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what exchange rate will i get if i use my ATM card?

Each bank has their own machines and as far as I know each will give what ever the rate for that bank is on that day. What fees that bank charges and your bank's transaction charges (if any) will be subtracted from your account. Some banks in the States also will charge you a fee if you get colones instead of dollars from the machine. Banco National and BCR do not charge a fee for most cards, Banco Popular (the other major national Bank in San Jose ) I have not used in a long time and therefore do not know about their fees. Very few ATMs here give dollars. I think all of the BCR locations have 1 or 2 machines that give dollars and the rest, only colones. I do not know of any Banco National nor any of the private banks that have ATMs that dispense dollars. Maybe someone else can tell us if there are any.

The bank rates this afternoon ranged from 555 to 561.

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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!

The ATMs in the little mall down the street from the Del Rey (across the street from the Balcon de Europa restaurant, near where the buses stop) dispenses dollars.

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"In a nation ruled by swine, all pigs are upwardly mobile, and the rest of us are phucked until we can put our acts together; not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely"...Hunter S. Thompson (RIP)

Just a bit of advice. Only use an ATM at a bank. Take your passport with you.
The reason is that often an atm will keep your card. At the bank they will retrieve it for you, only with your passport. If you use a kiosk atm,to get your card back is a big problem.

I'm not one to usually call for yet another sticky to wade through but...this should be at least in bigger type. Outstanding advice.

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

If JazzboCR says so.. It's like ... the Bible!

Old or New Testament? BTW, a Bro can't praise another Bro without some cheap shot being hurled? The opinions I emit aren't The Sermon on the Mount--they're merely an expression of one guys feelings and impressions on a subject. You join the Wacka-Wacka Corps?

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

Well, I've never had a problem with an ATM in 15 years. If it's convenient, I'll take my chances.

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"In a nation ruled by swine, all pigs are upwardly mobile, and the rest of us are phucked until we can put our acts together; not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely"...Hunter S. Thompson (RIP)

The atm at the delrey ( next to the casino tables and small bar) gives out dollars, I have used it 100's of times with zero problems, only concern you can only get $200 at a time which might be a good thing

The ATMs at the INS building have been consistently reliable for me as have been the ones at the HDR. The Del Rey ATMs print out on your card statement as such so if you don't want that to happen you can go next door to the Colonial casino. I've never had them suck up my card and not give it back, in other countries, but not Costa Rica. In Mexico one time, it kept my card and I ripped the machine apart and got it back. (I was much stronger in those days and I guess the ATMs weren't built as well).

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" Omit no happy hour that may give furtherance to our expedition."

+1 on using the Rey. have used ATM there for years and never had any problem

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as my father says "better to be lucky than good"

I think what Wise Ash was referring to were "stand alone" ATMs where if your card gets stuck in the machine you have no one to ask for help. At the HDR and the INS Building (which I have used many times) you can ask for help either from the HDR Staff or the Bank/Security staff inside the INS building.

exactly....never had a problem at the Rey

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as my father says "better to be lucky than good"

WOW!!! I just noticed the dollar fell like a lead balloon today! Was up to around 560 to 1 yesterday and dropped to 540 today!! I finally did something at least half way right--took most of the extra cash I had in the bank and changed it at 555!!!

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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!

Well it is still falling! Ended the day at from 525 to 535 depending on which bank!! The one thing that is strange: The difference between the buy and sale rate for each bank has been between 10 and 12 points for a very long time. Today it ranged from 15 to 25 points with most at 20 or more.

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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!