Recently, the National Commission for the Protection of Financial Users of Mexico (Condusef) recalled the rules for storing loan information in credit bureaus and how the size of the debt affects the period of its retention in history. As an example, Condusef explained how long the credit bureau will keep data on an overdue debt of 10,000 pesos.
Mexico has two credit bureaus (Sociedad de Información Crediticia). These are private companies that collect and store data on the credit activity of individuals and businesses. Banks, retail chains and generally everyone who issues loans regularly transfer customer data there and also use credit bureau information to assess risk before issuing loans. The mere presence of a record in the bureau — This is a normal situation; it occurs automatically when applying for any official loan. If the loan is serviced in a timely manner, it is simply reflected in the credit history as valid and correctly executed. The mere fact of having a loan is not negative.
But after 90 days of non-payment, the debt is recorded as overdue. It is from this moment that the entry in the credit bureau becomes negative and the period of its storage in the credit history begins to count.
The key to determining the retention period for debt information is its size, expressed in UDI (Unidad de Inversión) — investment unit of calculation, indexed for inflation. In 2026, one UDI is equal to approximately 8 pesos, and it is in these units that the legislation sets the thresholds. The value is adjusted almost daily according to incoming data on current inflation.
If the outstanding loan does not exceed 25 UDI (approximately 200 pesos), the negative entry is deleted after 12 months. For amounts ranging from 25 to 500 UDI (200 to 4,000 pesos), the information is retained for a period of 24 months. Debts from 500 to 1000 UDI (approximately 4,000 to 8,000 pesos) may be reflected in the credit history for up to 4 years. If the amount exceeds 1000 UDI, in other words approximately 8000 pesos and above, — The record is retained for up to 6 years, provided that the total debt does not exceed 400,000 UDI.
To summarize, an overdue liability of 10,000 pesos (equivalent to approximately 1,250 UDI) is already subject to the maximum retention period — about 6 years.
If payments on an obligation are stopped, after 90 days the delay is recorded as a failure to fulfill obligations. Even when a subsequent settlement occurs, the entry does not disappear immediately, but remains in history until the end of the established period, but the status is updated as «settled». The presence of such a mark can limit access to new loans, lead to less favorable financing requirements and be accompanied by active collection measures.
So, the debt is over 10,000 pesos — This is not only an ongoing financial problem, but also a factor that can affect your credit reputation for up to six years.
What is a credit history in Mexico, we told in thispublications.