Mexico pushes digital payments law, Digital CURP

Update September 18, 2026: The initiative now includes more detail on how cash use in small purchases has changed, and on the finance ministry’s operational role in defining the sectors where only electronic payments will be accepted. The statement of reasons cites shifts between 2021 and 2024, and new reporting breaks down the scope of Article 13.

President Claudia Sheinbaum introduced the Digital and Electronic Payments Economy Law in the Chamber of Deputies as part of the reforms tied to the 2027 Economic Package. The proposal seeks to gradually reduce Mexico’s reliance on cash, gives the Finance and Public Credit Ministry authority to define sectors where digital payments would be the only allowed form of payment, and incorporates Digital CURP as a method of identification for financial onboarding.

What does the proposal say about cash use?

The proposal would allow the Finance Ministry to determine, by sector or economic activity, where digital and electronic payments would be mandatory. According to reports cited in economic coverage, the ministry would have 15 business days to issue its first determination once the law takes effect.

That possibility does not amount to a general cash ban. El Imparcial noted that, as of publication, no business is required to stop accepting cash and there is no official list of affected activities, because the bill is still moving through Congress.

Private-sector analyses also point to a significant shift in digital financial onboarding. Mijares Abogados and other business outlets said the reform would expand user identification obligations and payment infrastructure requirements, but would not immediately eliminate cash.

The statement of reasons cited by White & Case adds that between 2021 and 2024, frequent cash use in purchases of 500 pesos or less fell from 90.1% to 85.2%, while electronic transfers and mobile apps rose from 1.6% to 4.4%.

Subsequent reporting clarified that Article 13 assigns the Finance Ministry the task of defining the specific strategic sectors and relevant activities where only electronic payments will be accepted. That detail narrows the cash-restriction mechanism and leaves the selection of covered categories to that agency.

How does the proposal change financial user identification?

The proposal adds Digital CURP as a reliable identification mechanism for digital contracting of financial services. According to Radio Fórmula, users will be able to choose between Digital CURP and other official identification methods when dealing with financial institutions.

White & Case, in its analysis of the draft, said the project refers to consent and personal data protection law, but does not directly regulate access, purpose limitation or data retention. That leaves compliance obligations around identification and data handling, without creating a full privacy framework.

What political and economic reach does the project have?

The initiative was formally introduced by the federal executive branch on September 8, 2026, and sent by Sheinbaum as one of three bills submitted to the Chamber of Deputies. Quadratín, El Financiero and Record confirmed that the file is now in the legislative record.

International coverage also placed the reform within a strategy to gradually reduce cash dependence and accelerate digital payments. Breaking Belize News and The Rio Times said the stated goal is to build a specific regulatory framework with implications for financial inclusion and for the obligations of financial service providers and merchants.

The data cited in economic analyses help frame the bill’s scale. Mexico Business News reported that digital payments account for about 18% of transactions in Mexico, while cash is used in as many as 95% of purchases under 500 pesos. In that context, the law aims to reshape financial contracting and open the door to cashless scenarios defined by sector-level regulation.

What other data and cybersecurity bills moved in Mexico?

On the same days, lawmakers also advanced other proposals on personal data, digital fraud and online violence. In Sonora, a reform was circulated to reinforce that data processing must be carried out with free, specific and informed consent. At the federal level, Humberto Ambriz Delgadillo pushed changes to the Criminal Code to increase penalties for the sale and disclosure of information obtained through unlawful access to systems.

Ana González González also introduced a bill requiring permanent campaigns on prevention, digital literacy and data protection in response to digital violence against women. Added to that was Olga Sosa Ruiz’s proposal to authenticate caller ID information and create a registry of telephone numbers used by financial institutions, with the goal of fighting fraud and impersonation.

The regulatory agenda on digital platforms moved in the same tightening direction. National reporting cited other state-level proposals to restrict minors’ access to social networks and require robust age-verification mechanisms, alongside the federal debate over digital payments and identity.