On March 13, 2026, Bernardo Bátiz-Lazo, in collaboration with Rocío Mejía-Flores, CEO of FINABIEN, published a piece exploring the role of remittances in Mexico. 

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Summary

Remittances serve as a critical source of income and financial stability for low‑income households in Mexico, with cash continuing to play a central role in these transactions. Recent U.S. policy changes, such as the remittance excise tax, pose risks to formal remittance channels, potentially driving migrants toward informal and less secure methods. Mexico’s state‑run FINABIEN demonstrates how accessible, low‑cost remittance services can bridge traditional cash practices with financial inclusion, offering tools like remittance cards and widespread branch networks. Supporting the role of cash while gradually integrating digital services helps promote broader financial inclusion without excluding those outside the formal banking system.

Bernardo Bátiz-Lazo is a Professor of Fintech History, Global Trade Entrepeneurship & International Business of Fintech in the Northumbria University. Although Professor Bátiz-Lazo has made contributions to the business and economic history of Latin America (mainly Mexico) and Spain, as well as to accounting history, his main area of research has been the impact of computer technology on retail banking. This has included touching on contemporary issues around the cashless economy, retail payments, globalization and international trade. Research is currently under way into the emergence of FinTech as a global phenomenon.