SPEI (Sistema de Pagos Electrónicos Interbancarios)

SPEI is Banco de México's real-time interbank payment system, letting funds move between accounts at different Mexican banks in seconds, 24 hours a day, every day of the year, identified via each account's 18-digit CLABE number. It is infrastructure, not a consumer product — banks and fintech apps build their own payment experiences on top of it.

Mexico's fintech microloan sector relies on SPEI for fast disbursement and repayment: once a loan is approved, funds typically arrive in the borrower's account within seconds to a few minutes, which is a major reason Mexican fintech lenders can credibly advertise sub-five-minute payout times. A SPEI transfer can only be sent to a Mexican bank account matching the verified recipient's identity.