tazman

You make it seem so simple, but like many things in Mexico it isn't. Not with CFE and not with CESPE. We have a small solar installation that normally offsets most of our electricity usage. The month after prepaying a few hundred pesos our bill was double what it normally is. The summer solar credits we had built up were missing and no new credits were added. I was getting ready to hire someone to have the solar panels checked when our credit balance ran out. To my surprise the next bill was back down to the normal amount and the solar credits we had been missing showed up all at once - hundreds of KWHs worth. The only thing we can figure is that CFE's accounting software is unable to handle the combination of bill prepayment and solar credits at the same time. Or maybe the problem was unique to our account, who knows? That was a better experience than CESPE's handling of our water bill. CESPE took the prepayment, pocketed it, and the pesos never showed up in our account. We had the receipt but it wasn't worth the time and effort to try to get them to credit the ~$15 we had prepaid. We learned our lesson. We now pay exactly what we owe every month. With a BBVA account it should be easy going forward.

Glad they worked for you too. Hopefully this thread will help some people avoid the huge waste of time Citibanamex is and just start start with BBVA.

Thanks for the info. Will definitely use that number at some point.

Went into BBVA a couple of weeks ago and they were happy to start the process of opening an account. The account rep who helped us spoke English and was pleasant and helpful. Today they provided an ATM card and took an initial deposit. Thanks for the recommendation.

BBVA was happy to open an account. The process easy with the correct documentation, and the reps were accommodating and pleasant. No problems at all.

Update: I spent 2 hours with a Citibanamex account exec filling out the paperwork and answering questions as they entered the information in to their computer. They then informed me that the account wouldn't be opened for at least 45 days after all the information was sent to Citibanamex's Mexico City office. Yesterday I went back to the bank and was informed the account was cancelled because my signature did not match my signature. Some bean counter in Mexico City decided that the nearly identical signatures on my passport and the application form were not the same although they clearly are. The local account executive looked at both, was visibly embarrassed and said that the Mexico City office did not give them any way to override their decision. If you're thinking about opening a Citibanamex account be aware it may be a massive waste of time.

Frustrating, but at least they told you the truth. I checked Dolarapp out a few months ago but there was some reason it wouldn't work. Will look again.

Citibanamex's is advertising for American business, their executives say that they are happy to open accounts for us and then proceed to spend 2 hours filling out and entering the paperwork. Mexico City bean counters then claim signatures don't match when they clearly do. The dictionary definition of "bogus": Bogus -adjective not genuine or true; fake. "a bogus insurance claim" Another example: Toyhauler 4u made a bogus argument when he contradicted tazman's post about Citibanamex.

Several months ago I spent two hours in a Citibanamex office filling out the copious paperwork for a new account. After all the paperwork was filled out the rep informed me that it took 45 days for the account to actually be opened because the paperwork was sent to Mexico City and processed there. Today I was informed that the account was terminated because my signature did not match my signature. The nearly unnoticeable difference between the signature on my passport and that on the paperwork was the reason given, but it was obviously not the real reason. The bank executive at the local branch looked at both and was visibility embarrassed. Be aware that if you plan to open an account with Citibanamex you should also be actively making other arrangements because after nearly 2 months you may find they've rejected you because of your new hair cut.

I started the process to open an account at Citibanamex on Tuesday. It was quite a process, required an appointment, and took well over an hour, but the rep said the basic account needs no phone app to be used. We're in Mexico most of the time so it won't be a problem in the short term, but to my amazement they said it would take the 45 days to actually open the account. Thanks for the info.

According to their website the service can only be used while actually in Mexico. We have no problem paying our bills at Oxxo or the utility company office when inside the country, but when we're traveling back to the U.S. or elsewhere it's damn near impossible.

CFE in particular doesn't allow entering a generic Mastercard Debit card, it only allows selecting an issuing bank for everything with the exception of American Express. At least at this point I don't see any way of using a Wise card. I believe our other local utilities are the same. Hopefully Citibanamex will be an option for a local account.

This is the "Mexico General" sub. I'm not lakeside.

Great info, muchas gracias. My decision to not open another Mexican bank account was based on what I had been told by HSBC reps, but apparently that was all misinformation. I'm going to check out Citibanamex today.

IDK what happened with my account beyond what I've posted. Maybe my branch does things differently. Glad they've treated you better.