Mexico
activeFeaturedNeobank
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- Fee
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albo
Mexican IFPE. CNBV payments licence. Not IPAB. Not a bank.
Rate this app
6.5Mixed
AlternativesOur take
Desk verdict
albo is an IFPE. Write that on the card. IPAB does not follow the brand. If you need a Mexican bank deposit, wait for a banco licence or use a bank. The Mastercard is a spend rail.
albo is a Mexico City fintech authorised by CNBV as an IFPE. It is not a SOFIPO and not a bank. That three-letter class is the review.
albo lists IFPE (institución de fondos de pago electrónico) under CNBV in Mexico. On safeguarding we currently write: Not IPAB. IFPE balances are a payments product, not a bank deposit. Nu México’s bank conversion is a different file.. Holder / issuer line: albo (IFPE) — not a banco. An AML programme is claimed. There is no IBAN-class local rail on the flags we store. We list 1 live markets on the product. As we score the sticker: monthly Freemium / plus SKUs — confirm live; FX USD sleeves if any are a tariff, not a US bank; ATM Red / partner ATM schedule. This desk would open it for: Mexico-resident users who want a CNBV-authorised payments account and will keep IPAB money at a bank.
What it does well: Named CNBV class; Honest IFPE, not fake banco; Good consumer app. What to watch: Not IPAB; Not a bank; Mexico-only KYC. Desk score 6.5 / 10 (safety 6.0, fees 7.6, features 7.2, app 8.0). Last verified 2026-08-28. Headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico; founded 2016. None of this is advice — it is a file so you can read the entity before the card colour.
Best for: Mexico-resident users who want a CNBV-authorised payments account and will keep IPAB money at a bank.
Pros
- +Named CNBV class
- +Honest IFPE, not fake banco
- +Good consumer app
- +SPEI
Cons
- −Not IPAB
- −Not a bank
- −Mexico-only KYC
- −Nu is converting to bank — albo is not
Account facts
- Platforms
- iOS · Android
- Account types
- MXN payments account + card
- Minimum balance
- $0 MXN
- Lowest monthly fee
- Freemium / plus — confirm live
- Who can open
- Mexico residents
- Availability
- Mexico
How it actually works
- Custody
- E-money / stored-value — not a bank deposit
- Local rails
- In-app ledger
- Built for
- Personal
- Settlement
- App-ledger instant; bank rails per corridor
- Review risk
- Fintech reviews can pause inbound while they check a transfer
- Pay surface
- mastercard · physical · virtual · Apple Pay · Google Pay
Safety
Not IPAB. IFPE balances are a payments product, not a bank deposit. Nu México’s bank conversion is a different file.
Holder / issuer: albo (IFPE) — not a banco
- CNBVIFPE (institución de fondos de pago electrónico) · Mexico
Fees
- Monthly
- Freemium / plus SKUs — confirm live
- FX markup
- USD sleeves if any are a tariff, not a US bank
- ATM
- Red / partner ATM schedule
Features
- –IBAN
- ✓Fee-free core
- –Multi-currency
- ✓Apple Pay
- ✓Google Pay
- ✓Virtual card
- ✓Physical card
- –Metal card
- –Crypto
- –Stocks
- –Business
- –Kids
- –Halal
- MXN account + card
- SPEI
- App-first
- CNBV IFPE
- Physical + virtual
Score
- Safety25%
- 6.0
- Fees20%
- 7.6
- Features15%
- 7.2
- App15%
- 8.0
- Global15%
- 4.0
- Support10%
- 6.2
Change log
Full logLicence
CNBV IFPE — not IPAB, not a banco
Mexico City payments account. Nu’s bank conversion is a different file.
Available in
FAQ
Is albo a bank?+–
albo is not a licensed deposit-taker in the classic sense. Money, if any, sits with albo (IFPE) — not a banco.
How is money protected?+–
Not IPAB. IFPE balances are a payments product, not a bank deposit. Nu México’s bank conversion is a different file.
Where is albo available?+–
We list 1 market desk on the desk. Residency and onboarding rules still sit with albo.
Card and wallets?+–
mastercard · physical · virtual · Apple Pay · Google Pay
Ratings and reviews
No published user reviews yet. The desk score still comes from licence, fees, and the product — not from a empty star average.
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