How to Check a Credit Agreement in RECA Before Signing
Use this checklist to compare an offered agreement with RECA and review its cover sheet, CAT, rate, fees, payments, default terms, collections, and UNE.
Before signing for credit in Mexico, find the adhesion agreement the institution says it uses in RECA and compare it with the document you received. The legal entity, product, registration number, and material terms should match. Then review the cover sheet, CAT, rate, fees, payment schedule, default terms, prepayments, collections, and customer-service details.
RECA is CONDUSEF's Adhesion Contracts Registry. It allows searches of current and historical agreements by institution, product, trade name, or number. However, the portal itself warns that registration does not mean CONDUSEF reviewed or evaluated the agreement, except where applicable rules require prior review and authorization.
What is an adhesion agreement and why does it matter?
An adhesion agreement contains terms prepared in advance by the institution for uniform use with customers. You generally do not negotiate each clause. That makes it important to identify the applicable version, read every attachment, and save the complete document before accepting through an app, website, or branch.
An advertisement or one on-screen installment is not enough. Review the agreement, cover sheet, amortization schedule, and any promissory note, direct-debit authorization, insurance, or other attachment.
How to search for an agreement in RECA
1. Identify the legal entity
An app's brand may differ from its legal name. Find the entity in the privacy notice, site footer, offer, or agreement, and compare it with SIPRES when it presents itself as a financial institution. An app is not authentic merely because it copies a registered company's name or logo.
2. Search by institution, product, or registration number
Open the official RECA portal and begin with the institution and product type. If the offer displays a registration number, use it for a more precise search. Check whether the result is current and distinguish similar products: personal, payroll, simple, revolving, and leasing agreements may follow different terms.
3. Download and compare versions
Save the RECA file and the institution's file. Compare the number, date or version, legal name, product, and attachments. A minor typographical difference does not prove fraud, but changes in rates, fees, due dates, collateral, or collection powers require clarification before acceptance.
Use RECA through CONDUSEF's official domain. The registry supports contract searches, but a listing alone is not a favorable evaluation of the product.
Open the official RECA portalCover-sheet checklist
Information that should be clear before signing
| Item | What to confirm | Reason to pause |
|---|---|---|
| Institution and product | Correct legal entity and trade name | Agreement belongs to another provider or product |
| Amount | Approved principal and net proceeds | Unexplained deductions before disbursement |
| Term and payments | Number, frequency, amount, and dates | Incomplete schedule or mismatch with offer |
| Rate | Type, percentage, and calculation method | Only a promotional rate appears |
| CAT | Percentage, validity, and assumptions | Missing or inconsistent with offered cover sheet |
| Fees | Concept, amount or percentage, and timing | Vague or unregistered charges |
| Default | Late interest and consequences | Threats or penalties not described |
| UNE | Phone, email, and address | Missing or inconsistent details |
The cover sheet does not replace the clauses. Confirm that figures match across the agreement, schedule, offer, and final screen, and take screenshots before accepting.
CAT, interest rate, and total repayment are different
The interest rate indicates how interest is calculated under the agreement. CAT is an annual percentage indicator that incorporates several costs to support comparison. Total repayment adds scheduled outflows throughout the term. No single figure replaces the other two.
Banco de México explains that CAT is based on what the borrower receives and pays: principal, interest, fees, expenses, and insurance when applicable. Confirm that two loans are comparable and use similar assumptions, then review every cash payment and the total in pesos.
Enter the net proceeds, rate, fees, and schedule to estimate payments and compare scenarios. A calculator result does not change the agreement's terms.
Estimate the financing costFees, insurance, and deducted amounts
Identify each fee by name, amount or percentage, calculation base, tax, and collection time. RECO, CONDUSEF's Commission Registry, contains concepts linked to adhesion agreements. If a fee appears in the offer but not in the relevant documents or records, request clarification before signing or paying.
Ask whether an origination fee is deducted from proceeds. An agreement may state $20,000, but after fees and tax you may receive less while owing the contracted principal. Review insurance cost, coverage, insurer, term, beneficiaries, cancellation, and whether it is mandatory for the product.
Payments, posting, and the amortization schedule
- Due dates and treatment of non-business days.
- Authorized methods such as transfers, direct debit, or branch payment.
- How long each method takes to post.
- Payment allocation among taxes, fees, interest, and principal.
- Number and amount of installments, including a different final payment.
- Principal, interest, tax, insurance, fees, and balance by period.
- Procedure for a missing or misapplied payment.
In May 2026, CONDUSEF reported forms with imprecise dates, incorrectly expressed rates, mismatched fees, and incomplete schedules. Do not assume every form is perfect; compare and ask.
Default, acceleration, and collections
Locate what happens after a late payment: when late interest starts, which balance it uses, whether a fee applies, when the loan may be accelerated, and which expenses could be claimed. Read definitions and connected clauses instead of relying on an isolated sentence.
