The representative CAT (Costo Anual Total — Mexico's all-in annual cost figure) that CONDUSEF publishes every six months by bank and product. It reflects what most customers were actually charged in the previous semester, not the lowest number you see in advertising. This is the figure worth comparing before you sign.
CONDUSEF publishes the Average CAT every six months, bank by bank and product by product. It works as a thermometer: if a bank offers you a payroll loan at 55% CAT and the market average sits at 42%, you have grounds to negotiate or walk.
The H1 2026 figure on classic credit cards hovered near 68% weighted-average CAT; on bank personal loans, between 36% and 48% by profile. These numbers move little from one half-year to the next, but when Banxico raises the reference rate, they take a quarter or two to reflect it upward.