Quintana Roo communities face digital payment barriers

Rural communities in southern Quintana Roo, particularly in the Othón P. Blanco municipality, face significant hurdles in adopting digital payments due to a lack of banking infrastructure and unreliable internet connectivity. The Colegio de Contadores de Quintana Roo has warned that the current conditions make a transition away from cash nearly impossible in these areas.

The concerns stem from the 2027 Economic Package, which includes a Digital Economy Law initiative. This proposal would grant the Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público the authority to designate strategic sectors—such as gas stations and toll booths—where transactions could be required to be exclusively digital. While the federal government aims to reduce cash dependency and combat money laundering, experts like José Polanco Bueno note that many residents in rural zones do not use bank cards and lack access to ATMs or stable connectivity at service points.

Without the necessary technological and financial infrastructure, the push for electronic transactions remains disconnected from the daily reality of residents in the state's southern region.