www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I just called my bank to let them know I'd be in Costa Rica and not decline my ATM requests. They let me know it's $5 per ATM withdrawal, plus 3%. Any guidance whether I should just pay the fee and use ATMs, or is changing money in banks easy enough and a better deal? I read somewhere in another post that chicas don't always like US $100 bills because they're worried it might be counterfeit. Do banks have a problem changing USD 100? What about paying my hotel bill in cash. Any advice? I understand there would be a risk in bringing my whole vacation worth of cash. Better to pay the fees? Thanks.

Better to pay the fees because you get the current exchange rate at that moment. I always do about 285,000 colones a trip to the ATM as that is right about the 500.00 per day limit my bank imposes. That way I limit my transaction fees. Also Banco National has no problems giving me my limit where BCR will restrict me to 200.00 transactions. Yes you could do 3 transactions to get your 500.00 limit but there is 15.00 in fees plus the 3%. If you go into the bank with 1000.00 in Cash take your passport and expect to be there a good hour or so. They will write down every serial number of every note you give them to exchange and keep a copy of your passport.
You can use XE.com to check the current exchange rate and you will be close to that number when you use the ATM.

Casinos will exchange at almost bank rate if not bank rates

The Colonial Casino, next to the Del Rey, exchanges a few hundred U.S. at a time with very good exchange rates. The cashiers there are open 24 hours a day . . and you don't need to show your passport.

It's too late now for this trip, but you need to get a Schwab Bank checking account with an ATM debit card. You can apply online...... never any ATM fees anywhere in the world . . . ... . . very fair exchange rates with a Schwab card, sometimes a little better than the CR banks...... no min. activity or min. balance rules, either.

Thanks a lot for all of the feedback. Still not sure exactly how I'll approach this, but all of this information helps!

Paying your hotel bill with cash can get you a lower rate especially at the CRT friendly hotels - SL, Amsted, Castillo, Hotel Little Havana and Zona2. Maybe Taormina too.
Another debit card with no fees is Capital One 360.

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HAMLET

I use ATM's in many countries. I also pay with a credit card when possible. The ATM fee is always less than the premium that is charged by money exchangers. Credit card payments always give you the best exchange rates.

Thanks for the Schwab tip, I'm going to apply tomorrow and should be good to go for my trip in January.

Any info on the Scotiabank ATM in the SJO airport near baggage claim? Does it have a withdrawal limit?


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They all have withdrawal limits. I believe Scotiabank is $500 or equivalent.

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Any opinion or observation in the post above is purely presented for entertainment purposes and does not promote "sexual tourism" or "human trafficking". The laws of Costa Rica apply to all activities in Costa Rica. No warranty is expressed or implied. Void where prohibited by law. Your experience, observations or perspective may be different.

In exile in pu*sy prison

Thanks - found another thread on this too. Guessing it’s just a crapshoot as to whether they have enough colones.

Are there other “known” $500 limit ATMs in the gulch area? Wanna limit my # of transactions.


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Do a search on Google Maps for Scotiabank San Jose Costa Rica. You'll find one west of the HDR on Avenida 1. It's on the north side of the street.

It's never crap shoot as to colones. It's dollars that come up short.

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Any opinion or observation in the post above is purely presented for entertainment purposes and does not promote "sexual tourism" or "human trafficking". The laws of Costa Rica apply to all activities in Costa Rica. No warranty is expressed or implied. Void where prohibited by law. Your experience, observations or perspective may be different.

In exile in pu*sy prison

If you got American $100 bills, HDR exchanges to colones, left side of front desk, I'm accused of being excessively frugal on big ticket items but I don't sweat the chicken feed, their exchange is always good enough for me. No passport show needed, they don't take data on the bills, at least when you're there, it's fast.

Don't be afraid to carry like $1k to 1.5k in cash from airport to hotel to safe. To the west of HDR is a BCR a couple short blocks on the South side, you can get your $200 there in the inside ATM's no need to deal with the bank. There also is a $200 limit atm at the AM-PM east of HDR one block via the Blue Marlin exit.

Don't be driving yourself nuts walking all over town trying to save $3, you're on vacation, time is money, if all you have are ciens, you just paid a girl who might be happy for $60, 70 or $80 a full cien. She'll take it, she's not worried about counterfeit...

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That's true, never thought about it, but the banks and casinos are so ultra worried about checking counterfeit bills, and the working girls just take the money and stuff it into their purse!
Hey i just thought of a way to launder counterfeit bills, and have fun at the same time. Got to get those printing presses fired up!

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I pulled 250k colones out of scotia bank atm in airport last week when i landed, came to $442 but worked like $500 with the chicas

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Entertainment purposes only, nothing posted above is true nor reflects reality nor my experience.