Banxico and CNBV consult on card payment rules

The Bank of Mexico and the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV) opened a [public consultation](https://x.com/Banxico/status/2093005700632825871) on Aug. 27, 2026, for draft rules governing the organization, operation, and management of clearinghouses for card payments. Public comments will be accepted through Sept. 24, 2026, through the joint public consultation portal.

What does the proposal seek to change?

The consultation aims to update the rules that apply to payment network operators and clearinghouses so the card payment system works with greater interoperability. According to La Jornada's analysis, the goal is for clearinghouses to connect with one another and for a transaction to be processed regardless of which clearinghouse the issuing bank or merchant institution is linked to.

That same line appears in El Heraldo de México's coverage, which says the regulatory package also seeks to strengthen interoperability obligations so that all point-of-sale terminals accept all cards, regardless of issuer, acquirer, or network. Unifimex added that the project seeks to connect banks and other participants more efficiently, so purchases are processed and funds move between institutions with lower costs and more fluidity.

What is the scope of the consultation?

The consultation is part of a second round, which indicates that Banxico and the CNBV had already submitted a prior version of the project and are now presenting adjustments for additional comments through Sept. 24, 2026. El Economista said the revised proposal reduces the scale of the cut compared with the original draft, but keeps the system of maximum limits and gradual reductions.

Unifimex summarized the new rules on General Provisions Applicable to Payment Network Systems as seeking to cap interchange fees that banks and card-issuing institutions receive for each purchase. The same bulletin said the regulatory update aims to promote card payment acceptance and efficiency.

What other signals did the sector give?

Lider Empresarial placed the consultation in the context of steady growth in card payments in Mexico and said the rules seek to align clearinghouse regulation with that market trend. Coinfomania, in an English-language note, described the announcement as a public consultation on payment system regulations that also seeks to strengthen transparency in the setting of fees and charges.

At the same time, Milenio reported that the CNBV revoked Unicaja Banco, S.A.'s authorization as a representative office in Mexico. The resolution, published in the Official Gazette of the Federation, is based on Article 7, third paragraph, of the Credit Institutions Law, is tied to grounds of noncompliance or inactivity, and states that from the moment of notification, any activity by that office in the country is prohibited.

The reproduction of official letter P161/2026 on the SDV portal added that the revocation is also based on provisions of the National Banking and Securities Commission Law and on a Ninth Agreement of the CNBV Governing Board, adopted at an ordinary session on June 30, 2026.