Payment methods in Ecuador

Paying for **** is a huge pain in the *** here, at least where I live.  The government has stopped accepting cash in most if not all places (you need to deposit money in their bank account and bring the receipt to the gov't official).  In stores, cash is king (as long as they have change and you aren't using large bills).  Most big stores/chains accept credit/bank cards, but some will charge a hefty premium (one was going to charge me 10%, so I walked 15 minutes to an ATM).  Also, using your card online or over the phone is almost never possible here.

I've used PayPal and similar online payment systems with other expats, but because those services don't integrate with local banks, people without foreign bank accounts (most people) almost never use them.

Also, if your Ecuadorian bank/cooperativa supports it, you can sometimes pay bills & send money to others through your bank's website/mobile banking app (eliminating the need to find and travel to a branch of the recipient's bank) - but it's rare.  I can pay my property tax online once a year, but I need to travel to each office once a month to pay my electric, internet, and water bills.

Oh, and since there's no mail in my region and no one has or accepts checks, cards, or other "distance" payments, you never get sent a bill.  They just shut off your electric, water, internet, etc. and then charge you a fee to reconnect - e.g.: my potable water bill is $3/month but I only have a 15-20 day window to pay it.  If I don't make it to their office in that period, they shut off my water and charge $25 to reconnect it.

I just moved here so haven't  dealt with that. Can you pay your utility bills in advance for a few months to avoid the hassle?

Only one I can is my internet, which they let me pay a year in advance.  Really seems odd none of the rest will let me give them more money than they're asking for...

CASH IS KING.
Online banking is horrible.
And half the time, I can't even access my bills online.

Electricity bill is only available online, and only shows up days before it's due.
And even then, 50/50 if the system is crashing or not.

Water, i get a a bill shoved into my door, and half the time, I don't even get a bill. I find out it's overdo when the water is cut off.

Internet, have to physically go INTO the internet store...
Water & Electircity paid directly, in person, to the bank they're associated with.

It's a HUGE PITA.
Oh, and they LOVE paperwork here.

antialiased wrote:

Only one I can is my internet, which they let me pay a year in advance.  Really seems odd none of the rest will let me give them more money than they're asking for...

Internet let you do that?? What company are you with??

Small local fixed wireless broadband provider (since there aren't phone or cable lines in my area, it's the only option).

antialiased wrote:

Paying for **** is a huge pain in the *** here, at least where I live.  The government has stopped accepting cash in most if not all places (you need to deposit money in their bank account and bring the receipt to the gov't official).  In stores, cash is king (as long as they have change and you aren't using large bills).  Most big stores/chains accept credit/bank cards, but some will charge a hefty premium (one was going to charge me 10%, so I walked 15 minutes to an ATM).  Also, using your card online or over the phone is almost never possible here.

I've used PayPal and similar online payment systems with other expats, but because those services don't integrate with local banks, people without foreign bank accounts (most people) almost never use them.

Also, if your Ecuadorian bank/cooperativa supports it, you can sometimes pay bills & send money to others through your bank's website/mobile banking app (eliminating the need to find and travel to a branch of the recipient's bank) - but it's rare.  I can pay my property tax online once a year, but I need to travel to each office once a month to pay my electric, internet, and water bills.

Oh, and since there's no mail in my region and no one has or accepts checks, cards, or other "distance" payments, you never get sent a bill.  They just shut off your electric, water, internet, etc. and then charge you a fee to reconnect - e.g.: my potable water bill is $3/month but I only have a 15-20 day window to pay it.  If I don't make it to their office in that period, they shut off my water and charge $25 to reconnect it.

The advice provided above, as daunting as it may appear, is accurate. Don't let the "sunshine and roses" crowd tell you differently. Ecuador is a good place to live for some. However, it does not come without its own very real challenges. You have to be prepared for them and, at times, prepared to live with them, because change does not come often or easy in Ecuador. For anyone with a true long-term history in Ecuador, the truth they will likely tell is that if anything, things have become more complicated, not less, in the last 15 years, when it comes to financial and banking transactions in Ecuador. Keep in mind, however, Nirvana does not exist anywhere in the world. Ecuador is not exempt.

No, there is no facility to receive multiple payments. However, you may be able to pay yearly, as I do.

I have no love for banks, but years of experience with Pacifico, Pichincha, and Oscus Coop makes me say that my payments have been made without fail in Salinas,  Baños , and Quito. Be aware that you are nicked with a small fee for service. I also write checks from a US bank which I deposit in my bank here. It takes 4 or five business days to get the funds but costs nothing.

If you think about a process where money is involved in the US, multiply it  by 10 and you will have a pretty accurate estimate as to what is involved in the process here.  Oh and so far it is fairly regular that an ATM transaction will process , money deducted from your account, but no cash is dispensed.  A real pain.

What happens when no money gets dispensed from the ATM and your account deducted? Do you hit it with a stick? lol

Usually no sticks handy.  My US bank has a pretty uncomplicated transaction dispute process and so far the money has always been returned to my account within a couple weeks.  However, it has happened five times now in the last two years.  I'm afraid I might hit a limit of disputed transactions.  I did speak with someone (John) at my bank and told me not to worry about it ....
It's kind of like Vegas roulette.

Somebody hacked my Bank Card via link I clicked on, actually it was a DHL notice sent via email which I opened. It started taking $30 out of my Bank every 15 minutes. I caught it after a couple hours, and phoned to have a new card issued. Turned out I have to go back to Vancouver for a new card. So... have been using Western Union. Here, in Puerto Lopez, there is often a 100ft long lineup of people receiving money from their boyfriends abroad. Thirty minutes wait is a short wait there.

But, that deposit a cheque idea is great, and I will try it.

I just bought this house, and got a $500 water bill, from the previous owner who won't Pay, or they would cut it off in five days. And, a $100 tax bill. So, here at least, they let it run for some time. But when they demand the money you Pay or go without service. They cut off my Internet because they said I owed $25 for last February that had not been paid. There was no one living here, and the previous owner said he had Paid and it was disconnected at the end of January. Turned out he was right, and Interdata was trying to steal my money....it goes on & on. I can buy a lot with PayPal, but that doesn't matter with no delivery service to Puerto Lopez. I have a Cedula, but the Bank of Guayaquil said you need to have a Cedula for 6 to 8 months before they will open an account because it takes that long for the Cedula to be Registered. The Huancavila Cooperative Bank did open an Account for me before I got a Cedula. That allowed me to have monthly withdrawals for medical insurance required for issue of the Cedula.