Does an open-loop card lose spend control?

No: control comes from rules on the instrument — merchant category locked to gas stations, plus per-card amount, schedule and geography limits.

How do I know my current network is insufficient?

Measure residual cash: fill-ups paid outside the card. Above 5% of transactions, the network doesn't cover your routes.

Fuel cards: open-loop vs closed-loop networks in Mexico

Rodrigo Vázquez — Mexican Tax Specialist (SAT, CFDI)

Published: 7/18/2026 • Last reviewed: 7/18/2026 • 7 min read

Open loop or closed loop: how your fuel card's network architecture defines coverage, CFDI capture and control, plus a migration checklist for incumbents.

Summary

Open-loop (Mastercard-based) vs closed-loop (affiliate-network) fuel cards in Mexico: closed networks create coverage gaps on intercity routes and non-deductible residual cash spend; open loop covers virtually every station with per-card controls. A SAT-authorized wallet can run on open loop with automatic per-fill CFDIs. Migration checklist included.