Sofía and Olivia went out to have fun at a bar in Mexico City’s Historic Center, and when it was time to pay the bill, they were charged a 5% commission for paying by bank card, as well as another 10% tip. These charges totaled 613 pesos.
They decided not to return to the bar because, in addition to the extra charges, they noticed that the beer they drank had a very rapid effect on them, so they suspected it was adulterated.
To prevent these types of situations, the Mexico City government has implemented the “La Noche es de Todos” (Night Belongs to Everyone) program.
“Previously, operations were only carried out on Thursdays and Fridays; now we’ve reinforced them with an extra day by adding Saturday. In addition, more interventions are carried out each day and the team has been reinforced,” explained César Cravioto Romero, Secretary of Government of Mexico City.
So far in 2025, 565 establishments have been closed.
The official explained that the operations are carried out at establishments that receive citizen complaints about selling alcoholic beverages to minors, because they close after permitted hours, exceed the noise level for the area, are overcrowded, or report fights that affect the community.
The operations involve personnel from the Mexico City government, the Ministry of Government, the Institute of Administrative Verification (Invea), the Secretariat of Citizen Security, and sometimes the Attorney General’s Office or Civil Protection.
The objective is to verify that establishments that sell alcoholic beverages comply with the Civic Culture Law, the Commercial Establishments Law, the Civil Code, and other requirements for their operation. In the event of noncompliance, activities are suspended, and if they are repeated, the business will be closed.
Charging fees for paying by bank card is also illegal because it violates the agreements that businesses have with banking institutions, according to Condusef.
“If they only resolve their administrative issue, then they’ll be reopened, but if they resort to the same practices again, they’ll be closed, and they’ll no longer have the opportunity to sign an agreement and reopen,” said the Mexico City official, who added that 42 operations have been carried out in the 16 municipalities.
These regulations also apply to pulquerías, even though the beverage has been declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage by Mexico City.
Pulquerías are also included in these operations.
César Cravioto, Secretary of Government of Mexico City
Municipalities with the Most Illegal Establishments
The municipalities with the most illegal establishments are Cuauhtémoc, followed by those with the largest population, such as Iztapalapa, Álvaro Obregón, and Gustavo A. Madero.
Amidst the establishments with seals, Sofía and Olivia dodged the offers made by waiters and workers from other establishments. They decided to return home that Saturday afternoon in April 2025.
If citizens decide to report an irregular establishment, they can do so by calling 089, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Regarding the commission charges for card payments, Profeco warns that this is an illegal practice and that the fine amounts to almost 4 million euros.
Source: politica.expansion
