Fintech & payments regulation in Honduras (2026)

Legal framework

Legislative Decree 83-2021 (regulatory framework for electronic payment and transfer services), implemented by Banco Central de Honduras (BCH) regulations, Acuerdo 01-2024 for INDEL (electronic-money institutions, replacing Acuerdo 12-2022) and Acuerdo 13-2022 for EPSPE (electronic payment service providers); supervised by BCH with a favorable opinion (dictamen) from the Comisión Nacional de Bancos y Seguros (CNBS).

Key points: digital payments & fintech in Honduras

1. 01Legal basis

   Legislative Decree 83-2021 established the framework regulating the organization, operation and functioning of legal entities (national and foreign) that provide payment and transfer services in Honduras, including via electronic money.

   consortiumlegal.com cnbs.gob.hn

2. 02E-money institutions (INDEL)

   Non-bank electronic-money institutions (INDEL) must be authorized by the BCH to issue electronic money and provide transfers and payment for goods/services; the current rule is BCH Acuerdo 01-2024 (which repealed Acuerdo 12-2022) and sets minimum capital and daily-balance-based adjustments plus cybersecurity and data-protection controls.

   garciabodan.com tsc.gob.hn

3. 03Payment service providers (EPSPE)

   Electronic payment service providers (EPSPE), fintechs offering payment/transfer services that do NOT convert physical to electronic money, must register in the BCH's Special EPSPE Registry under Acuerdo 13-2022, submitting incorporation documents, tax registration (RTN) and organizational details.

   bch.hn bch.hn

4. 04Regulators

   The BCH grants payment/e-money authorizations and operates the national payment system; the CNBS issues the required favorable opinion and supervises financial entities, and the two bodies coordinate fintech matters through the Mesa de Innovación Financiera (MIF) and the CNBS financial-innovation Hub.

   cnbs.gob.hn cnbs.gob.hn

5. 05Instant-payment rails

   The BCH operates ACH-PRONTO for near-immediate interbank transfers (in lempiras and US dollars, 5:00-22:00 daily, capped at USD 30,000 per transaction) and BCH-TR, a real-time gross settlement (RTGS/LBTR) system for high-value payments with immediate credit.

   bch.hn bch.hn

6. 06Open banking & BNPL gaps

   The regime centers on e-money issuance and payment-service authorization; no dedicated open-banking (API/data-sharing) mandate or specific Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) regulation was found in BCH/CNBS frameworks, so those areas remain undeveloped relative to the core payments licensing regime.

   consortiumlegal.com cnbs.gob.hn

Sources

1. 1.cnbs.gob.hn/documentos-fintech/regulacion-fintech-honduras/
2. 2.cnbs.gob.hn/documentos-fintech/regulacion-del-sistema-nacional-de-pagos/
3. 3.cnbs.gob.hn/hub-de-innovacion-financiera-de-honduras/
4. 4.bch.hn/administrativas/JUR/Marco%20Legal%20OM%202/Acuerdo%2013-2022%20Reglam
5. 5.bch.hn/acerca-del-bch/registro-especial-epspe/proceso-de-inscripcion
6. 6.tsc.gob.hn/biblioteca/index.php/reglamentos/1354-reglamento-para-los-servicios-d
7. 7.garciabodan.com/en/honduras-publishes-new-regulations-for-electronic-money-services/
8. 8.bch.hn/politica-institucional/sistemas-de-pago/sistemas-de-pagos/ach-pronto
9. 9.bch.hn/operativos/SP/Paginas/SISTEMA-BANCO-CENTRAL-DE-HONDURAS-EN-TIEMPO-REA
10. 10.consortiumlegal.com/2023/06/02/regulacion-del-ecosistema-fintech-en-honduras/
11. 11.consortiumlegal.com/2022/09/30/estado-de-la-regulacion-fintech-en-la-region-centroamerica