AI and the Lag in Digital Payments in Mexico

Today, we are saturated with information related to artificial intelligence; however, as we learn more, we realize it is for a good reason. The more we understand, the more we become aware of the enormous impact it is having — and will continue to have — on our daily lives. And for those of us in the world of finance, technology, and business, the infinity and depth of the implications that are yet to come are mind-blowing.

Particularly in the ecosystem of payment methods, changes are happening at a dizzying speed. What is new today is already obsolete tomorrow. The ease of access to technology and the speed of communications have broken down many walls and facilitated the deployment of new technologies almost immediately on a global scale, as is the case with AI.

Only recently, PayPal, Visa, and Mastercard announced, at different times and forums, their agentic AI products focused on the payment experience of end-users. In simple terms and oversimplifying, this will allow consumers to give these AI agents the ability to carry out operations on our behalf. Surely, we can start with limited and specific tasks, such as the purchase of basic items we normally consume (groceries, make up, personal care products, and so on) or making reservations at restaurants or shows, saving us enormous amounts of time, booking hotels or flights, ensuring the best conditions under the parameters we define (class, rate), and even managing disputes for unrecognized charges, for example.

Notwithstanding the imminent availability of these solutions, in the case of Mexico, we live in a paradox. While we have surpassed the figure of 100 million internet users, where more than 97% of them access from a smartphone, according to figures reported by INEGI at the beginning of May 2025, we still have an enormous lag in the adoption not only of digital payments but of any type of payment other than cash. In this area, Mexico lags not only globally, but even compared to other Latin American countries that, until just a few years ago, had very similar rates to Mexico in cash usage.

Like everything in this life, we can see the above as a problem or as a huge opportunity. I prefer the latter. In that sense, it seems to me that we have a big opportunity to capitalize on the moment: On the one hand, this enormous gap in the penetration of digital payment methods; on the other hand, the great capabilities that AI offers us with its power in terms of efficiency, security, and personalization.

One of the fundamental mainstays of trust in electronic payments is security. AI has proven to be an invaluable ally in the fight against fraud. Through advanced learning algorithms, enormous amounts of transactional data can be analyzed in real time, identifying anomalous patterns that could indicate fraudulent activities.

On the other hand, the automation of repetitive tasks, such as payment reconciliation, dispute management, and customer service through intelligent chatbots, frees participating companies from high structural costs, allowing them to generate much more efficient and accessible solutions.

Finally, AI is also redefining the user experience by analyzing preferences and transaction history to offer personalized payment options, recommendations for relevant products and services, and even more intuitive and agile payment flows.

Artificial intelligence has come to stay in the world of digital payments. Its ability to strengthen security, optimize transactional rates, and personalize the user experience is transforming the landscape. The key point will be whether the people and entities involved will have the capacity to understand and adopt the power of AI, but above all, whether we will have the capacity for dialogue, organization, and coordination to capitalize on it for the benefit of our country.