Credit Card Usage Surge and Bank Performance
The use of bank credit cards continues to increase in the country, reflected by the rise in both the number of cards and credit portfolio balances. According to data from Mexico’s National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV), the number of credit card contracts rose from 35.12 million in August 2024 to 38.03 million in August 2025, an increase of nearly 2.9 million in just one year.
Meanwhile, the Banco de México (Banxico) reports that as of August, the credit card portfolio balance reached 645.1 billion pesos, marking an annual real growth rate of 8.3%.
BBVA Leads Credit Card Emissions
Among the major players, BBVA Mexico leads in credit card emissions with 10.98 million contracts by August, an increase of over 1.3 million compared to the same period in 2024, according to CNBV data.
Following BBVA is Banamex with 9.62 million contracts in August, an increase of more than 1 million compared to August 2024.
Santander ranks third with 3.97 million contracts, an increase of 648,000 compared to August 2024. BanCoppel follows with 3.67 million contracts, a decrease of 904,000 over the past year.
Banorte comes in fifth with 2.82 million contracts, an increase of 503,659 compared to the previous year. HSBC follows with 2.22 million contracts, a decrease of 87,786 compared to August 2024. Inbursa has 1.25 million contracts, a decrease of 5,623 compared to the same period in 2024. Invex rounds out the top six with 1.24 million contracts, an increase of 263,314 compared to August 2024. Banco Azteca has 968,806 contracts, a decrease of 106,905 compared to the previous year.
Managing Delinquency and Interest Rates
Despite the growth in credit card usage, delinquency rates remain under control.
According to CNBV data, the delinquency rate for bank credit cards stood at 3.23% in August, a slight decrease from 3.27% the previous month and down from 3.40% in August 2024.
BanCoppel and Banco Azteca have the highest delinquency rates at 9.41% and 7.38%, respectively.
The interest rate for this crucial product in the consumer portfolio was 38.3% in February, according to Banxico data.
Key Questions and Answers
- Q: What is the main reason for the rise in credit card usage? A: The increase is due to the growing number of credit card contracts and higher portfolio balances.
- Q: Which bank leads in credit card emissions? A: BBVA Mexico leads with over 10 million contracts.
- Q: How is delinquency managed in the credit card segment? A: Delinquency rates remain under control, at 3.23% in August, down from previous months and the same period last year.
- Q: What are the current interest rates for credit cards? A: The interest rate for credit cards was 38.3% in February, according to the latest data from Banxico.
