Why an IMSS profile pays off
For the bank, your IMSS payroll cuts collection costs to almost zero. Payroll-deduction repayment means the installment leaves before you ever see the money. That translates into lower CAT (Costo Anual Total — Mexico's all-in annual cost figure), longer terms and bigger tickets. The gap versus a borrower without a formal payroll is significant: five to fifteen CAT points on the same product.
Payroll loan vs. standard personal loan
If your employer has an agreement with a bank, the payroll loan runs five to ten points below the standard personal loan. The installment is pulled straight from your salary. Before you start hunting offers online, stop by HR and ask which agreement is active. There's almost always one.
The most common agreements
BBVA, Banorte, Santander and Citibanamex hold most of the corporate agreements. At larger companies (a hundred employees and up) there's almost always one in place; often there are two, and the employee picks. At small companies the agreement may not be signed at all, and then you're back to a standard personal loan.
The seniority that actually counts
Six months minimum in your current job is what most lenders ask for. Some demand twelve. If you've been there less than that, the sensible move is to wait. Applying with three months on the job means a smaller amount and a higher CAT.
How much you can really borrow
The rule the scoring models apply: your monthly payment shouldn't exceed 30% to 40% of net income. On a 15,000-peso monthly salary with no other debts, that gets you tickets up to roughly 110,000 pesos over 36 months, depending on the CAT applied.