Cuban Citizen Struggles to Pay Fine Through Transfermóvil: "We're Destroying Ourselves"

A Cuban resident has publicly expressed frustration over his failed attempts to pay a fine using Transfermóvil, a process that has been unsuccessful for over two weeks due to a persistent system error. This issue has reignited criticism of the government's push for digital payments, which mandates businesses and private workers to accept electronic transactions, even as the state itself struggles to handle these payments efficiently.

The individual, identified on Facebook as Jesús G. Iznaga, has been attempting to settle a fine of 150 pesos for more than 15 days. However, the payment application from ETECSA consistently returns the same error message:

"Failed to pay the fine. This fine receipt has not been delivered to any agency."

The receipt, numbered 555691, had already expired when Iznaga made his complaint public, despite his repeated efforts to pay it digitally during that period.

Systemic Issues with Transfermóvil

This glitch does not seem to be an isolated incident. The system relies on the official who issued the fine to register the receipt in the centralized platform of the Ministry of Finance and Prices within a certain timeframe. If this step is not completed, Transfermóvil cannot validate the payment.

According to data from the system, this issue occurs frequently: there are 9,523 unsuccessful attempts to pay fines compared to 5,263 successful transactions.

Contradictions in Government Policy

Beyond the technical malfunction, Iznaga highlighted what he perceives as a contradiction in the Cuban government's policies.

While the state mandates that private workers and businesses accept electronic payments under threat of fines or even closure, Iznaga finds himself unable to pay a government fine using the same digital method.

"Private individuals are required by decree to accept transfers under penalty of severe fines and other measures because there is no cash for retirees, workers, and non-productive personnel. So, why can't I pay a fine with 'imaginary money' just as I receive it daily?" he questioned in his post.

He also raised concerns about the administrative handling of the receipt, given that the system claims it is not registered with any agency.

"If the receipt is not with any agency, where would the money go if I were to pay in cash? Something isn't right," he stated, clarifying that he does not blame any specific individual.

Later, he shared another post with even sharper criticism.

"Another deceit by the National Bank of Cuba and the Government. Fines don't process through Transfermóvil to force cash payments, yet they require private individuals to accept transfers. It's a case of 'do as I say, not as I do.'

Challenges of Banking Reforms

This complaint comes at a time when even official media have acknowledged the challenges of banking reforms in Cuba. Despite several years of implementing this policy, as of July 2026, only 3.77% of transactions in the country were conducted digitally.

In the first quarter of 2025, the state collected over 1,000 million pesos from 425,012 fines, but merely one in four was paid through electronic channels.

Meanwhile, Decree-Law 91/2024 imposes penalties of up to 60,000 pesos, alongside temporary or permanent business closures, for those who refuse to accept digital payments.

Iznaga concluded his complaint by holding authorities accountable for the system's failures.

"We need to address this, folks. This has nothing to do with imperialism or the embargo. It's a problem of Cuba and Cubans. No one from outside is going to destroy us; we are destroying ourselves. Enough with the patriotic speeches. We need solutions, not by 2050, as the Minister of Energy claimed."