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Mexico

Mexico enacts law letting finance ministry require digital-only payments in designated sectors

The new Digital Economy Law gives Hacienda power to mandate electronic payments across entire industries, a shift that affects businesses operating in cash-heavy sectors.

Photo: Latin Times

What happened

Mexico's Ley de Economía Digital para Pagos Digitales y Electrónicos was published in the official gazette on November 4, 2026 and took effect the following day. Latin Times The law grants the Secretaría de Hacienda formal power to mandate digital-only payments in sectors it formally designates. Latin Times+1 Hacienda has 15 business days from November 5 to publish its first list of mandatory sectors, and gas stations and highway toll booths are widely expected to be on it. Latin Times Cash is not banned nationwide, and restrictions apply only within sectors Hacienda designates. Latin Times A contingency clause permits cash payments when genuine technical failures block digital transactions. Latin Times

Around it

Commentators describe the law as the first time Mexico's finance ministry has had the legal power to mandate digital-only payments across entire industries. Latin Times+1 Enterprises are expected to integrate real-time payment platforms and biometric compliance tools, according to one industry outlet, with oversight from the CNBV. Mexico Business News Spanish outlet El País reports that the application of the rules will depend on subsequent regulations and transitional periods. Ground News

What comes next

Hacienda is due to publish its first list of mandatory sectors within 15 business days of November 5. Latin Times

Sources

  1. Latin TimesMexico just made it legal to ban cash in entire sectors. Here's what changes.
  2. The Taiwan TimesMexico Approves Digital Economy Act to Phase Out Cash in Key Sectors
  3. Mexico Business NewsMexico’s Digital Payments Law Redefines Financial Ecosystem
  4. Ground NewsMexico Just Made It Legal to Ban Cash in Entire Sectors. Here's What Changes.

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