Sending business payments from the US to Mexico
A US company pays a Mexican supplier, contractor or subsidiary by SWIFT wire to its Mexican bank, or by a local peso payout over SPEI through a provider with access to Mexican rails. You need the recipient's 18-digit CLABE, its legal name and its bank's SWIFT code, and you need to know whether the account is in pesos or dollars before you choose the currency.
- Every Mexican bank account has an 18-digit CLABE: 3 digits for the bank, 3 for the city or region, 11 for the account and 1 check digit.
- Banco de México lets banks take dollar demand deposits from companies domiciled in Mexico, but from individuals only within 20 kilometers of the northern border or in Baja California and Baja California Sur.
- SPEI, Banxico's peso transfer system, settles in real time 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and issues a downloadable proof of payment called a CEP.
- BBVA México credits dollar transfers received by 13:30 the same day, charges 30 USD plus IVA to receive an international transfer, and puts intermediary deductions at 1 to 70 USD on average.
- The Federal Reserve's FedGlobal ACH service accepts payments to Mexico only until 20 November 2026.
Details to collect from a Mexican recipient
Mexico does not use IBAN account numbers, and Mexican banks do not use US routing numbers. The number that matters is the CLABE (Clave Bancaria Estandarizada), the standardized 18-digit account number every Mexican bank account carries for interbank transfers. BBVA México describes its structure: 3 digits identify the bank, 3 the city or region, 11 the account, and the last digit is a check digit that catches typing errors.
Collect the details once, in writing, and check them against the supplier's CFDI (Comprobante Fiscal Digital por Internet), Mexico's electronic tax invoice, which also shows its RFC, the federal taxpayer number.
| Detail | Format or example | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficiary name | Legal name exactly as on the bank statement, for example Proveedora Ejemplo, S.A. de C.V. | BBVA México asks for the name exactly as it appears on the statement |
| Beneficiary address | Full street address in Mexico | Required on SWIFT wires |
| CLABE | 18 digits | Identifies bank, region and account; the first 3 digits must match the bank named |
| Bank and SWIFT/BIC | 8 or 11 characters; BBVA México is BCMRMXMMPYM | Routes a SWIFT wire to the right bank |
| Account currency | MXN or USD | Dollars sent to a peso account are converted on arrival |
| RFC | Shown on the supplier's CFDI | Links the bank details to the company that invoices you |
Sources: BBVA México, international transfers and CLABE. As published on 29 October 2026.
Before the first payment, check the number with our CLABE validator, and confirm it by phone with a contact you already know.
Pay in pesos or in US dollars?
Mexican suppliers invoice US buyers in pesos or in dollars, and both are common. Whether the supplier can keep dollars depends on its account. Article 46 of Banco de México's Circular 3/2012 lets Mexican banks take US dollar demand deposits from companies domiciled anywhere in Mexico, but from individuals only if they live within 20 kilometers of the northern border or in Baja California or Baja California Sur. A contractor working as an individual in Mexico City or Guadalajara will usually have only a peso account.
When dollars reach a peso account, the bank converts them. BBVA México states that a foreign currency transfer into an account in another currency is credited at the market rate at the moment of receipt, which the supplier does not control.
| Recipient's account | What to send | Who converts |
|---|---|---|
| Company dollar account | USD by SWIFT wire | Nobody; dollars stay dollars |
| Peso account, peso invoice | MXN, converted by your provider before sending | You, at a rate you see before you confirm |
| Peso account, dollar invoice | USD by SWIFT wire | The supplier's bank, at its rate on the day |
Sources: Banco de México, Circular 3/2012; BBVA México. As published on 29 October 2026.
For peso amounts and recent trends, see the USD to MXN currency page.
Rails and arrival times
A SWIFT wire travels through the correspondent banking chain to the supplier's bank and can be in dollars or pesos. BBVA México asks for incoming international transfers as a SWIFT MT103, the standard message for a single customer payment, credits dollar transfers received by 13:30 with same-day value, and gives 24 to 72 hours as the average time for an international transfer to complete.
A local peso payout uses SPEI, the interbank system owned and operated by Banco de México. Banxico states that SPEI settles in real time, runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and gives both sides a CEP (Comprobante Electrónico de Pago), a downloadable proof of payment.
| Route | Recipient receives | Published timing | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|
| SWIFT wire to a Mexican bank | USD or MXN | BBVA México: same-day value if received by 13:30; 24 to 72 hours on average | UETR and MT103 |
| Local peso payout over SPEI | MXN | Real time, 24/7 (Banxico) | CEP from Banxico |
| FedGlobal ACH to Mexico | MXN | Accepts payments only until 20 November 2026 | Not applicable |
Sources: BBVA México; Banco de México, SPEI; Federal Reserve Financial Services, FedGlobal ACH. As published on 29 October 2026.
The UETR (Unique End-to-end Transaction Reference) is the tracking code that follows a SWIFT payment from bank to bank. Our guide on how to pay suppliers in Mexico adds cut-off times and the 2026 bank holiday calendar.
