Back to glossary
LATAM Payments MX

SPEI

Also known as: Sistema de Pagos Electrónicos Interbancarios

Definition

SPEI (Sistema de Pagos Electrónicos Interbancarios) is the real-time interbank transfer system operated by Banxico in Mexico. It moves money between accounts at different banks in under 5 seconds, 24 hours a day.

LATAM context

SPEI is Mexico's equivalent to Brazil's PIX or Europe's SEPA. Every transfer generates a unique tracking key (clave de rastreo) that's printed on statements alongside the sender's and recipient's CLABE, which lets you audit the full trail of any transaction.

Concrete example

When you receive a payment from a client: "TRANSFERENCIA SPEI RECIBIDA - JUAN PEREZ S.A. - REF: SPEI20260418001234 - CLABE: 012180001234567890". The tracking key (REF) is what you use to dispute the amount with the sending bank.

How it shows up on your bank statement

On a Mexican bank statement, SPEI transfers show up as line items labeled 'SPEI ENVIADO' or 'SPEI RECIBIDO', followed by the counterparty's CLABE, the sender's or recipient's name, and the reference number the sender typed in. Many banks add the tracking key, which is what you need to request a CEP. The free-text memo the sender wrote usually sits on the same line, so that's where an invoice reference shows up if your client included one.

How does finO$ handle this?

finO$ extracts the SPEI tracking key, sender's CLABE, recipient's CLABE and net amount from every transfer, separating them clearly in the JSON. Useful for reconciling against invoices or catching duplicate payments.

Related terms

CLABE CEP Bank reconciliation

Need to convert bank statements into structured data?

Start freeGo to my dashboard See the API reference

Just one file? Use the free converter to convert your bank statement to Excel.

Frequently asked questions about SPEI

What's the difference between SPEI and a regular interbank transfer?

SPEI is the system Banxico operates for transfers between different banks, settling in seconds around the clock. A transfer within the same bank never touches SPEI: it's an internal movement, usually instant, and generates no tracking key or CEP.

Why doesn't my SPEI transfer show up on this month's statement?

It's the statement cutoff. A SPEI sent on the last day of the period can post with the next day's application date and land on next month's statement instead. That's why reconciling against the operation date, not just the posting date, matters.

Can I identify who sent me a SPEI transfer if I don't recognize the name?

Yes. The transaction carries the sender's CLABE, and the first three digits identify the issuing bank. If you need formal proof of payment, request the CEP from Banxico using the tracking key, the amount and the date.