wkoon

First time visitors want to know what is the general situation in CR for paying bills? We see a lot of "cash discounts." Are ATM's readily available? Caveats?
Areas: SJ, Arenol, MA.
Gracias,
William and Jennifer

dmann

We stayed at Costa Verde near Manuel Antonio. There is only one ATM on the road to Quepos. It is not always in service but there is a bank there that will exchange money for you. All restaurants and hotels in the area accept VISA with no extra charge. However, some of the tours charge an extra 5-7%. Even though everyone accepts US dollars, it is a good idea to carry colones with you. The ATM will dispense both colones and US dollars.

Iza

We had no problem using ATMs in CR but you do have to plan ahead when using them (i.e. we would think about our cash needs for a few days ahead and withdraw from an ATM in a larger town - SJ, Liberia, Nicoya etc. on our way to the final destination). Some ATMs are limited to Visa based ATM cards only so check your card to see which one yours is. If yours an MC based one, it may limit your options.

We usually take some cash (couple of hundred $$), a couple of travelers checks (just in case), our Visa cc and ATM card. Dollars are accepted widely and usually you get change in colones. You should know the exchange rate so that you know how much to pay in dollars.

RufusTFirefly

We exchanged at the hotels--they gave us the current rate with no service charges taked on. But they did limit the amount we could change each day. Mostly we used credit cards whenever possible.

TAGriffin

You will see a lot of negative feedback about using traveler's checks, but I never once had a problem using them. I usually use them to pay for hotels. No one ever refused to accept them or charged me extra for using them. I just had to write my passport number on the back.

It's been my experience that the best exchange rate is received by withdrawing colones through an ATM machine. Some machines will even give you the option of receiving U.S. dollars, but I always take colones. I did have trouble using an ATM machine in Grecia, so I had to walk all the way across town - 2 blocks - to use another machine. Otherwise, I've had no problem using my ATM card (mine is a Visa).

I only use credit cards as a last resort as many places will charge an extra fee. You may not see this fee itemized on your bill, but if you use cash in lieu of plastic, you often get a "cash discount."

shillmac

Ditto on the Traveler's Cheques. They are ideal for paying for hotels. If you book ahead, you can know just what you will need. Traveler's Cheques, a LITTLE cash, and use of an ATM every now and then to replenish. . . a credit card "just in case". . .the combination works well! ATM's not a problem in the central valley. . .a little more difficult to find at the beach. Also, we believe it is a good idea to carry two different cards to use in ATM's. . .sometimes (for whatever reason) one will work and another won't.

marion2

I had no trouble cashing traveler's checks in local banks. A little Spanish did help. We prefered that to ATM cards. We cashed them in La Fortuna and Zacero without a wait or a problem.

yalie98

What if my ATM card is Mastercard will that be a big problem? I saw for example that Hotel Divisamar has both VISA/MC 24 hr atm - couldnt i go there as a last resort?

trevorjoyce

Those 3 areas should be no problem. Before we left folks on this site mentioned ATM cards in the Cirrus network being a problem and ATM cards in the Plus network being easier to use. Being neurotic, I opened a quick free-checking acct with Plus as we had Cirrus and rec'd the card within hrs of our plane! I was actually very glad as our Cirrus card did not work at a number of ATM's. I think it did work in MA. I went into the MA bank and cashed traveler checks and the bank was empty and people very kind. Our Plus card has Mastercard and Cirrus has Visa but that was not what mattered. Hope this helps! Joyce

faithie

We had no problems with the ATM machine opposite Barba Roja , we had travellers checques for backup , at Costa Verdes restaurant we signed to our room , and at places like Karolas we used credit card . Worked out well . Faith ,

Percy

It is nice to read all the different options that people use to finance their trip.

I guess whatever works best for you ,is the best way.

This is what I did when I came to Costa Rica.
I paid for my accomodation by Mastercard before I left on my trip.

I brought enough cash to pay for my Tour Guide plus a little extra.

I then used Mastercard and/or Visa for everything else.

I have never used an ATM, but on my next trip I will use it a wee bit, just to see how it works.!!

Anyway, this method works for me.

Thanks to all of you ,I enjoyed all your comments

Percy