Most consumers in Mexico already carry a card or digital wallet that supports contactless payments, but far fewer actually use the feature at the checkout. Mastercard introduced the ‘Mastercard Contactless Payments Acceleration Program’ to close the gap between available infrastructure and everyday use at points of sale. The programme brings together acquiring banks, large merchants, and other payment ecosystem players in a coordinated effort led by Mastercard.
Why contactless adoption lags at the point of sale
According to Mastercard estimates, more than 90% of users in Mexico have a contactless-enabled card or digital wallet. However, 73% of eligible transactions at large retailers still face some form of friction at the point of sale. As a result, only four in ten transactions in categories such as supermarkets and pharmacies are completed using contactless technology.
Card use in physical retail points to growing demand. According to the National Survey of Financial Inclusion (ENIF) 2024, conducted by Mexico's national statistics institute INEGI with the National Banking and Securities Commission, 36.9% of Mexicans aged 18 to 70 used a card for purchases at supermarkets, department stores, and convenience stores in 2024. Mastercard said these figures show a consumer base increasingly ready for digital payments, and the need for acceptance to keep pace with demand.
Investment and technical support for acquirers and merchants
The programme offers acquiring banks and large merchants investment, operational resources, and technical support. Working with acquirers in Mexico, Mastercard will provide technology enablement, training for staff, and operational assistance, while drawing on its global payments experience and market intelligence to identify barriers and put solutions in place. In its first phase, the programme will focus on large retail stores, convenience stores, retail chains, and high-volume businesses, where Mastercard sees the most room to increase contactless use.
The initiative will also encourage wider acceptance of digital wallets, giving consumers more options to pay with mobile devices at checkout. Sidney Massunaga, Country Manager of Mastercard Mexico, said contactless payments are a key opportunity to further digitalise the Mexican economy. According to Massunaga, the infrastructure is in place, and consumers are ready, leaving point-of-sale adoption as the main challenge, and Mastercard is working with the wider ecosystem to expand acceptance.
