Buen Fin Mexico: what El Buen Fin is, how it compares with Black Friday and sales by edition
El Buen Fin, Mexico's November sales event, runs Nov 13 to 17. What it is, how it differs from Black Friday and official sales: 219.2 billion pesos in 2025.
In this article
El Buen Fin ("the good weekend") is Mexico's annual retail discount campaign, the event shoppers abroad usually compare with Black Friday. It started in 2011 as a public-private initiative, and its 16th edition runs from Friday, November 13, to Tuesday, November 17, 2026, under the Operating Rules issued by Mexico's Ministry of Economy (Secretaría de Economía). The previous edition, in 2025, closed with total sales of 219.2 billion pesos, according to the Ministry1.
Key points
- The 2026 edition, the 16th, runs from Friday, Nov 13, through Tuesday, Nov 17. The merchants' advertising campaign starts Nov 12.
- According to Concanaco-Servytur, the first edition, in 2011, sold 38 billion pesos4.
- In 2025 the Ministry of Economy reported 219.2 billion pesos, or 109.6% of its 200 billion target1.
- Consumer credit was the top payment method in 2025, with 88.8 billion pesos in sales1.
- AMVO, Mexico's online sales association, put 2025 digital sales at 45.9 billion pesos, 21% of the national total1.
What El Buen Fin is and who runs it
The Ministry of Economy lists the program's goals as supporting household finances, boosting the domestic market and expanding formal, tax-registered commerce5. The 2026 Operating Rules, dated Mexico City, June 23, 2026, describe El Buen Fin as a public-private collaboration2. The Ministry issues those rules and publishes the results of each edition.
On the private side, the name that shows up most often in the official releases is Concanaco Servytur, Mexico's national confederation of chambers of commerce, services and tourism. Its figures put sales in the first edition, in 2011, at 38 billion pesos4. In a joint release, the Ministry and Concanaco announced that the 2025 edition would carry the "Hecho en México" (Made in Mexico) seal for the first time8.
In the years with data, the number of participating merchants grew. The Ministry counted more than 83 thousand establishments in 2018, more than 104 thousand registered in 2022, more than 190 thousand businesses plus 257 chambers of commerce in 2024, and 215 thousand businesses signed up in 20255, 6, 7, 1. For 2018, Concanaco-Servytur gives a different count: 69,466 companies and 148,884 participating establishments4.
How El Buen Fin compares with Black Friday
For a US reader, Black Friday is the obvious reference point: a November discount push that stretches across several days. El Buen Fin works differently, because a federal ministry writes the rulebook. The table below lists the official machinery behind the Mexican event.
| Feature | El Buen Fin |
|---|---|
| Who sets the dates | Ministry of Economy, in the Operating Rules: Nov 13 to 17, 20262 |
| Who can use the brand | Merchants registered on the Official Portal, open from Sept 8 to Nov 12, 20262 |
| Government incentive | A prize draw run by the SAT, Mexico's federal tax agency, to encourage electronic payments; 500 million pesos in 20252, 9 |
| Price monitoring | Profeco, the federal consumer protection agency, monitored prices on more than 55 thousand products in 20259 |
| Official sales total | Published by the Ministry of Economy; 219.2 billion pesos in 20251 |
For a US brand selling to Mexican shoppers, the two dates that matter are the registration deadline and the start of the advertising window. None of the releases cited here converts a single amount to dollars, so every figure on this page stays in Mexican pesos (doing the exchange-rate math would put a number on the page that no source published). For US online spending over the Thanksgiving weekend, see the piece on Cyber Monday sales data.
When is El Buen Fin 2026
The 16th edition runs from Friday, November 13, to Tuesday, November 17, 2026. Those dates come from the Operating Rules posted on elbuenfin.org and match AMVO's study Pulso El Buen Fin 20262, 3.
| Stage | Date (2026 Operating Rules) |
|---|---|
| Official Portal registration opens (brand identity and training) | September 8, 2026, 00:00:01 |
| Merchants' advertising campaign starts | November 1, 2026 |
| Official Portal registration closes | November 12, 2026, 23:59:59 |
| 16th edition | Friday, November 13, to Tuesday, November 17, 2026 |
Can a business still sign up at the last minute? Registration closes the night before launch, on November 12 at 23:59:592. This year the Rules name the participation of MIPYMES (Mexico's term for micro, small and medium-sized businesses) as the edition's distinctive focus.
How it works: registration, prize draw and price checks
A merchant that wants to advertise deals under the El Buen Fin brand has to register on the Official Portal before the deadline. Deals are promoted during the advertising campaign and honored on the days of the edition. In 2025, the promotional campaign run by CIRT, Mexico's radio and television industry chamber, reached 891 stations in 232 cities1.
The SAT prize draw
The Operating Rules define the Sorteo El Buen Fin as an event organized by the SAT to encourage electronic payments. To take part in 2026, a merchant needs at least one active point-of-sale card terminal2. The 2025 prize pool was 500 million pesos, the same amount as in 20229, 6.
