# How to trace a SPEI transfer with its clave de rastreo

The clave de rastreo is the tracking key that the sending bank attaches to every SPEI transfer, Mexico's real-time interbank payment. It is a string of letters and digits, commonly up to 30 characters, that identifies one transfer. With it, plus the date, banks, account and amount, you can trace the payment, download Banxico's official receipt and resolve disputes with either bank.

## In short

- The clave de rastreo is the unique tracking key of one SPEI transfer.
- The payer's bank assigns it; the payer cannot choose it.
- It appears on the payer's receipt and often in your statement detail.
- Use it to download a CEP, spot duplicates and open bank disputes.

## Why the payer cannot choose the tracking key

A SPEI payment has two kinds of identifiers. The payer types the **concept** (concepto de pago) and the **numeric reference** (referencia numérica). Those can say anything, and two customers can type the same thing.

The **tracking key** is different. The payer's bank generates it when it submits the order to SPEI, which Banco de México (Banxico) operates. Its format depends on the bank: some begin with a bank prefix and a date, others look random. You cannot decode the key to learn who paid. Its value is that it is unique and recorded at both banks and at Banxico.

## Finding the key on the payer's side and on yours

| Where                           | What to look for                                          |
| ------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| Customer's banking app receipt  | "Clave de rastreo" or "Rastreo" near the amount           |
| Customer's emailed confirmation | Same label, often in the details block                    |
| Your PDF statement              | Inside the long description of the deposit, at some banks |
| Your online banking             | Movement detail screen for the deposit                    |
| Your bank's downloadable file   | A separate column in some business banking exports        |

If the key is missing from your PDF statement, it is usually still available in online banking. Statements from different banks are laid out differently; see [how to read a Mexican bank statement](/en/guides/how-to-read-a-mexican-bank-statement).

## Tracing a "we already paid" claim in three steps

A customer says they paid on 14 October. You see nothing that matches.

1. **Ask for the receipt with the tracking key.** Ask for the key as text, not just a screenshot, so it can be copied exactly.
2. **Look it up with Banxico.** Use the key on the CEP (Comprobante Electrónico de Pago) page with the date, banks, your account and the amount. A receipt means the transfer settled; [the CEP guide](/en/guides/what-is-a-cep) explains how to read it.
3. **Compare the destination account.** If the receipt shows a different CLABE, the money went elsewhere. The customer must claim it back from their bank.

If no receipt exists, the transfer did not settle. It may have been rejected, returned or never sent.

## Using tracking keys to catch duplicate deposits

Duplicate postings are rare but costly. A bank incident, a re-imported file or a payer who pressed "send" twice can all produce two similar lines. Tracking keys tell you which case you face:

| Situation                                           | Tracking keys             | Likely meaning                              |
| --------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| Two deposits, same amount, same day, same key       | Identical                 | A duplicate posting; ask your bank          |
| Two deposits, same amount, same day, different keys | Different                 | Two real transfers; the customer paid twice |
| One deposit in your sheet twice                     | One key, two ledger lines | An internal capture error                   |

Store the tracking key in your receivables ledger next to each applied payment. Then a duplicate search is a simple filter.

## Opening a dispute with a tracking key

When a payment is stuck between banks, the payer's bank is the first contact, because it originated the order. Give them the tracking key, date and amount. If you are the receiver and your bank cannot locate a transfer that Banxico confirms, raise it with your relationship manager with the CEP attached.

For complaints that the banks do not resolve, CONDUSEF, Mexico's financial consumer protection agency, explains the escalation process. Business accounts usually work through the bank's corporate service channel first.

## Recording the key in a shared-service workflow

For teams outside Mexico, decide who owns the tracking key in your process. A workable rule:

- AR captures the key when it applies a payment manually.
- Treasury keeps the statement and any downloaded receipts.
- Disputes are logged with the key as the primary identifier.

Meses (meses.ai) reads the deposits from your statement and keeps the original description text, so the key stays attached to the payment where your bank prints it. Meses reads your bank statement PDF and your records in Google Sheets, Excel or CSV; AI proposes which customer and period each deposit belongs to, your team reviews the proposals, and Meses writes approved payments back to your sheet, with undo.

## Copying mistakes that make a valid key fail

Most failed lookups come from transcription: the letter O typed as zero, a lowercase l read as 1, a trailing space pasted from a PDF, or a key cut off where the statement wrapped the text onto a second line. Paste into a plain-text field first and count the characters. If the statement split the key across lines, join the pieces before searching.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the clave de rastreo the same as the payment reference?

No. The reference and concept are typed by the payer and can repeat. The tracking key is generated by the sending bank and identifies one transfer only.

### Why does my statement not show the tracking key?

Some banks print it in the movement description, others only show it in online banking's movement detail or in a downloadable file. If you cannot find it, ask your bank which channel includes it.

### Can two different transfers share a tracking key?

Within one sending bank and date it should be unique. Treat a repeated key on the same date with the same amount as a likely duplicate posting and check with your bank.

## Sources

- [Banxico — Comprobante Electrónico de Pago (CEP)](https://www.banxico.org.mx/cep/) (2026-10-19)
- [Banxico — Sistemas de pago](https://www.banxico.org.mx/sistemas-de-pago/) (2026-10-19)
- [CONDUSEF](https://www.condusef.gob.mx/) (2026-10-19)