www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Does anyone living in San Jose use PayPal ? I have a Tica friend living who needs a few emergency bucks (definitely not a RFM situation) and I'd like to find a way to send a few bucks without having to use Western Union.

PM me if you use PayPal and are willing to help.

Gracias

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69 isn't just a number, it's a way of life

I send money to my son and un amiga. I've used IKOBO and thought it was good but mi amiga says the ATM is taking $10 bucks for her to get the money out and they charge me on the sending end. Maybe the amiga is just trying to get me to send more. Moneygram doesn't seem to charge on the receiving end but for like $100 to be sent immediately they charge $14 but the slow route is like 6 to $8. I haven't tried paypal

I use a Paypal visa/checkcard as a backup when traveling... if my bank locks my ATM card out I can transfer money from my bank accounts to my Paypal account (FREE) and then make ATM withdrawals from Paypal ($1.00 Fee). One bank account I have charges a $3.99 Foreign ATM charge... needless to say all my money from this account goes thru Paypal.... You could set up a Paypal Account, give your friend the card and PIN and then only put in as much money as you want them to have access to and when you want them to access it. Paypal does take 5 working days to transfer money from another account to theirs.

Right Hand Man

I ditto your post sort of speaks for it self?

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"Run silent, run deep"
Spunk glazed Chicas are the building blocks of the universe!

Same here.

It is what it is:


How does that saying go: if it walks like a dock and sounds like a dock chances are it is a dock. If a girl asked for money and you send money how can it not be a request for money. Your money your life used the two as you wish.

Lee

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PS: DO NOT SEND MONEY!

I am familiar with the lady and the situation. No money was even implicitly requested. This is not a deal concerning a pro, semi-pro, struglling 20-something... I won't go into it further, but those who have rolled their eyes are rolling on the wrong track.

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Pura Vulva! Wandering through the dark, I am El Ciego.

Please forgive me. Women have made me jaded. I take your post at face value... this is not a Request For Money.

I will go roll my eyes at someone who really deserves it.

Besos,
RHM

P.S. For you newbies reading this thread. The tired mantra goes "Don't send money to chicas!"

El Lamero:

An apology for my inappropriate comments. Now for a little self-defense. I have always viewed this board as a source of top-notch information and (I could be wrong here) entertainment. In this situation I let my desire for entertainment out way your legitimate need for information. Hence my apology. I've played in this world of sex for money for over 40 years and have seen many a man squeezed of his last dollar. I overreacted with my personal campaign to eliminate that aspect of this hobby.

In an attempt to make some repayment for my faults I make a humble suggestion. If there is a responsible person in Costa Rica whom you would like to help with occasional financial assistance why not transfer money directly from your checking account in the United States to there checking account in Costa Rica. I do not know how this wood work from the U.S. to Costa Rica or even if it's possible. I have used this method in the United States at no cost it is just like you wrote them a check and they deposited in there checking account.

There was a mention of wanting to be anonymous. I would think it would be possible to make a deposit without using your name. Hope my suggestion would be of some help and if it's not my apologies for bad advice.

Lee

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PS: DO NOT SEND MONEY!

Thanks for your apology Lee. No harm, no foul.

I've already initiated the bank to bank method as you suggested. I was trying to avoid that since it is certainly not timely. PayPal is instantaneous and I am surprised that more CR's ex-pats aren't using it. The banks in CR can take as long as five-six days for a check to clear and the need was far more immediate than that.

Anyway, problem solved. Will look forward to buying you a round in August.

Pura Vida

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69 isn't just a number, it's a way of life

Hola,
I have been using PayPal for about 6 years. It's a great way to do your banking.
On my first trip to Costa Rica, I took a couple of my regular credit cards with me along with about $800.00 cash. The cash was spent in about 7-8 days, and then I started going to ATM' or banks to get a cash advance on my credit cards.

That was not a good deal for me, because I found out that I was having to pay like 25-30% interest on those "out of the country credit card loans".

Plus going to a bank and having to stand in line for 15-20 minutes is a bummer. So here is what I did for the next trip to CR.....and it worked beautifully for me.

I obtained a debit card through PayPal. Just apply for one and they should send you one in about 10 days providing that your credit is OK.
Then I had about $ 1200.00 taken out of my bank checking account and deposited into my PayPal account (and this can be just a free personal PayPal account....don't need a business acount where PayPal charges you 3% of the money you use).

So with about $600.00 cash I left on my CR trip. I guess it took me about 6-7 days to use up that cash. Then I started going to ATM machines....especially the one in the lobby of the Del Rey Hotel in San Jose.....as it worked great there.

