Send money home
Your first transfer is free and arrives in seconds
Every year, millions of families in Mexico receive remittances sent from abroad. However, many beneficiaries do not know exactly what happens after the sender sends the money: how it arrives, what they need to receive it, whether they have to pay taxes, or if there are any legal limits that apply to them.
Receiving money from abroad in Mexico is legal and, in most cases, does not require any action on the part of the beneficiary: the money arrives in your bank account, digital wallet, or cash pickup location without you having to do any additional paperwork.
How money from abroad arrives in Mexico: the three delivery methods
When someone sends you money from abroad, the money can arrive in three different ways. The one that applies depends on how the sender set up the transfer. The methods and timelines described below apply to Mexico; the process varies by country: if the beneficiary is in another Latin American country covered by Félix (Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Ecuador, or Peru), the available methods may differ.
Direct bank deposit
The money arrives directly into your Mexican bank account, identified by your 18-digit interbank CLABE. You don't have to do anything to receive it: the deposit appears in your account in a matter of minutes once the sender completes the payment. You do not need to be in any particular place or present any documents.
Cash pickup at a store
The sender indicates a chain of stores as the payment point. You receive the necessary information (confirmation number or similar) to go to the pickup location and withdraw the cash by presenting your official ID. The money is available in minutes in most cases after the sender completes their payment.
Digital wallet (only from the U.S. to Mexico with Félix)
With Félix, the sender can also send you money directly to a digital wallet. The wallets available for Mexico are Mercado Pago, Cuenta Nu (Nubank), and Spin by Oxxo. The money arrives directly into your wallet account without you having to withdraw anything.
With Félix Pago, the beneficiary in Mexico pays no fee: the fee is covered by the sender in the U.S. You receive the exact amount in pesos at the exchange rate at the time of the transfer.
What you need to receive money from abroad in Mexico
The documents you need depend on the delivery method:
| Delivery method | What you need as a beneficiary |
|---|---|
| Bank deposit | 18-digit interbank CLABE (you provide this to the sender before the transfer) |
| Cash pickup | Valid official identification (INE, passport) and confirmation code or number |
| Digital wallet | Account number or alias of your wallet (you provide this to the sender before the transfer) |
For bank deposits, you don't need to do anything when receiving: the money arrives on its own. For cash pickups, you must go to the collection point with your official ID.
How much money can you receive from abroad in Mexico?
From the beneficiary's side, Mexico does not establish a general legal limit for receiving remittances. You can receive any amount.
What does exist are reporting obligations that apply to financial institutions (banks, currency exchange houses), not directly to the beneficiary. These thresholds are managed by your bank in compliance with SAT and CNBV regulations in Mexico; you do not have to perform any additional procedures to receive them.
Receiving remittances is legal in any amount, and the SAT does not charge income tax (ISR) on family remittances. You can read the details in our article on taxes for receiving money from abroad.
If you want to know specifically how much you can receive without needing to declare anything, check: How much money can I receive from abroad without declaring it?
How to receive money with Félix Pago from the U.S. to Mexico
Félix works on the sender's side, not the beneficiary's. Your family member or friend in the U.S. is the one who uses Félix to make the transfer via WhatsApp. As a beneficiary in Mexico, your involvement is minimal:
- Share your interbank CLABE, digital wallet number, or the name of the pickup store with the sender before the transfer.
- The sender completes the payment from the U.S. using Félix on WhatsApp.
- The money arrives in your bank account in minutes, to your digital wallet immediately, or is available for cash pickup in minutes in most cases.
You don't need to download any app or register for any service to receive money.
If your family member doesn't know Félix yet, you can share the article on how to send money to Mexico from the United States so they can learn about the available options.
Can you track the transfer if the money doesn't arrive?
If the money takes longer than expected, tracking is done by the sender from their side. They can check the status of the transfer directly in the Félix WhatsApp chat. If the deposit does not appear after the estimated time, the sender should contact Félix support.
If the transfer comes from another service, tracking is done using the confirmation number that the service gives the sender. You can guide your family member with the guide on how to track a money transfer.
Are remittances taxed in Mexico?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions among beneficiaries. The short answer: in most cases, no.
Remittances are considered transfers between individuals, not income from economic activity. That is why the SAT does not tax them with income tax (ISR) under normal circumstances. The specialized articles on our blog cover this in detail:
- Do remittances pay taxes?
- What are the taxes for receiving money from abroad?
- How much money can I receive from abroad without declaring it?
The SAT does not charge income tax (ISR) on remittances received from family members or individuals with whom you have a personal relationship, provided they are not considered income from professional or commercial activity.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a bank account to receive money from abroad in Mexico?
Not necessarily. You can receive cash at participating stores by presenting your official ID, or in a digital wallet such as Mercado Pago, Cuenta Nu, or Spin by Oxxo. A bank account is just one of the available methods.
Can a bank block an international transfer?
Banks may hold funds or request additional documentation if they detect unusual transfers or if the account has no history of international deposits. If this happens, contact your bank directly to clarify the source of the funds. Having the transfer receipt provided by the sender makes the process easier.
What happens if the sender enters my CLABE incorrectly?
If the CLABE is incorrect, the banking system generally rejects the transfer and the money is returned to the sender within 1 to 5 business days. That is why it is important to verify your CLABE before giving it to the sender.
Sources and references
Banxico (Bank of Mexico)
- Banxico: remittance statistics (Official data on remittance flows to Mexico.)
SAT (Tax Administration Service)
- SAT: tax treatment of donations and transfers (General framework of the ISR applicable to transfers between individuals.)
Related content
