My credit card keeps declining in Costa Rica and I have enough money on there and all international transactions are activated - what do I do?
I had this issue in Tamarindo and it turned out the shop’s card reader wasn’t set up for foreign cards. The cashier told me it happens often with international visitors. I then used the same card at a supermarket and it worked fine. So it’s not always your card. Sometimes the terminal itself doesn’t support certain networks. I’d suggest trying your card in a bigger store or ATM attached to a bank branch. Mine worked fine at Popular and Banco BAC ATMs. If it still doesn’t go through, call your issuer and check if they blocked the region by default.
My Capital One credit card kept getting declined in Liberia and Playa Hermosa even though I had informed the bank I was travelling. It worked at some places but not others. I realised later that some machines in Costa Rica have trouble reading Indian chip cards. I started using my Wise card and had no problems. I’d recommend carrying at least two different cards and enabling app notifications to see if something gets blocked or flagged. At Banco BAC, Banco de Costa Rica ATMs, no issues with my wise card.My credit card keeps declining in Costa Rica and I have enough money on there and all international transactions are activated - what do I do?
This happened to me all over Costa Rica with my Amex. Even though it was active for international travel, it kept getting rejected at shops and ATMs like Promerica, Banco BAC, Banco Popular. Turned out most small places didn’t even accept Amex. Switched to my Mastercard and had far fewer issues. If you have a Visa or Mastercard, use those instead and keep a debit card as backup. Also double-check your bank’s fraud alerts section in your app. Sometimes you have to manually approve a transaction location before it works.
I had the exact same issue with my Chase Visa card when I first arrived in Costa Rica. Tried to pay at a restaurant in San José and it declined twice even though I had funds and international usage enabled. I called my bank and they said it was a fraud protection block because the location triggered a red flag. After verifying it was me, the card worked fine. I’d suggest calling the number on the back of your card right away and confirming your travel dates and location. It usually takes just a few minutes.
Same issue at BNC Popular - Monzo Mastercard not accepted. Refund was instant.
Didnt work with my Monzo card at BNC Popular. But the money was refunded immediately.
Monzo card not accepted at BCR ATM in Costa Rica. Refunded right away though - no harm done.
ATM at BCR in Costa Rica didnt accept my Monzo Mastercard. Thankfully, the money was refunded instantly.