I would put in my PayPal debit card and then take out as much money as I needed for that day...or a couple days....never having to take more than about $100.00 per ATM visit....just enough cash to pay my hotel, food, and activities for the day.
I think there was a $ 1.00 charge for each time I got money from that ATM machine....but perhaps it was FREE.....as I did not really notice. Anyway if there was a ATM charge it was never more than $ 1.00 per time.

If you need more money then you can access PayPal from any computer in the world, and have more money sent to your PayPal account from your checking account (from your local bank in the US). This is initiated through a computer with PayPal.....and you do not need to contact your local bank. PayPal will do this for free too. They will ask for and secure funds from your checking account for you.

You must have pre-deposited your money into your PayPal account before you can get it out from an ATM machine. But it you run low on those deposited funds (in your PayPal account) just ask PayPal to get more funds to be sent from your checking account.

I also used this method at other ATM machines....like at the San Pedro Mall and in the town of Puntarenas....all worked well. In and out and I had my needed CASH in about 1 minute....no waiting, no hassels, etc.

I was using my own money, when I needed it, (so no high percentage charges for cash advances.....and these can be as much as $15-20.00 per $ 100.00 cash....crazy interest rates).........and I never had to carry more than say $ 100.00 in pocket at any one time (in case I was mugged or robbed), and could get money when and where I needed it thourgh my PayPal debit card.

I am going on another mongering trip to Panama and Costa Rica leaving May 24th....will be gone about 13-14 days. I will have my roundtrip plane ticket paid for, will leave with about $300-400.00 cash in my pocket, and then will plan on having about $1500.00 already deposited into my PayPal account when I leave so that I can use as much or it as I need on my trip.
I fully expect everything to go smoothly as it did on my last two trips.

And when you do this.....you do not have to carry a great deal of cash around on your person.....as you can spend what you have....then get more cash at any ATM machine or bank anywhere in the world.

PayPal does this all for FREE too....they will not charge your account for anything with this scheme. It's also free to have money sent from your checking account (and this again is into a personal PayPal account.....you don't need a premier or business PayPal account.

Advice for El Lamero....(or anyone else) ..in your specific case.....you should be able to do this.....
1. Get your debit card from PayPal....apply online at www.paypal.com

(It should take approx. 7-10 days for this card to come into you)

(And this debit card could be in your name or your sons name.....should not make any difference.......I think it might be easier for you to qualify for the card.....instead of your son....perhaps.)

2. Send your give your card to your son in Costa Rica.....the card should be in his possession.
3. Give him your PayPal User ID and password
4. Make a deposit of cash.....say $100.00 into your PayPal account
5. When the money is in the PayPal account....tell your son to go to any ATM.....anywhere.....and withdraw the $100.00 funds....can be in colones or dollars at most ATM's in CR.....
6. He leaves immediately with the cash
7. Your account will maybe charge only a $ 1.00 fee....but maybe not.....
8. When you want to send more money or have more money available for access by your son.......put more money into your PayPal account.
9. You can thusly control how much and when he can access the funds from your PayPal account.
10. Finally this may sound like a lot just to be able to get funds while traveling....or to send to someone else.....but believe me, it works so well, without hassels (like standing in line at most CR banks and waiting to get money or to cash a travelers check....that it is worth the extra steps in advance to have this convienence when you need CASH on the road.

Best of all this is a free service to PayPal customers....with no charge by them to you or your account.

If you start using PayPal to send money from the US to any foreign country then PayPal wants a percentage.....but using the method above they do not charge anything.

Good luck & Pura Vida ............. Steve

This is from the Paypal website. I had considered doing this as well. But, with the possibility of it taking 3 to 4 business days I did not risk a delay. However, I did make a purchase with Paypal and did not have enough in my Paypal account and it automatically pulled from my bank account. So...just food for thought.

dapanz1

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Paradise= Sitting outside the Bodega in Panama City about 1 am. Drinking cool Balboas with cool friends and blazin' hot Colombianas. I want to be there..RIGHT NOW!

thanks for the Pay Pal info/tips.

I need to look more into this service.

and, you're right, the credit card companies charge high fees/interest on cash advances.

I would recommend those of us considering visiting CR to look into this service. I'm going back and rereading this thread and check out Pay Pal serices.


looks like it is a useful option even when stateside.

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The difference between a Sea Story and a Fairy Tale is that a Fairy Tale starts out 'Once Upon a Time..' and a Sea Story starts out 'This is no Shit...'

(export version only, some restrictions may apply, some assembly required, not valid where the sun don't shine...

if you live in the states of Poverty, Darkness or anywhere outside of The Blessings of Civilization Trust, Inc...other rules may apply)

Guve her a card.