Initiative for a Digital Economy Act for Digital and Electronic Payments
The Initiative’s primary objective is to promote the adoption and implementation of Electronic and Digital Payment Means, bridging the gap between existing technological infrastructure and its actual adoption, thereby enabling anyone to make payments digitally.
On September 8, 2026, the Federal Executive submitted to the Chamber of Deputies the Initiative for a Digital Economy Act for Digital and Electronic Payments as part of the Economic Package for the 2027 fiscal year.
According to the statement of reasons of the Initiative, the project seeks to reduce transaction costs and processing times; decrease risks associated with cash handling; generate a verifiable transactional history for SMEs and individuals to facilitate financial inclusion; and increase sales opportunities and access to financial services.
Key points
Digital Identification Mechanisms
To enable the remote contracting of financial services, the Initiative recognizes two trust mechanisms, subject to the holder’s consent:
Digital CURP: its use is optional for the user, but financial entities will be required to accept it as an identification mechanism.
Digital Citizen File: financial entities must accept it as a validation mechanism at the user’s request, and the digital documents comprising it will have the same legal effect that the law grants to physical documents.
New Obligations
Authorities across all three levels of government must accept Electronic and Digital Payment Means in administrative procedures and services.
Goods and service providers and financial entities are empowered to implement Electronic and Digital Payment Means and must promote financial inclusion by disseminating products and services and facilitating the granting of credits, loans, and financing through such means.
Strategic Sectors or Relevant Activities
The Ministry of Finance and Public Credit will determine the activities or sectors in which digital payment will be the sole permitted means, within 15 business days following the entry into force of the Decree.
The authority granted to the SHCP is the core point of the Initiative, vesting it to unilaterally restrict the use of cash by sector of activity, a mechanism that creates regulatory tension with Article 4 of the Monetary Law of the United Mexican States.
Bank of Mexico
Within the framework of this Initiative, specific powers are provided for Banxico to implement and regulate the new digital ecosystem.
Additionally, it may issue general regulations aimed at standardizing the user experience in financial service applications and, jointly with the National Banking and Securities Commission, regulate entities operating Point of Sale Terminals so that they allow collection via QR codes.
Implications and next steps
If approved in its terms, both financial sector entities and goods and service providers must adapt their compliance policies, technological systems, and remote contracting models to accommodate the new identification and payment mechanisms.
Furthermore, companies belonging to sectors designated by the SHCP as “strategic” must mandatorily migrate to 100% digital schemes within short timeframes following the entry into force of the rule.
