The Mexican government announced on Monday, April 27, a measure to reduce the commissions that gas stations pay when their customers purchase with credit cards, debit cards, or vouchers. The strategy was presented by President Claudia Sheinbaum and consists of an agreement with the Mexican Banking Association (ABM) in coordination with the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP).
The initiative aims to eliminate the so-called “interchange fee,” a charge that banks impose on gas stations for processing each electronic payment. This fee represents 80% of the total commission that service stations currently face. By eliminating this charge, the cost of operating with digital payments substantially decreases for establishments, and it is expected that this saving will be passed on to the final price of fuel.
In the case of gasoline vouchers — mainly used by transportation and logistics fleets — issuing companies will apply a discount of one peso and 10 cents per transaction.
Effective date and duration
The commission reduction proposed by the Mexican government takes effect this Friday, May 1, and will be valid until October 31, 2026. President Sheinbaum has indicated that there is a possibility of extending the measure beyond the proposed date, depending on the evolution of international oil prices and progress in payment digitalization in Mexico.
How this measure arose
The proposal emerged in response to the rise in international crude prices, driven by tensions in the Middle East. The Secretary of Finance, Édgar Amador Zamora, has stated that the Mexican government’s reaction was swift in the face of the possibility that fuel prices would register significant increases.
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The President of Mexico has stated that, without government intervention, gasoline would already be above 30 pesos per liter. “That increase caused by international factors, the government is supporting so that fuel prices do not increase, how much it is supporting, about 2.5 billion pesos weekly,” she said on Monday from her conference at the National Palace.
The president emphasized that although the savings per transaction may seem small — around 2.57 pesos on an average purchase — the impact is significant when considering the volume of millions of daily operations. Likewise, the price of diesel is crucial in this strategy due to its effect on the goods distribution chain.
Towards payment digitalization
Besides the relief in gasoline prices, the measure aims to reduce the use of cash at gas stations and toll booths in the long term. According to the Chairman of the Board of the Mexican Banking Association, Emilio Romano Mussali, digital payments are more transparent and have lower costs. The agreement for payment digitalization also involves the Bank of Mexico and the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV), in addition to the voucher issuing companies.
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