Directo a México closes on 20 November: check your next money transfer

If you send money from a US bank account to Mexico through Directo a México, check your arrangements before 20 November 2026. The service is closing, and your bank can tell you whether any regular or scheduled transfers use it.

Banco de México’s notice of 2 October confirms the closing date. It says the service will continue operating normally to process and settle transactions made through 20 November.

This is a change to a particular payment service, not a notice that every way of sending money to Mexico is closing.

Which services are ending?

The Federal Reserve’s final notice, published on 27 October, sets the last dates for its FedGlobal ACH Payments service to Mexico and Panama.

New outgoing payment items will be accepted until 20 November. Return items will be processed through 11 December. Those are different deadlines: the later date does not extend the period for starting a transfer.

The same notice covers a separate service for foreign and Canadian cheques. It will accept deposited items until 4 December, with returns processed through 2 April 2027. If you deposit such cheques, ask your bank how its arrangements will change.

Ask your bank before changing a regular payment

Start by checking the name of the service on your transfer records. If it is unclear, ask your US bank or credit union whether it uses Directo a México or FedGlobal for your payments.

Ask which alternative it offers, when you need to change your instructions and whether any scheduled transfers need attention. Confirm the receiving account details and any new fee before sending money. Keep the transfer reference and receipt.

The Federal Reserve’s original discontinuation announcement advised financial institutions to move to alternative providers. It does not name a single replacement service for every customer.

Receiving a US pension in Mexico?

Banco de México describes US government pension payments as a major part of the programme’s traffic. If you receive a benefit or pension, check your own payment route with the paying agency and your bank.

The US Treasury’s international direct-deposit guidance directs benefit recipients to their federal paying agency for enrolment. The closure notices do not establish what change, if any, an individual recipient must make. Do not assume that your payments will stop, or that no action is needed.

• Related: Sending money internationally: compare the costs

Compare the amount that arrives

Mexico’s consumer-protection agency offers the Quién es Quién en el Envío de Dinero comparison tool. Enter the amount and US sending city to compare fees, exchange rates, delivery time and the pesos received in Mexico.

PROFECO says the information is a reference, not an endorsement of a provider. Confirm the terms directly before making a transfer. Comparing the amount your recipient receives can be more useful than looking at the advertised fee alone.

Image: Banco de México façade, Mexico City, by Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped to 2:1 and resized; the adapted photograph is shared under the same licence.