The SAT split the 2025 pool in two. Cardholders got 321 thousand 260 prizes of 500 to 20 thousand pesos, which added up to 400 million pesos including a top prize of 250 thousand pesos. Merchants got 4 thousand 987 prizes of 20 thousand pesos plus a top prize of 260 thousand pesos, for 100 million pesos in total9.
According to the Ministry of Economy, 38.1 million of more than 59 million electronic transactions met the draw's rules1.
Profeco price monitoring
The SAT release says that in 2025 Profeco monitored prices on more than 55 thousand products and handled 311 consumer disputes, with a 92.9% settlement rate9. The Ministry of Economy reports a different figure: 28 formal complaints filed after the event, counted as of December 21. These are separate counts, and neither release says how many cases ended in a refund.
How much each edition sold
The official series has gaps. Some years have only a total, others only sales per day, and 2022 has only an estimate. None of the sources consulted gives a total for 2023.
| Edition | Dates (2020, 2021 and 2023 per the 2026 Operating Rules2) | Sales | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 (first) | n/a | 38 billion pesos | Concanaco-Servytur, via the Ministry of Economy4 |
| 2018 | n/a | 112.4 billion pesos (+22%) | Ministry of Economy5 |
| 2020 | Nov 9 to 20 | 19 thousand 916 million pesos per day | Ministry of Economy6 |
| 2021 | Nov 10 to 16 | 27 thousand 400 million pesos per day | Ministry of Economy6 |
| 2022 | Nov 18 to 21 | 134 billion pesos (CCE estimate); 33 thousand 500 million per day | Ministry of Economy6 |
| 2023 | Nov 17 to 20 | n/a | 2026 Operating Rules2 |
| 2024 | Nov 15 to 18 | 173.8 billion pesos (+15.5%) or 172.9 billion (+16.2%), depending on the release | Ministry of Economy; Ministry and Concanaco7, 8 |
| 2025 (15th) | Nov 13 to 17 | 219.2 billion pesos | Ministry of Economy1 |
Using the Ministry's own figures, 2025 sales were 1.95 times those of 2018. The 2025 target was 200 billion pesos, and the edition beat it by 19.2 billion1, 5.
2024: two official totals
There are two numbers for 2024. The Ministry of Economy's release of December 13, 2024, reported sales of 173.8 billion pesos, a 15.5% increase in total sales7. The joint release with Concanaco of July 2, 2025, gives 172.9 billion, 16.2% more than in 20238.
Neither release explains the gap.
2025 by payment method
| Payment method | Sales (billion pesos) |
|---|---|
| Consumer credit (76.5 on credit cards, 12 on store cards and 0.2 through FONACOT, a government-backed credit fund for workers) | 88.8 |
| Debit card | 76.4 |
| Cash (bills and coins) | 54 |
| Reported total | 219.2 |
But cash hasn't gone away: shoppers paid 54 billion pesos in bills and coins in 2025, according to the Ministry of Economy1.
What changed: cards, online buying and physical stores
According to the Ministry of Economy, sales paid by electronic means (debit, credit and store cards) went from 21 to 68 billion pesos between 2011 and 2018, rising from 52% to 61% of the total5. Over the same period, sales by small and medium-sized businesses rose from 21 thousand 300 to 67 thousand 400 million pesos. Online sales reached 6.9 billion pesos in 2018, up from 5.1 billion in 2017, a 36% increase according to the Mexican Banks Association (ABM).
The joint Ministry-Concanaco release says online sales grew 23% in 20248. For 2025, AMVO reported digital sales of 45.9 billion pesos, 21% of the national total, with 31% annual growth1. (Divided by the Ministry's total, the share comes to 20.9%, which the release rounds to 21%.)
The ABM counted card billings of 152,934 million pesos across 196 million transactions, with ecommerce accounting for 26% of that amount1. The average ticket was 780 pesos overall and 1,063 pesos online, which makes the online ticket 36.3% higher.
Physical stores still carry more weight: 68% of purchases were made in store and 77% of transactions were paid by card, according to the Ministry of Economy1. AMVO describes a hybrid shopper, with 4 in 10 buyers using omnichannel options and another 4 in 10 buying only online. And in the study by AIMX with Offerwise, 66% researched online first and 63% bought in a physical store.
Who sells
According to Concanaco Servytur, retailers accounted for 60% of 2025 activity, wholesalers for 16%, tourism for 14%, and local and family businesses for 11%9. Members of ANTAD, the national association of supermarket and department store chains, sold 50,238.7 million pesos, of which 7,042.2 million (14.0%) came from online sales. General merchandise made up 63.6% of their sales and clothing and footwear 23.2%, while the final day of the campaign drew the largest volume, 26.1%1.
The same release reports that 48% of consumers bought products made in Mexico1.
Figures that get mixed up
El Buen Fin releases mix totals, surveys and bank records from different sources, so it pays to read each figure next to its source.
