international employers often overlook the prima when hiring Colombians as full employees rather than contractors. It is mandatory for formal employment contracts.
Fundamentals, charts, valuation and side-by-side comparisons of stocks, ETFs and funds worldwide, including Colombian ADRs. There is a free plan to start.
Try Koyfin → · Affiliate linkHow Colombians are encouraged to use it
Financial educators in Colombia push a simple rule: pay January first. On our Spanish site we propose a 40-30-20-10 split, and it is a useful lens for understanding local household finances:
| Share | Use |
|---|---|
| 40% | January’s fixed costs: school fees, supplies, property tax, rent |
| 30% | High-interest debt, mainly credit cards charging around 25%–28% a year |
| 20% | Emergency fund or savings |
| 10% | Holiday spending |
For investors, the prima is an underappreciated seasonal signal. A strong peso and high interest rates this year mean the bonus buys more imported goods but competes with expensive credit. We expect solid December retail sales, followed by a sharper-than-usual January slowdown as credit-card bills from the holidays come due at rates near 28%. Banks with large consumer-credit books are the ones to watch for delinquencies in early 2027.
Read our full Spanish guide for Colombian workers: Prima de diciembre 2026.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up or subscribe through them, Bolsa al Día may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This never affects our analysis. Learn more.
Leave a Reply