I leave for costa Rica in 1 days. My ATM card is NOT a check card and it is NOT a credit card. It is only a ATM card with PIN number, 4 numbers. On the back it has these 3 symbols: Plus, Interlink, and Star. Does anybody know if I will have any trouble using it in costa Rica?

In Italy, it only worked in certain machines, in others it didn't work.

Thanks!

It will work IF you can find a machine that is not broken and that has money in it. Of all the ATMs I tried in Costa Rica, only two had money and were working.

Hi Melissa, on a note of optimism, we have luck using our cards about 80% of the time. Occasionally there is a problem with one of our cards for whatever reason, and we find that the other card will work (we each have one). My card, however, doesn't have the same symbols on the back as yours. Mine says Cirrus. I think, remembering back to previous posts on this issue, that it has been said that the Plus cards actually work better. You shouldn't have a problem! Have fun, you guys! We'll be happy to hear from you when you return, by e-mail or on Fodors. Buen Viaje!

I've never been able to figure out why some work and others don't. Our ATM cards wouldn't work in the places we tried them in CR. They wouldn't work in the ones we tried in Paris either. And if I recall they're marked for Cirrus and several other major companies. Go figure. Good to go prepared for all possibilities. Worse case scenario you can always get cash on a VISA card at a bank.

Last summer when we went I actually got a new card to use as folks told us Cirrus ones did not. I got one with plus and sure enough, it did work and the cirrus one did not...you should be fine! In MA I did go into the bank and they changed all my traveler's checks with no problem. The ATM was right there as well. Have a great trip, Joyce

Ours worked no problem ....

We had no problem with ours anywhere in CR (and all over Europe for that matter). Ours is just a plain ATM card that is MC based (Cirrus). You should have no problem with your Plus card (which is Visa based). Remember though that ATMs in small towns are often out of order or out of cash. We always planned ahead and got our cash for a few days in advance (never had a problem with ATMs in San Jose or Liberia).

Mine (also Plus/Interlink/Star) worked in some but not others.

I found that my ATM cards (both Mastercard based) would only work at private banks. I tried several times to use it at a BCR with no luck.

The good news is that there are plenty of private banks, there is one on the east side of the road on the second story of a white building in MA that worked great!

Oh and remember that you may have to swipe your card to get the door to the ATM booth to open and then press a button to exit.

Cheers!

Joe