Banxico, CNBV to Set Digital Payment Rules

Update October 4, 2026: the proposal added coverage for public procedures and services at all three levels of government, and opened the door for the SHCP to define strategic sectors where digital payment would be mandatory. It also added references to CURP Digital as an authentication tool and to the standardization of banking platforms.

The House Finance and Public Credit Committee approved the draft Digital Economy Law for Digital and Electronic Payments and sent it to the leadership board for possible floor debate. The bill would allow Banco de México and the CNBV to set technical, operational, cybersecurity, and interoperability requirements for payment terminals, electronic transfers, apps, and QR code payment schemes.

What powers would the proposal give Banxico and the CNBV?

Based on available reporting, the proposal would authorize Banco de México to issue general rules together with the CNBV on digital electronic payment methods and QR codes, while oversight would fall to the commission itself. Expansión also reported that those specifications would extend to payment devices and infrastructure, including point-of-sale terminals and schemes such as CoDi.

Santa Marina Steta said in her legal analysis that the CNBV would oversee compliance with those rules, while Banxico could issue them jointly with the banking regulator. The focus would be on digital and electronic payments, with a scope that is not limited to a single channel, but covers several financial instruments and services tied to receiving payments.

What does the new proposal require for public payments?

The bill would require all three levels of government to enable and accept digital and electronic payments for public procedures and services, and gives the SHCP authority to determine sectors or strategic activities in which those methods would be the only form of payment. That change expands the law beyond the financial system and into everyday dealings with the state.

El Economista reported that the proposal also seeks to reduce cash use in transactions with authorities by adding that obligation for public procedures and services. Under the same framework, the SHCP would have room to designate strategic activities in which cash would no longer be accepted.

What does CURP Digital add to the bill?

The latest coverage says CURP Digital would serve as an authentication tool within the digital payments framework. El Imparcial also said the bill seeks to standardize banking platforms and expand payment infrastructure through QR codes, with broader reach across payment channels.

El Financiero framed the initiative as a way to make it easier to contract financial services digitally using CURP Digital. In that reading, the proposal also sets out interoperable payments, digital terminals, and QR codes as part of the same regulatory architecture.

What does CNBV's recent agenda show?

At the same time, the CNBV has been pushing regulatory changes aimed at strengthening resilience, fraud prevention, and risk management across the financial system. Reporte Índigo said that over the past year, rules for the Sofipo sector were modified on anti-money laundering and counterterrorism financing, fraud, and cybercrime, as part of a process led by the regulator.

El Economista added that the recent Sofipo agenda included resilience measures, fraud prevention, and risk management, along with capital and liquidity. Bloomberg Línea reported that some changes have already taken effect and that other requirements must be met starting in 2027, with a focus on capitalization, risk management, accounting records, and liquidity.

How much weight did cybersecurity have at Banxico?

Banco de México allocated 1.0615 billion pesos to cybersecurity over the eleven years before El CEO published its report. That amount included spending on policies and regulatory guidelines, assessment of the financial system's cyber resilience, and a cybersecurity map in force between 2024 and 2026, according to that outlet.

The CNBV itself also defended digital payments in the legislative debate. In remarks made at the Prosa 2026 Forum, the agency said accepting digital payments can be less costly than handling cash, in line with the regulatory push surrounding the bill.

What is the law's current status?

The committee approved the draft with amendments and sent it to the leadership board for legislative scheduling. El Economista said the draft passed 24 to 4 in general terms, while La Verdad reported 25 votes in favor, 4 against, and 0 abstentions on the specific provisions.

El Heraldo de México said the bill includes powers for Banxico tied to electronic transfers, apps, and financial services designed to receive payments through QR codes, but that the text advanced only in committee. El Imparcial added, in an unconfirmed timeline, that the issue would reach the floor the following week, although that timing has not been verified in the available results.