www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Planning a trip in September, whats the current status of needing a pin for your credit card.?
sometimes or always. ?
Thanks
Flaco in Ft Lauderdale

Maybe call your CC company and tell them your travel dates, I have never needed a pin for my credit cards.

I have to use my pin with my credit card in Costa Rica. Almost always. Sometimes I can just tap, but the limits on tap depend on the merchant.

As of May 1, 2022, there is a new law in Costa Rica which requires you to use the PIN number for your credit card when making purchases 30 mil or greater (~$50 USD). The expat community is scrambling to see how this will affect their US bank issued credit cards.

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Jaco is called little USA by all ticos

Flacoduro1 you will want to setup a pin for you credit cards, VIA Online their website , Automated Phone system or your C-card Issuer can also mail you one.

This PIN you setup will be the same as your cash advance PIN for the Card, but will be for purchases this is very common in Europe and now Costa Rica.

Bank Issued USA Issues Credit cards are EMV with Chip and Signature.

Other countries may have issued a EMV Chip and PIN and a EMV Chip and Signature Credit card, but this is very rare for issuing banks in USA to have this type of Card.

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Stay Humble Amigos !

So far it's not an issue. I have never been asked for a Pin when using a USA card to make a purchase over 30 mil.
Walmart makes me sign now when before they did not.

I made purchases last week @ restaurants & Automercado greater than 30k that didn't require a signature, much less a pin.

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"cuz I'm a back-door man" Jim Morrison-1969

Thanks to all who responded ,

as I guessed, the government decrees it, the ticos may or may not comply.
I'll see what happens in September.

I went ahead and set up my credit card pin up as a pre caution … I have a friend who arrived Saturday he shopped at auto mercado used his American Express in the machine chip enabled not the tap to pay and then was asked to sign .. again most all of the cards in USA are chip and signature. It really comes down to the discrepancy of the issuing bank and what their requirements are. Banks budget for losses big losses believe me I work for one.

I’m guessing local Banks in Costa Rica are requiring the pin

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Stay Humble Amigos !

I'm not sure what you mean by chip and signature. Where I live we used to have the credit cards that you swiped through the slot, and then had to enter a pin. Before that we had the type where you signed the paper copy after the machine took a physical print of your card. And now it is a card you either put into a reader or just tap. And for larger transactions you have to have the card read and then enter a pin.

Anyway, I think the direction is to eliminate the paper copies and paper signatures, and improve security and reduce fraud by having chip plus pin. Is it only the USA that does not already do this?

I'm not sure what you mean by chip and signature.

https://www.360payments.com/chip-and-si ... ifference/

hope this link above helps anyone with concerns on the difference.


Can't speak on all countries, but yes IMO USA is way behind on credit card fraud seeing how approximately 40% of all fraud worldwide is done is USA.

Restaurants are only time I am usually asked to sign anymore really most terminals are tap to pay.
A few times in California when I traveled I was sometimes asked to show my DL along with CC, but this rarely never happens in Ohio where I live, it might just be something they proactively practice in other states with higher fraud.

When the 1st cards were issued with Chips people were complaining about it taking longer to process at the POS terminal. Chip and Pin cards has been been discussed and pushed to issue here in USA but merchants push back stating its only an inconvenience to the impatient consumer.

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Stay Humble Amigos !

It's Costa Rica. The only thing that is certain is that Whitecat will be the last to know.

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If you lose your temper you’re phucking yourself - Garcia Marquez

I have used a Visa and American Express for purchases over $100 this week and never been asked for a pin

good on the ground info Hank and Amex is what I use unless it's not accepted.

since I have no longer been staying in hotels I will go out to eat for Dinner almost nightly .. so my thought was I better just set it up in instance they ask while out at a restaurant.

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Stay Humble Amigos !

Here’s an updated report on my experience yesterday shopping for my 10 day trip first stop was Auto Mercado I spent 43 mil on groceries and then insert my card to have chip read in machine. Cashier handed me a receipt and never asked to sign or a PIN.

Yesterday afternoon I made a journey over to Walmart in Escazu Here I spent 38 mil same thing I am inserting my card into the machine so the chip would read it the cashier Tica never asked for a pin number or a signature.

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Stay Humble Amigos !