Annual fee

The fixed yearly charge most credit cards bill you. It runs from $0 (no-fee cards) to more than $9,000 on premium plastic. A $1,800 annual fee only makes sense if the perks (miles, airport lounge access, insurance) are worth more than that to you over a year.

Range on the ground in Mexico: standard credit cards charge 500-2,500 pesos annual fee; premium tiers (Platinum, World Elite) run 3,000-8,000. Zero-annual-fee options that hold their ground in 2026: Nu, Vexi, Hey Banco, RappiCard, Stori. Each targets a different profile — Nu for clean Buró, Vexi and Stori for thin Buró, Hey for existing Hey account holders.

When paying the annual fee makes sense: only if the cashback plus lounge access, travel insurance or transfer partners you actually use exceed the fee by a clear margin. First-year-free promos are common — plan the cancel-or-renew call before the anniversary date. Calling the retention line and mentioning cancellation often gets the fee waived a second year, especially at Banorte and Santander.