www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Is it to restrict potential money laundering, possibly...how though? Or perhaps to better control the flow of greenbacks, but why? In a country where the US$ is used everywhere...

Could it be to avoid fraud, really? So the banks (local banks) are not stuck paying large fraudulent sums? Hmmmm...

I don't get it

Thanks for the info Hotdogg

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

Ticos tell u what u what to hear thus avoiding a confrontation. They dont like angry screaming gringos. I know that from experience.

Atms have fees, can eat card, not give money but charge your acct, can be skimmed etc..most atms in cr take the card. In other countries most atms dont take card.

I go to a teller inside the bank. Banpro. They have branches around the central valley. With my debit card i get brand new 100 $ bills for no commision. From my bank or from banpro. Bring passport. No potential problems like using atms. There is one downtown near the post office. Almost never a line.

Ticos make no sense at all. Dumber than a box of hammers, cant find there *ss with both hands etc...
For a country dependent on tourism and retirees this makes no sense at all.

By the way the new chip cards are not more secure as they still have the easily copied mag strip.

Last Friday, I used the BCR ATM on the second floor of the INS building. I was getting colones, and the limit was 50,000 (maybe a little more). I tried putting in 100,000 and it would not accept it. I did two withdrawals back-to-back of 50,000 with no problems.
I use a Schwab card with a chip and did not have an issue at the ATM in the INS building. Maybe that's one of the "good" machines!

Yesterday, I was able to do TWO withdrawals at BCR with my Schwab chipped card......... 50 Mil each, at two different branches, about an hour apart.

In the recent past, the BCR machine told me that it couldn't recognize my Schwab chip, but would process my withdrawal using the magnetic strip, if I consented with another touch to the screen. Yesterday, there was no message on either ATM about my chip.

It seems like BCR has fixed some glitches in their system .

Citi has not reduced their limits.

The other day I used my Schwab card to make a withdrawal from the BanCredito machine at the INS building. It's the machine all the way on the right. I took out 50mil. The machine "dispensed" the currency (I heard the rotors turning). But there were no bills!! I did not ask for a receipt. So I wrote down all the details prepared to do battle with the bank. Later I checked my Schwab account and it showed the 50mil withdrawal, then an immediate credit for the same. Net result no change in my balance. What a relief.

Why such the big fuss? There's more than one Bank in Costa Rica. More than one ATM in Costa Rica. If you don't like BCR go to a different bank. I just returned from an excellent trip I must add and ATM withdrawals are one thing that was not on my mind. No problem, and It's not an international policy as all ATM operators are not following the regulation if it was. Please don't speak what you don't know.

+1 Maybe the hysteria guys took a well deserved break.

Sure hope so! As they tend to infect the more vulnerable with their mental illness.

Wow, what a relief is right! I bet you were sweating bullets for a minute.

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• Work Hard!
• Play Hard!
• Have Fun!
• No Drama!!

There have been opposing statements made in this thread. It is not my intent to perpetuate a heated debate (although it is practically impossible not to on this site), but because I will be there in two weeks and want to plan accordingly I have to ask for a factual answer:

Is it just BCR that is limiting ATM withdrawals to $100/day? Are the other banks' ATM policies still normal?

I would certainly prefer not to bring 1500-2000 in cash with me. I have always believed banks to be way better than in-room safes, but if I run out of cash on hand and end up limited to $100/day then my trip is ruined. Especially on a shortish trip like this, I generally am spending 200-300 per day.

Thanks all

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Mako

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water

just BCR

This thread makes me happy that I always bring cash with me.

I met a guy who was visiting for work. He had a personal CC that he used to buy drinks at the HDR, but he also had a personal debit card with a chip that he wanted to use at the machines to get cash to pay the chicas. His card did not work in any atm machine he tried, but his hotel could process the card as a CC.

I don't know what the issue was, just thought I'd report it here.

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bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!