Review notification methods and the information the provider or an agency may use. Compare collection terms with REDECO. An agreement does not make threats, public exposure, or simulated court documents acceptable.
Prepayments and advance installments
Do not confuse reducing principal with covering future installments. A prepayment generally applies to outstanding principal and may reduce the term or payment, depending on the agreement. An advance payment covers future scheduled obligations and may not reduce principal in the same way. Ask which treatment applies and when you will receive a revised schedule.
- Is there a minimum prepayment amount?
- Must the account be current?
- Will the term, installment, or both decrease?
- How will future interest be calculated?
- Is a relevant and permitted fee registered for the product?
- Will the institution provide a receipt and updated schedule?
Collateral, direct debit, and authorizations
If the credit includes a guarantor, co-obligor, pledge, promissory note, or direct debit, understand its scope. Confirm which assets or accounts are involved, when debits may occur, how to revoke authorization when permitted, and what another person assumes. Never sign blank pages or surrender originals without a receipt and clear purpose.
For digital contracting, identify how you accept and download the final version with its reference or evidence. Save everything outside the app.
UNE details, cancellation, and disputes
The Specialized Customer Service Unit, or UNE, is a channel for questions and complaints with the institution. Verify its email, phone, and address against official information. Also review cancellation before disbursement, termination after payoff, and procedures for statements, receipts, or a payoff letter.
A comparison example before acceptance
| Item | On-screen offer | Received agreement | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | $15,000 | $15,000 less origination fee | Calculate net proceeds |
| Payments | 12 biweekly payments of $1,650 | 11 at $1,650 and one at $1,920 | Request the correct schedule and total |
| Fee | Not visible | 4% plus tax | Confirm registration and collection method |
| Default | No detail | Late rate and possible fee | Request an example and check duplication |
| RECA number | Displayed | Matches a current product | Save the search and PDF |
A difference does not prove illegality, but it prevents an informed decision. Pause and request clear documents before accepting.
Reasons not to sign yet
- The legal name differs across the app, agreement, payment account, and registry.
- You cannot download or read the agreement before acceptance.
- The RECA number leads to another product or unexplained version.
- The amount, rate, CAT, fee, or payments change between screens.
- An advance deposit is required to release undisbursed credit.
- Verifiable institution and UNE details are missing.
- A countdown or guaranteed approval pressures you to accept.
- Passwords, security codes, or remote device access are requested.
If you also see advance payments, impersonation, invasive permissions, or threats, stop and review the fraudulent loan-app guide.
Open the safety guideFinal saveable checklist
- I verified the legal entity and official channels.
- I found the product and registration number in RECA.
- I compared the registered PDF with the version I will accept.
- I understand net proceeds, rate, CAT, fees, and insurance.
- I have the schedule, payment table, and total repayment.
- I understand default and collection terms.
- I confirmed prepayments, advance payments, and cancellation.
- I saved the agreement, attachments, offer, screenshots, and reference number.
- The payment fits my budget with room to spare.
Frequently asked questions
Does a RECA listing mean CONDUSEF approved the agreement?
Not necessarily. RECA warns that registration does not imply review or evaluation, except for agreements that require prior authorization under applicable rules.
What if the RECA number does not match?
Do not accept yet. Ask the institution for the applicable version and a verifiable explanation. Search by legal entity and product, and preserve evidence of the mismatch.
Does RECA show whether a loan is inexpensive?
No. RECA provides contractual documents. Compare CAT, rate, fees, installments, total repayment, and your budget to assess cost and suitability.
Can I rely only on the cover sheet?
The cover sheet summarizes key information, but it must be read with the clauses, amortization schedule, promissory note, insurance, and other attachments.
Related guides
- What is a SOFOM and how can you verify one?
- Loans with INE in Mexico: requirements and comparison
- How to spot fraudulent loan apps
Important notice
Préstamo Hub provides general information and comparison tools. It does not issue loans, decide approvals, or certify agreements or institutions. A RECA search does not replace reading the complete agreement or obtaining qualified advice for legal questions.
Sources and references
- CONDUSEF. Adhesion Contracts Registry (RECA), search tool and scope warning. Accessed July 28, 2026.https://registros.condusef.gob.mx/reca/index.php
- CONDUSEF. Commission Registry (RECO), legal framework and concepts. Accessed July 28, 2026.https://registros.condusef.gob.mx/reco/marco_legal.php
- Banco de México. Total Annual Cost calculator explanations. Accessed July 28, 2026.https://www.banxico.org.mx/CAT/Explicaciones.html
- CONDUSEF. Financial-transparency supervision results, release 077 dated May 26, 2026. Accessed July 28, 2026.https://www.condusef.gob.mx/documentos/prensa/Comunicado%20077.pdf
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