La Jornada: Record number of credit cards in the country with almost 46 million

The contracting of bank credit cards continues unstoppable in Mexico, and in April a new maximum was reached for the same month since there are records: more than 45 million 700 thousand, according to information from the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV).

The most recent data update from the regulatory body indicates that, at the end of the fourth month of this year, there were 45 million 798 thousand 466 credit cards, which is 8 million 89 thousand 816 more if compared to the 37 million 708 thousand 650 that there were in April 2025.

Regarding the immediately previous month; That is, March, the number of that credit instrument increased by 126,380.

Thus, on average, banks placed a total of 4,212 cards daily among the country’s consumers.

Credit cards are one of the most profitable businesses for commercial banking, because in addition to generating income from interest, commissions and annuities, they allow financial institutions to expand their relationship with customers and offer more financial products.

The increase in the placement of cards coincided with a greater dynamism in the consumption of Mexican households, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi), and in the fourth month the employed personnel in the country reached one of its highest levels and the wage bill continued to rise.

In addition, greater spending by families on goods and services was observed, supported by the growth of formal employment and the salary increases registered in recent years.

In this context, financial companies maintained credit placement strategies aimed at attracting new customers, which contributed to the number of cards reaching a historical maximum for a similar month.

The seven banks of systemic importance – BBVA, Santander, Banamex, Banorte, HSBC, Scotiabank and Inbursa – concentrated 33 million 5 thousand 412 credit cards at the end of April, indicated the CNBV, which is equivalent to 72.1 percent of the total.

Compared to the fourth month, but last year, when these banks added 30 million 214 thousand 390 cards, the number of cards increased by 2 million 791 thousand 22.

The increase in the number of credit cards also occurs in an environment in which consumer financing maintains an upward trajectory.

According to the CNBV, at the end of April, the balance of the credit card portfolio amounted to 721,733 million pesos, an amount that represented a growth of 12 percent compared to 644,511 million reported in the same month of 2025.

In the monthly comparison, when the balance was 711 thousand 253 million pesos, the financing granted via cards increased 10 thousand 480 million.

Although the quality of the portfolio remains relatively stable, the levels of delinquent payments showed a slight increase. The Default Rate (IMOR) stood at 3.36 percent at the end of April, above the 3.22 percent observed a year earlier and the 3.35 percent reported in March.