La Jornada: Record of 46.4 million active credit cards as of May: CNBV

Bank credit cards in circulation hit a new high in May, with more than 46 million, in a season of Mother’s Day celebrations and prior to the start of the Soccer World Cup, reveal the most recent figures from the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV).

At the end of the fifth month of the year, there were 46 million 432 thousand 197 credit cards in circulation, which is 9 million 425 thousand 813 more compared to the 37 million 6 thousand 384, in the same month of 2025.

And if the amount in May is compared to the 45 million 798 thousand 466 that there were in April, in 30 days at least 366 thousand 269 plastics were granted. The banks turned on the placement machines during the fifth month of the year, as they practically placed 11,815 credit cards among consumers daily.

Credit cards are one of the main financing instruments for Mexican households, as they allow you to make purchases of goods and services, defer payments and meet unforeseen expenses without the need to have cash immediately.

In recent years, its use has expanded hand in hand with greater digitalization of payments and a broader range of products by banks in the country.

Public and private sector institutions have pointed out that, in periods of less economic dynamism or when family income is insufficient to cover their expenses, the card usually becomes a temporary source of financing to maintain basic household consumption.

Although they offer immediate liquidity, their use without the respective payment capacity can translate into a higher level of debt due to the high interest rates charged by these products.

The seven banks

The expansion in the placement of these products was also reflected in the seven largest banks in the country: BBVA, Banamex, Santander, Banorte, HSBC, Scotiabank and Inbursa. Together, these institutions reported a balance of 33 million 256 thousand 418 credit card contracts at the end of May, equivalent to 71 percent of the total, according to information from the CNBV.

Compared to May of last year, when they recorded 30 million 373 thousand 142 contracts, the seven banks placed 2 million 883 thousand 276 more cards, and compared to April of this year, when they recorded 33 million 5 thousand 412 contracts, they added 251 thousand 6 credit cards. In May, these seven financial institutions placed an average of 8,097 credit cards per day, which confirms that most of the market growth is concentrated in the largest banks that dominate the supply of consumer financing.