Money arrives without leaving home, but only if you have a phone
En medio de una pandemia que ha sacudido los cimientos económicos de millones de hogares peruanos, el Estado ha optado por llevar el alivio directamente al bolsillo digital de sus ciudadanos. El segundo bono universal de 760 soles, destinado a 8,4 millones de familias afectadas, inaugura una nueva forma de entregar socorro público: sin filas, sin ventanillas, sin intermediarios físicos. Es un giro que habla tanto de la urgencia del momento como de la promesa —y los límites— de la inclusión financiera digital en un país de geografías y realidades dispares.
- Millones de familias peruanas siguen sin recuperarse del golpe económico de los confinamientos, y el tiempo apremia: el gobierno quiere que los 670,000 beneficiarios de Cuenta DNI reciban sus fondos antes de Navidad.
- El proceso de inscripción escalonado por dígito final del DNI busca evitar las aglomeraciones que convirtieron rondas anteriores de ayuda en nuevos focos de riesgo sanitario.
- Con solo un DNI vigente, un correo electrónico y un celular registrado a nombre propio, los beneficiarios pueden abrir una cuenta digital y recibir el dinero sin pisar un banco.
- Los fondos llegan a una billetera móvil accesible desde la app Bim, cajeros MultiRed y comercios afiliados a la red Vendemás, ampliando los canales de uso más allá del efectivo.
- El modelo asume conectividad y alfabetización digital que no todos los peruanos poseen, dejando en evidencia que la eficiencia tecnológica y la equidad de acceso no siempre avanzan al mismo ritmo.
El gobierno peruano abrió hoy la inscripción para su segunda ronda de pagos de alivio pandémico: un bono de 760 soles dirigido a los 8,4 millones de hogares que aún cargan con las secuelas económicas de los confinamientos. La novedad esta vez es que 670,000 de esas familias podrán recibir su dinero sin acercarse a ninguna sucursal bancaria.
El sistema funciona por turnos: cada día habilita a quienes tienen el DNI terminado en un dígito distinto, comenzando desde el 12 de diciembre. Hoy les corresponde a quienes terminan en 6. Los requisitos son mínimos —documento de identidad vigente, correo electrónico y celular registrado a nombre propio— y todo el proceso ocurre en línea. El beneficiario ingresa a bfu.gob.pe, confirma su selección, responde preguntas de seguridad y queda vinculado automáticamente a una Cuenta DNI, una billetera móvil creada específicamente para canalizar el subsidio.
Desde esa cuenta, el dinero puede usarse para pagos y transferencias a través de la app Bim, retiros en cajeros MultiRed del Banco de la Nación, o compras directas en comercios integrados a la plataforma Vendemás. Liliana Casafranca, responsable de banca minorista en el Banco de la Nación, destacó que el esquema otorga flexibilidad real: el beneficiario decide cuándo y cómo usar sus fondos, sin depender del efectivo ni de horarios de atención.
El gobierno se ha fijado una meta ambiciosa: completar la distribución a todos los beneficiarios de Cuenta DNI antes de Navidad. Es un calendario ajustado que refleja tanto la urgencia del alivio como las ganancias de eficiencia que ofrece la vía digital. Sin embargo, el modelo también expone una tensión de fondo: funciona bien para quienes ya tienen acceso a un teléfono registrado, internet y manejo básico de plataformas digitales, pero deja fuera a quienes carecen de alguno de esos recursos. Para los que sí pueden navegarlo, el sistema elimina una barrera significativa entre ellos y el dinero que necesitan.
Peru's government opened enrollment today for its second round of pandemic relief payments, a 760-sol bonus aimed at households still reeling from the economic damage of coronavirus lockdowns. The program targets 8.4 million families across the country, but a new digital-first approach means 670,000 of them won't need to set foot in a bank to claim their money.
Starting today, anyone whose national ID number ends in 6 can sign up for Cuenta DNI, a mobile banking account designed specifically to distribute the subsidy. The enrollment follows a staggered schedule based on the last digit of each person's document—a system meant to prevent the crowding and long lines that plagued earlier relief efforts. To qualify, you need three things: a valid DNI, an email address, and a cell phone registered in your name. That's it.
The process is entirely online. Beneficiaries visit bfu.gob.pe to confirm they've been selected for the bonus, then move through a validation page where they answer personal security questions. Once approved, they're automatically granted access to their Cuenta DNI account. From there, they register a phone number, email, and a six-digit PIN. The money arrives directly into this digital wallet, accessible through the Bim app or through MultiRed ATMs operated by the Banco de la Nación.
Liliana Casafranca, who oversees retail banking services at the Banco de la Nación, emphasized the flexibility this creates. With funds in a Cuenta DNI, beneficiaries can make payments and transfers as needed without withdrawing cash. They can also spend directly at merchants nationwide who are part of the Vendemás network, a digital commerce platform integrated into the system. For those who do want physical money, MultiRed machines are available across the country.
The enrollment schedule began on December 12, rolling out by ID number to manage the flow of new accounts. The government estimates it will have distributed the full 760 soles to all 670,000 Cuenta DNI beneficiaries before Christmas—a tight timeline that reflects both the urgency of the relief and the efficiency gains from going digital. The same schedule applies to a second group enrolling in Banca Celular, a mobile banking option that lets people access funds through ATMs and agents without maintaining a traditional savings account.
This second bonus represents a shift in how Peru is delivering emergency aid. Rather than forcing people to gather at bank branches or government offices, the state is pushing the infrastructure to people's phones. It's a practical response to pandemic conditions, but it also assumes a level of digital literacy and access—a phone with a registered line, an email account, internet connectivity—that not all Peruvians possess. Still, for those who can navigate it, the system removes a significant barrier between them and the money they need.
Citas Notables
With the bonus in their Cuenta DNI accounts, beneficiaries can access their money without making cash withdrawals—they can download the Bim wallet to make payments and transfers as many times as needed.— Liliana Casafranca, retail banking services manager, Banco de la Nación
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does the government care whether your ID ends in 6 or 7 or 3? Why not just let everyone sign up at once?
It's crowd control, basically. If 670,000 people tried to enroll on the same day, the system would collapse. Staggering by ID number spreads the load across days. It's the same reason banks do it—one digit per day keeps the servers from catching fire.
But this is digital. There's no physical line to manage.
True, but there's still a finite number of people who can be processed, verified, and activated in a day. And psychologically, it works too—people know exactly when their turn is. No confusion, no rush.
What happens to someone who doesn't have a cell phone or email?
They can't use Cuenta DNI. They'd have to wait and see if they qualify for the Banca Celular option instead, which lets you withdraw through ATMs without a bank account. But that still requires some digital infrastructure.
So this bonus actually excludes people who are least connected?
It can, yes. The irony is real. The system is designed to be efficient and safe, but efficiency sometimes means leaving people behind. That's the tension the government hasn't fully solved.
When does the money actually arrive?
Once you're enrolled and activated, it's immediate—the funds go into your Cuenta DNI. The government says everyone should have theirs by Christmas. But that depends on actually completing the enrollment process, which requires navigating a website and understanding digital banking.
What can you actually do with 760 soles?
It's roughly three weeks of groceries for a family, or a month of utilities. In the context of pandemic unemployment, it's survival money, not recovery money. But it's something.