Ministry sales vs. SAT economic spillover
The Ministry of Economy reports 219.2 billion pesos and 215 thousand registered businesses1. In its prize-draw release, the SAT cites an economic spillover of more than 94 billion pesos, 21% above 2024, with more than 35 thousand merchants9. The SAT doesn't say which transactions its count covers.
Two average tickets
The ABM puts the average card ticket at 780 pesos per transaction. The AIMX study gives 8,089 pesos, and 13,459 pesos for the high-income AB segment1. The release doesn't explain how either figure is calculated, so the two can't be compared.
Card payments vs. electronic payments
According to the Ministry of Economy, 77% of transactions were paid by card1. The Consejo Coordinador Empresarial (CCE), Mexico's main private-sector business council, reports that 36% of consumers made electronic payments9. One figure counts transactions; the other counts people.
Satisfied and suspicious
According to AIMX, 86% of consumers said they were satisfied with the 2025 deals, and AMVO found that 92% of buyers felt the campaign met or exceeded expectations1. In the same AIMX study, 64% perceive inflated prices and 37% fear a data leak.
Estimate vs. result
The 134 billion pesos for 2022 is an estimate by the CCE, and the Ministry's release labels it as one6. For 2026, the sources consulted cover the dates, the registration deadlines and AMVO's Pulso study, which tracks the campaign from 2023 to 2025 alongside shoppers' buying plans3. The 16th edition's total will be known only when the Ministry of Economy publishes its results.
Frequently asked questions
When is El Buen Fin 2026?
From Friday, November 13, to Tuesday, November 17, 2026, according to the Ministry of Economy's Operating Rules, and AMVO confirms the same dates. The merchants' advertising campaign starts November 1, and business registration on the Official Portal closes November 12 at 23:59:59.
Is El Buen Fin Mexico's Black Friday?
It plays a similar role on the retail calendar, with several days of November discounts. El Buen Fin also has federal Operating Rules, an official merchant registry, a SAT prize draw for electronic payments and Profeco price checks. Its official sales total comes from the Ministry of Economy: 219.2 billion pesos in 2025.
Who organizes El Buen Fin?
The Ministry of Economy issues the Operating Rules and publishes each edition's results, and the Rules describe the program as a public-private collaboration. Concanaco Servytur signs joint releases with the Ministry, and the SAT runs the prize draw for shoppers who pay electronically.
How much did El Buen Fin 2025 sell?
The Ministry of Economy reported total sales of 219.2 billion pesos for the 15th edition, held November 13 to 17, 2025, against a 200 billion target. By payment method, consumer credit brought in 88.8 billion, debit cards 76.4 billion and cash 54 billion.
Sources
- Secretaría de Economía, «Supera la meta la XV edición de El Buen Fin 2025» (2025). Total sales, target, payment methods, AMVO, ABM, AIMX, ANTAD, CIRT and Profeco data, and 2025 prize-draw transactions. gob.mx. Accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- Secretaría de Economía, «Reglas de Operación de El Buen Fin» (June 23, 2026). Dates of the 2026 edition and earlier ones, registration deadlines, advertising campaign, MIPYMES focus and prize-draw requirements. elbuenfin.org. Accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- AMVO, «Pulso El Buen Fin 2026» (2026). Confirmation of dates and scope of the study. amvo.org.mx. Accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- Secretaría de Economía, «Conferencia de prensa matutina del presidente Andrés Manuel López Obrador para anunciar el inicio de El Buen Fin 2019» (2019). First-edition sales and 2018 companies and establishments according to Concanaco-Servytur. gob.mx. Accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- Secretaría de Economía, «En 2018 aumentaron 22 por ciento las ventas en “El Buen Fin” y participaron más de 83 mil establecimientos comerciales» (n.d.). 2018 sales and establishments, online sales, electronic payments and small-business sales from 2011 to 2018, and the program's goals. gob.mx. Accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- Secretaría de Economía, «La Secretaría de Economía presenta resultados de la doceava edición de El Buen Fin» (n.d.). 2022 dates and estimate, sales per day from 2020 to 2022, registered establishments and the 2022 prize draw. gob.mx. Accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- Secretaría de Economía, «Incrementan ventas durante El Buen Fin 15.5 %» (2024). 2024 total sales, increase, dates and participants. gob.mx. Accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- Secretaría de Economía, «El Buen Fin 2025 se fortalece bajo el liderazgo de la Secretaría de Economía y el sello “Hecho En México”» (2025). 2024 sales according to the joint release with Concanaco, online growth and the Made in Mexico seal. gob.mx. Accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- Servicio de Administración Tributaria, «SAT realiza Sorteo El Buen Fin 2025» (2025). Prize pool and prizes, economic spillover according to the SAT, transactions, Profeco operation, activity breakdown according to Concanaco Servytur and electronic payments according to the CCE. gob.mx. Accessed Oct 26, 2026.
Chart: our own, with data from Secretaría de Economía (source 1).
Photo: our own screenshot of elbuenfin.org, Oct 26, 2026.
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