That 8 percent markup you saw was the giveaway. It means the ATM is converting your dollars using their own inflated rate and keeping the difference. ...

Most of the bigger hostel chains like Selina and Casa Pepe had no problem taking my card for everything, even tours and meals. But once I got to Bacal...

I live here and regularly use BAC Credomatic ATMs with my foreign debit card. Fees are around $7.8 USD each time, and I usually can withdraw multiple ...

I used my American Express card successfully at some higher-end hotels and one nice restaurant in Tamarindo, but in general, it was hit or miss. Small...

I made the mistake of using the currency exchange counter at Juan Santamaría Airport. They gave me a terrible rate for my US dollars and even charged ...

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 l...

I just got back from a two-week trip and my general rule was to have about 50 US dollars worth of colones on me at all times. That seemed to be the sw...

I was in Costa Rica for two weeks and not a single cab I took had a card machine. Even in popular spots like Tamarindo and Jaco the drivers expected c...

I’ve lived in Costa Rica for over a year and I’d advise you to always withdraw cash from machines that are either inside malls or inside actual bank l...