Documents and checks
Mexico has no purpose code system for incoming wires, but BBVA México lists requests for more information about the transaction among the most common causes of delay. Put the invoice number and a short description of the goods or service in the payment reference, and keep the CFDI, the purchase order and, for goods, the shipping documents ready in case either bank asks.
For payments to a subsidiary, state the reason in the reference, for example an intercompany service fee or a capital contribution, so the Mexican bank does not have to ask.
On the US side, every payment to a Mexican company must pass sanctions screening: OFAC states that all US persons, including all US incorporated entities and their foreign branches, must comply with US sanctions, so the payer, the recipient and the recipient's bank are checked before the money moves.
Costs: Helm fees, intermediary deductions, SHA and OUR
A payment to Mexico can carry four costs: the sending fee, the exchange margin if you convert, intermediary deductions on a SWIFT wire and the supplier's receiving fee. BBVA México charges 30 USD plus IVA, Mexico's value added tax, to receive an international transfer, and states that intermediary banks deduct 1 to 70 USD on average. Every SWIFT wire carries a charge code. OUR means the sender pays all charges, so the full amount should arrive. SHA means charges are shared: the sender pays its own provider, and intermediary banks may deduct their fees in transit. BEN means every charge comes out of the amount sent. Send OUR when the invoice must be paid in full; a peso payout over SPEI avoids the SWIFT chain altogether. Helm international payments show the rate, the fee and the expected arrival before you confirm, and the account manager confirms the route for each corridor.
Helm agrees pricing with each business in writing before the account opens, and shows the rate, the fee and the expected arrival before you confirm each payment. See how Helm pricing works.
Why payments to Mexico are delayed or returned
| Problem | What happens | How to prevent it |
|---|---|---|
| CLABE mistyped | Rejected or held for a query | Copy it from a signed document and check the bank code in the first 3 digits |
| Name does not match the account | Bank queries or returns the payment | Use the legal name from the bank statement |
| Dollars sent to an individual's peso account | Converted at the bank's rate | Confirm the account currency first |
| No reference or purpose | Receiving bank asks for information | Quote the invoice number and the goods or service |
| Sent SHA for a full invoice | Supplier receives less | Send OUR |
Source: BBVA México, causes of delay and returns. As published on 29 October 2026.
BBVA México notes that a returned amount can differ from the amount sent because of foreign bank fees and exchange rate movements. If a wire is late, share the UETR and the payment receipt with the supplier so its bank can trace the funds.
Checklist before you send
- Get the CLABE, legal name and RFC from the supplier's CFDI or a signed letter.
- Confirm whether the account is in pesos or dollars before choosing the currency.
- Choose a peso payout over SPEI for peso invoices where available, or a SWIFT wire with OUR for dollar invoices.
- Allow for BBVA México's 13:30 cut-off: dollar transfers it receives later are credited the next business day.
- Share the CEP or the UETR and MT103 with the supplier, with the invoice number.
Open a Helm account
USD, EUR and GBP accounts in your company's name, with a named account manager.
Open accountQuestions
What details do I need to send money to a business in Mexico?
You need the recipient's legal name and address, its 18-digit CLABE, the bank's name and SWIFT code, and the account currency. Check the CLABE against the supplier's CFDI invoice and confirm it by phone before the first payment.
Can I send US dollars to a Mexican company?
Yes, if the company holds a dollar account. Banco de México allows banks to take dollar deposits from companies domiciled in Mexico. If the account is in pesos, the bank converts the dollars at its own rate on arrival.
How long does a business wire to Mexico take?
BBVA México gives 24 to 72 hours as the average time for an international transfer and credits dollar transfers received by 13:30 the same day. A peso payout over SPEI settles in real time, 24 hours a day.
What is SPEI?
SPEI is Mexico's interbank system for peso transfers, owned and operated by Banco de México. It runs 24/7 and gives both sides a CEP, an electronic proof of payment.
Can I still use FedGlobal ACH to pay Mexico?
Only until 20 November 2026. Federal Reserve Financial Services is discontinuing the service and no longer accepts new sign-ups.
Who pays the fees on a wire to Mexico?
It depends on the charge code. With OUR the sender pays all charges, with SHA intermediary banks can deduct fees in transit, and the Mexican bank may charge to receive; BBVA México charges 30 USD plus IVA.
References
- BBVA México: Transferencias internacionales para empresas
- Banco de México: SPEI, Sistema de Pagos Electrónicos Interbancarios
- Banco de México: Circular 3/2012 (DOF text), Article 46 on foreign currency deposits
- Federal Reserve Financial Services: FedGlobal ACH Payments
- Swift: Fast, transparent and trackable payments (gpi)
- U.S. Department of the Treasury, OFAC: Who must comply with OFAC sanctions? (FAQ 11)
This guide is general information for businesses, not financial, legal or tax advice. Rules, fees and timings were checked against the sources listed on the review date and may change.