A wholesaler's cash position is decided by how quickly customers pay. Stock in the warehouse and invoices waiting for payment both tie up working capital, and the supplier usually has to be paid first. The best payment method balances ease of payment, transaction cost, reconciliation effort and payment risk, and it has to work across pesos, dollars and other currencies.
For peso collections, SPEI, the real-time interbank payment system that Banco de México operates 24/7, is a strong default. US and other international customers usually need a second route in dollars or their own currency. This guide sets out the methods, when each fits, and the invoicing and credit disciplines that matter as much as the rail.
| Method | Best for | Speed and cost |
|---|---|---|
| SPEI bank transfer | Mexican B2B customers paying pesos | Real-time settlement, efficient for large invoices |
| CoDi payment request | Small domestic buyers paying by phone | Free and available at any time |
| US local USD details or ACH | US distributors and business buyers | Familiar domestic workflow for the buyer |
| Domestic or international wire | Large one-off or urgent invoices | Strong bank-to-bank route |
| Card or payment link | Samples, small buyers and remote sales | Very convenient, percentage fees |
| Direct debit or automated collection | Repeat customers with agreed authority | Reduces manual chasing |
| Letter of credit or documentary collection | Larger cross-border buyers where exposure is material | Stronger assurance, more cost |
| Method | Main issue to manage | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| SPEI | Reference and reconciliation discipline | MXN |
| CoDi | Buyer's bank must support it | MXN |
| US local details or ACH | Requires an eligible USD receiving set-up | USD |
| Wire | Fees, deductions and investigations | USD, EUR and others |
| Card or payment link | Fees reduce wholesale margin | Any supported |
| Direct debit | Set-up and buyer agreement | Depends on provider |
| Documentary methods | Documents, cost and time | As set in the credit |
Treat these as distinct routes, not interchangeable ones. Segment customers by location, invoice value, frequency and credit quality, then offer the fewest options each segment needs.
Banco de México administers and operates SPEI, which lets participants send and receive peso transfers between accounts at different institutions, with real-time settlement around the clock. Bank transfers suit large invoices far better than percentage-based card fees: a MXN 500,000 payment should not carry card-style costs.
The work is in reconciliation. Require the invoice number or a customer code in the payment reference (concepto), ask for remittance advice when one transfer pays several invoices, and match unapplied cash daily so that credit limits and shipment releases reflect the real payment position.
CoDi, Banco de México's mobile payment request service, lets a buyer pay from its bank account by phone, free of commissions and at any time. It suits small retailers and counter sales where the buyer will not set up a transfer, provided the buyer's bank supports it.
Setting up a foreign beneficiary and sending an international wire adds friction for repeat US buyers. With US dollar receiving details, the buyer pays by ACH or domestic wire as it would a US supplier, while the Mexican wholesaler keeps the invoice in dollars.
Providers that offer US receiving details include Payoneer, which provides receiving account details in 13 currencies, as well as Airwallex and Wise Business, with features that depend on the company, the buyer countries and what each provider makes available to a Mexican entity. Test with two or three real US customers before moving everyone. The routes are set out in detail in how Mexican exporters receive USD payments from US customers.
Wires suit high-value or urgent payments and buyers whose treasury policy requires them above a threshold. For cross-border wires, agree who pays the fees and what amount must arrive: if exactly $250,000 must be received, intermediary deductions can leave a shortfall unless the buyer uses the OUR charge instruction.
Within Mexico, companies domiciled in Mexico with dollar demand deposit accounts can receive dollars from another Mexican bank through SPID, Banco de México's dollar transfer system, which operates from 8:00 to 14:15. Keep a clear investigation process with a named owner: a missing six-figure payment should not sit in a generic support queue.
Cards and payment links suit smaller customers, samples, deposits and first-time buyers, and avoid the need to set up a supplier account. Percentage fees can absorb a large share of the profit on a wholesale invoice, so steer established customers to bank transfers as order values rise.
A simple policy works: accept cards below a set invoice value, or only where the margin and terms support the cost, and quote bank-transfer prices as the standard.
Wholesalers often offer 15, 30 or 60-day terms. This makes them more competitive but turns inventory into receivables. The payment method only decides how the buyer settles at the due date; the real questions are whether to extend credit, how large the limit should be and how overdue invoices are handled.
Segment by payment history and commercial importance. Strong repeat buyers may receive open terms; new buyers may need prepayment, a deposit or a smaller credit line.
A credit limit should reflect what the wholesaler can afford to have outstanding with one customer, not only what the customer would like to buy. A practical starting point is a limit equal to one to two months of expected purchases for established buyers with a clean payment record, reviewed every quarter against actual payment behaviour.
Write the limit, terms and payment method into the customer agreement so the sales team, the warehouse and finance apply the same rule.
Some wholesalers offer a discount for early payment to bring cash forward. The discount is a financing cost and should be compared with the company's borrowing rate before it is offered.
| Term | Meaning | Annualised cost to the seller |
|---|---|---|
| 2/10 net 30 | 2% off if paid in 10 days, otherwise due in 30 | About 37% |
| 1/10 net 30 | 1% off if paid in 10 days, otherwise due in 30 | About 18% |
| 1/10 net 60 | 1% off if paid in 10 days, otherwise due in 60 | About 7% |
The annualised cost is the discount divided by the amount paid, scaled to a year over the days saved. Offer a discount only where faster cash has a specific use, such as paying a supplier deposit that secures a better purchase price.
