SUPA: checking child support in Ecuador

What the SUPA is

The SUPA (Sistema Único de Pensiones Alimenticias, single child support system) is a computer system developed and run by the Consejo de la Judicatura to collect and pay child support (pensiones alimenticias). The person who owes support pays with a card code and the beneficiary receives the money in their bank account. The consultation is public and free.

The card code

• When a child support claim or a mediation request to set the pension is filed, the judge or mediator orders the court unit’s paying officer to create the card code (código de tarjeta) in the SUPA.
• It is required both to check and to pay.
• It is written like the system’s own example: 0101-1234.
• If you do not know it, search by cédula as explained below or ask the court unit handling the child support case.

How to check a pension, step by step

1. Open the SUPA public consultation at supa.funcionjudicial.gob.ec (opens in a new tab) («Consulta de tarjetas de Pensión Alimenticia»).
2. By cédula: under «Búsqueda por cédula o identificación de la persona», type the number in «Cédula / Identificación» and press «Buscar».
3. With other data: under «Búsqueda por otros criterios», pick an option in «Criterio de búsqueda», type the data and press «Buscar». The options are:
   • «Código de tarjeta» (card code).
   • «Nro. proceso judicial»: the child support case number.
   • «Datos Representante Legal / Apoderado»: the ID of the person who represents the beneficiary.
   • «Datos Deudor principal / Obligado subsidiario»: the ID of the person who must pay.
   • «Identificador de aprobación (NUT)».
   • «Código anterior Imbabura», for old codes from that province.
4. Under «Resultados» you will see the card code, the court case number, the court, the type of pension and the people involved. Press «Detalle» to open the card: it shows the pension amount, the account movements and the status of each payment, and you can open «Ver providencias e indexaciones» and «Ver movimientos pendientes».

Can you check the SUPA by name?

Not in the public consultation: every option asks for a number (cédula or ID, card code, case number or NUT). If you only know the names, first find the child support case by surnames and names on e-SATJE (see search court cases by name), note the case number and check it on the SUPA with «Nro. proceso judicial».

What a payment status means

• Pagado (paid): the payment was made, but the money is not yet credited to the beneficiary’s account.
• Acreditado (credited): the money is in that account.
• Devuelto (returned): the money was returned because the bank account is inactive or closed.

Payment simulator and refunds

• «Simulador de pago»: enter the card code, the type (pensions and agreements) and the number of installments to see a payment simulation.
• «Devolución Valores»: if you are a beneficiary and believe you have a balance in your favor, check the pending amounts with your cédula or ID.

How payments and withdrawals work

• The payer pays at the teller windows of the authorized financial institutions, giving the cashier the card code. The SUPA’s frequently asked questions (opens in a new tab) publish the full list: among others, Banco del Pacífico, BanEcuador, BancoDesarrollo, Banco del Austro and many savings and credit cooperatives.
• Several installments can be paid in one transaction, and installments can be paid in advance by saying how many. Partial payments are not accepted.
• The beneficiary receives the money in the account at the financial institution named in the judge’s ruling or the mediation agreement, and can withdraw it, for example, at ATMs. To change the account, a request is filed with the judge.
• The pension rises every year with inflation (indexación). The law also provides two additional pensions a year: in September and December in the provinces of the Sierra school calendar, and in April and December in those of the Costa and Galápagos.

If payments are in arrears

• Check the pending amounts and movements in the card detail.
• Each payment covers the oldest debts first: overdue pensions, payment agreements, interest, indexation and additional pensions.
• Overdue pensions accrue late interest. According to the official FAQ, the rate is 1.1 times the Banco Central del Ecuador’s active reference rate.
• If two or more pensions are owed, the law (Article 137 of the Código Orgánico General de Procesos) allows asking the judge in the child support case for collection measures, including apremio personal (personal compulsion). Do it with your lawyer or the Defensoría Pública (public defender).
• If you pay support and deposited directly into the beneficiary’s account, outside the SUPA, give the receipts to the judge and ask for the SUPA to be updated.

Follow the child support case with ConsultaCausas

The SUPA records the money. The child support case itself, with its hearings and court orders, is handled by a court unit and recorded on e-SATJE. With ConsultaCausas you can follow it:

1. Search for the case free with the mother’s, father’s or claimant’s cédula, or with the case number. It usually appears under the family, women, children and adolescents subject, with the action alimentos.
2. Press «Track this case»: we message you on WhatsApp each time the court records an action, with a plain-language explanation.
3. The day before each hearing we remind you of the date, time and place.

For balances and payments, always use the official SUPA consultation. See also how the alerts work.

Sources: SUPA public consultation; SUPA frequently asked questions (Consejo de la Judicatura). Checked against the official sources on November 9, 2026.