# CLABE explained: Mexico's 18-digit account number A CLABE (Clave Bancaria Estandarizada, or standardised bank code) is the 18-digit number that identifies a bank account in Mexico for SPEI transfers. The first three digits name the bank, the next three the plaza or branch area, the next eleven the account, and the last digit is a check digit. Customers need your CLABE, not your card or internal account number, to pay you. ## In short - A CLABE is the standard 18-digit account number for SPEI transfers. - Digits 1–3 identify the bank, 4–6 the plaza, 7–17 the account. - The 18th digit is a check digit that catches most typing errors. - It is not an IBAN or a SWIFT code and only works inside Mexico. ## The four parts of a CLABE, digit by digit Every CLABE has the same layout. Take this illustrative number: **012 180 01234567890 9**. | Position | Digits | Meaning | Example | | -------- | ------ | -------------------------------- | ----------- | | 1–3 | 3 | Bank code | 012 | | 4–6 | 3 | Plaza (city or branch area) code | 180 | | 7–17 | 11 | Account number at that bank | 01234567890 | | 18 | 1 | Check digit | 9 | The bank code comes from a catalogue that Mexican institutions share. A few common ones are 002 (Banamex), 012 (BBVA México), 014 (Santander), 021 (HSBC) and 072 (Banorte). Newer digital banks and payment institutions have their own codes. The plaza code is a legacy of branch-based banking and has little practical meaning today, but it stays part of the number. SPEI is Mexico's real-time interbank transfer system, operated by the central bank, Banxico. If that is new to you, start with [SPEI explained](/en/guides/what-is-spei). ## How a CLABE's check digit is calculated The 18th digit protects against typing mistakes. The rule is simple enough to run in a spreadsheet: 1. Take the first 17 digits. 2. Multiply them, left to right, by the repeating weights 3, 7, 1, 3, 7, 1 and so on. 3. Keep only the last digit of each product (the product modulo 10). 4. Add those last digits together. 5. Take the sum modulo 10, subtract it from 10, and take the result modulo 10 again. For our example, the 17 digits 0-1-2-1-8-0-0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-0 give products whose last digits sum to 81. 81 modulo 10 is 1. 10 minus 1 is 9. So the check digit is 9, and the full CLABE is 012180012345678909. If someone sends you a CLABE whose last digit does not match this calculation, it was copied wrong. Ask again before anyone pays into it. ## CLABE versus IBAN, SWIFT and US routing numbers Foreign teams often ask which field of their own system the CLABE fits into. | Identifier | Used for | Mexico equivalent | | --------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | | IBAN | Domestic and cross-border payments in Europe | CLABE (domestic only) | | SWIFT/BIC | Identifying a bank for international wires | Still needed alongside the CLABE | | ABA routing + account | US domestic transfers | Bank code + account inside the CLABE | In your ERP, store the CLABE as text, not as a number. Spreadsheets drop leading zeros, so a CLABE starting with 002 becomes a 16-digit number and fails validation. ## Where to find your company's CLABE Your bank prints the CLABE on the account contract, on the first page of each monthly statement (estado de cuenta) and in the account details section of online banking. When you open an account for a new Mexican entity, confirm it in writing with the bank and keep that confirmation in your treasury file. ## Using several CLABEs to identify payers Some Mexican banks offer collection services that give each customer a dedicated CLABE, sometimes called a referenced or virtual CLABE. Every deposit to that number belongs to one customer, which removes most guesswork. It works well for recurring billing. Ask your bank whether your account plan includes it and what it costs, because terms vary. If your bank does not offer it, a reference scheme does a similar job. See [payment references in Mexico](/en/guides/payment-references-in-mexico) for the options. ## Common CLABE mistakes on the collections side - **Old account details on invoices.** After a bank change, update the invoice template the same day. - **Card number instead of CLABE.** Customers sometimes pay to a 16-digit debit card number. That works for some transfers, but it is not what you gave them and can confuse your matching. - **Wrong entity.** Groups with several Mexican legal entities share templates. A customer may pay entity A for an invoice issued by entity B. - **Leading zeros lost** in CSV exports, as noted above. ## Keeping CLABEs out of places they do not belong A CLABE appears on every statement line where the bank shows the payer's account. Treat these numbers as personal data when the payer is an individual. Limit who sees raw statements, and mask account numbers in shared reports. When you use Meses (meses.ai) to match deposits, Account, CLABE and card numbers and your other sensitive details are protected before any AI analysis. The broader approach is described in [bank statements and privacy](/en/help/bank-statements-and-privacy). ## Frequently asked questions ### Is a CLABE the same as an IBAN? No. Both standardise account numbers and include check digits, but the CLABE has no country prefix and is only used for domestic transfers in Mexico. International wires into Mexico usually need a SWIFT/BIC code plus the CLABE. ### Can one company have several CLABEs at the same bank? Yes. Each account has its own CLABE, and some banks offer services that assign a separate CLABE to each customer so incoming payments identify themselves. ### Should I treat a CLABE as confidential? It is shared with anyone who pays you, so it is not secret, but it is still an account identifier. Mask it in reports, emails and tools that do not need it. ## Sources - [Banxico — Sistemas de pago](https://www.banxico.org.mx/sistemas-de-pago/) (2026-10-19) - [Banco de México](https://www.banxico.org.mx/) (2026-10-19)