Accept Payments in Mexico with Conekta and MercadoPago from Cotizera

Not every client in Mexico pays by credit card

Over 60% of online payments in Mexico use methods other than credit cards. Your clients want to pay by SPEI bank transfer, cash at OXXO convenience stores, debit card, or through their MercadoPago wallet. If you only offer an international processor like Stripe, you're excluding most of your Mexican buyers.

Conekta and MercadoPago are the two most widely used payment processors in Mexico. Both support local payment methods that Stripe doesn't handle, and both integrate with Cotizera via Zapier or webhooks. This post covers how to set up each one to collect payment automatically when a client accepts a quote.

Conekta vs MercadoPago: which to choose

Before setting up, understand the trade-offs:

Tip: If 90% of your clients are in Mexico and you need OXXO, go with Conekta. If you sell across Latin America, MercadoPago gives you broader coverage.

Option A: Collect with Conekta

How the flow works

1. The client accepts the quote in Cotizera
2. Your webhook detects the status change
3. An Order is created in Conekta with enabled payment methods
4. The client receives a payment link with options: card, SPEI, or OXXO
5. Conekta processes the payment and notifies your system

Setup with webhooks

Conekta works best with direct webhooks rather than Zapier:

1. In Cotizera, go to Settings → API Keys and copy your key
2. Create a serverless function (Vercel Functions works well) that:
   • Listens for Cotizera's quote.status.changed webhook
   • Filters for events where status === "ACCEPTED"
   • Calls the Conekta API to create an Order with the quote amount
3. Conekta generates a checkout link you send to the client by email

{
  "currency": "MXN",
  "customer_info": {
    "name": "quote.clientName",
    "email": "quote.clientEmail"
  },
  "line_items": [{
    "name": "Quote #COT-0042",
    "unit_price": 150000,
    "quantity": 1
  }],
  "checkout": {
    "allowed_payment_methods": ["card", "bank_transfer", "cash"],
    "type": "Integration"
  }
}

Note: Conekta's unit_price is in centavos (cents). $1,500.00 MXN = 150000.

What the client sees with Conekta

When the client opens the payment link, they choose how to pay:

• Card: enter details and pay instantly
• SPEI: receive an interbank CLABE number and reference. Transfer from any Mexican bank's online portal. Payment confirms in minutes.
• OXXO: receive a reference number. Walk to the nearest OXXO store, give the number, pay in cash. Confirmation within 1-2 hours.

Option B: Collect with MercadoPago

How the flow works

1. The client accepts the quote in Cotizera
2. Zapier detects the status change
3. A Payment Preference is created in MercadoPago
4. The client receives the MercadoPago checkout link
5. They pay using their preferred method

Setup with Zapier

MercadoPago has native Zapier integration, making setup straightforward:

1. Trigger: Cotizera → Quote Status Changed (filter for ACCEPTED)
2. Action: MercadoPago → Create Payment Preference
   • Title: Quote # + quote.number
   • Unit price: quote.total
   • Currency: MXN
   • Payer email: quote.clientEmail
3. Action 2: Email → send the init_point (checkout link) to the client

What the client sees with MercadoPago

The MercadoPago checkout offers:

• Credit or debit card: Visa, Mastercard, AMEX — with installment options (interest-free months)
• Bank transfer: from any Mexican bank
• MercadoPago wallet balance: if the client has funds in their account
• Collection points: participating convenience stores and pharmacies
• QR code: pay from the MercadoPago app by scanning

Tip: MercadoPago allows interest-free installments (3, 6, 12 months) at no extra cost to you during certain promotions. This can be the factor that closes a large deal.

Payment notifications

Both processors send webhooks when a payment completes. Set up notifications for your team:

With Conekta: register a webhook in the Conekta dashboard pointing to your endpoint. Listen for the charge.paid event.

With MercadoPago: create a Zap with trigger MercadoPago → Payment Received → Slack or Email to your team.

In both cases, you can use the Cotizera API to add a note on the quote confirming payment was received.

When to use each option

• Mexico only, need OXXO and SPEI: Conekta
• All of LATAM, want Zapier no-code setup: MercadoPago
• International clients paying by card: Stripe
• Maximum coverage: configure MercadoPago for local clients and Stripe for international ones

Start accepting local payments

1. Create your account at Conekta or MercadoPago
2. Generate your API key in Settings → API Keys
3. Set up the Zap or webhook: accepted quote → payment link → email to client
4. Accept a test quote and pay with your preferred method

Your clients pay how they want. You collect without chasing transfers. The quote becomes revenue in minutes, not days.