What Is the CLABE? Mexico's Bank Account Code Explained
The CLABE (Clave Bancaria Estandarizada) is the code that identifies any bank account in Mexico within the SPEI payment system. If you're sending money to Mexico from abroad, it's the detail you'll need from the person receiving it so the transfer lands in their account without delays. Here's what its 18 digits mean, where your recipient can find theirs, and how to share it safely.
What do the 18 digits mean?
The CLABE was created by Banco de México so any bank can identify an account precisely, without relying on the different internal formats each institution used before. The 18 digits break down like this:
- 3 digits: identify the bank.
- 3 digits: identify the branch or region.
- 11 digits: the account holder's account number.
- 1 digit: a check digit, calculated from the other 17, used to catch typing errors.
That's why a mistyped CLABE is almost always caught before a transfer is processed — if a single digit is wrong, the check digit won't match.
Where does your recipient find their CLABE?
If the person receiving the money doesn't have it to hand, every bank in Mexico shows it in a few places:
- In their bank's app or online banking, next to the account details.
- On their monthly account statement, printed or as a PDF.
- On the debit card for some banks, or by asking at a branch with ID.
CLABE, account number and card number aren't the same thing
These three get mixed up often. The card number (16 digits) is for payments and ATM withdrawals, not for receiving bank transfers. The account number is an internal detail specific to each bank, shorter and without a shared format across institutions. The CLABE, on the other hand, is the only nationally standardised detail: any bank in Mexico, or a provider sending from abroad, recognises it the same way.
How to ask for it and share it safely
Asking your recipient for their CLABE is safe for both sides: with that number alone, no one can withdraw funds from the account or access it — only deposit into it. Even so, a few simple precautions are worth taking before you send.
Sending money to Mexico from abroad
With the CLABE and your recipient's full name, you can send money straight to their bank account in Mexico, in Mexican pesos (MXN), without them having to do anything else. Fonmoney lets you send money to Mexico from numerous countries, straight to any Mexican bank, with a clear exchange rate before you confirm the transfer.