The routine is simple, but run consistently it shortens collection times more than any change of payment rail.
The most common fraud against wholesalers is a false instruction: an email, apparently from the wholesaler, telling a customer that its bank details have changed. The customer pays the fraudster and the invoice remains unpaid. Tell customers at onboarding that bank details will never change by email alone, confirm any change by phone using a number already on file, and send bank details only on signed letterhead through an agreed channel. Customers pay more readily when they are confident the instructions are genuine.
| Lane | Customers | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic pesos | Mexican customers | SPEI with consistent references, reconciled daily |
| US and major foreign markets | US distributors and international buyers | Local USD or EUR receiving details; hold currency where costs match |
| Exceptions | Large one-off deals, new countries, buyers needing protection | International wires, letters of credit or other approved routes |
Each lane has its own instructions on the invoice and its own owner in the finance team. Customers move between lanes only with finance approval, so the company always knows where each payment should arrive.
Round-number payments, combined invoices and missing references make reconciliation hard. Fix this with better payment instructions rather than more staff: give each buyer a customer reference, require invoice numbers in the remittance data, show the payment reference clearly on the invoice and require remittance advice for combined payments.
Each sale is invoiced through a CFDI, the electronic invoice issued through SAT. Where an invoice is paid later or in instalments, SAT requires a separate CFDI recording the payment once it arrives, so matching each SPEI or dollar receipt to its invoice is also a tax task. Automated matching helps high-volume wholesalers, but it depends on good references at source.
Customers who pay 20 or 30 days late receive financing the wholesaler has not priced, which is especially costly when suppliers are paid in advance. Track days sales outstanding, the average number of days to collect an invoice, by customer and segment. A high-revenue but persistently late buyer may be worth less than its sales suggest.
| Monthly sales | Extra days late | Cash tied up |
|---|---|---|
| MXN 5 million | 15 days | About MXN 2.5 million |
| MXN 5 million | 30 days | About MXN 5 million |
| MXN 20 million | 30 days | About MXN 20 million |
Trade or receivables finance can bridge the gap for important customers; see how trade credit works for importers and exporters.
A wholesaler receiving dollars and paying dollar suppliers should not convert receipts to pesos and then buy dollars back, which pays the exchange margin twice. Keep a currency cash-flow forecast of expected receipts and payments by currency, and hold dollars only for known dollar costs.
Matching does not remove all currency exposure. Compare the actual exchange rate and fees at normal transaction sizes, using Banco de México's FIX rate or a live mid-market rate as the benchmark, because small differences compound at wholesale volumes. The comparison of cross-border payment providers for Mexican businesses sets out the providers' published pricing.
Sales teams should know the preferred payment methods and why. A 45-day term paid by card and a 15-day term paid by bank transfer have very different economics for the same order. Capture the currency, payment method, terms, expected monthly volume and required credit limit at quotation or onboarding, so finance approves a coherent package before the first invoice. The aim is to sell more without fees, receivables and conversion eroding the margin.
Helm, the firm's own business account and payments platform, gives wholesalers that sell or buy across borders collection accounts, payout accounts, conversion and trade documents in one place, with balances held by licensed partners. It typically sits beside a Mexican bank: domestic customers pay by SPEI into the bank, while foreign customers and supplier payments run through Helm. The Helm platform page lists the corridors, and the firm's trade payments service arranges the accounts.
Segment customers and route each to the method that balances speed, cost, credit exposure and control.
SPEI is usually the most efficient route for Mexican customers paying in pesos. International customers are better served by local USD or EUR receiving details, or wires for large transactions.
Usually only where the convenience or sales benefit justifies the processing cost. Established B2B customers are best steered to bank transfers.
Through US receiving details that accept ACH, an international USD wire or a Mexican corporate dollar account, depending on the provider. Confirm the payment types allowed, the fees and whether dollars can be held after receipt.
CoDi is Banco de México's mobile payment request service. Buyers pay from their bank account by phone, with no commissions, at any time.
Terms should reflect credit quality, relationship history, margin and the wholesaler's working capital. Strong repeat buyers may receive open terms; new customers may need deposits, prepayment or smaller limits.
Make invoices easy to pay, agree payment methods at onboarding, use clear bank details and references, send reminders before due dates, track days sales outstanding and escalate overdue balances quickly.
Buckingham Capital Consulting has obtained FCA payment institution licences for firms including Nexpay, Orbital and Global Send since 2013, and works with the banks and payment providers that serve Mexican and US trading businesses. Its trade payments team arranges peso, dollar and multi-currency collection accounts for wholesalers and distributors selling at home and abroad.
Speak to an expert: WhatsApp +44 7563 115980, Telegram @buckinghamcapital or info@buckinghamcapitalconsulting.co.uk.
This article is general information, reviewed against the regulator’s published requirements on the date shown. It is not legal advice; the regulator’s current publications take precedence.