Simple banking

Yes you can use any branch
But they wouldn't let you open account until you have temp residency and meet the bank requirements
Banking here is difficult most bank employees don't speak English, crazy right? Even in expat areas well at least in Escazu, San Jose & Santa with my travels

Online banking here is not advanced as we have in the states most don't use it much, when you arrive you will see long lines outside banks. Very few have drive thru's.  Also online is all In Spanish which makes impossible to navigate. I am with Grupo Mutual and I basically don't even use because I get frustrated with the banking here
I use my banks in the states and pay everything using credit cards just makes it a whole lot similar and no
Fee's.  Plus I rack up reward points

Just my experiences in the CR banking

Thank you Joseph. This is what I thought. I can use my credit card here and the debit one for cash although the conversion fees are draconian. I'll try to open an account while staying in San Jose, will see how it'll work out. I'll share my experience.

Henrych wrote:

Simple but important question: If I open an account at the bank branch (e.g. BCR) in one city will I be able to do banking at any location and any branch of this bank? How is their online banking? What we take as a norm in the US or Canada can be different in CR.

I have been using Scotia Bank for 11 years with zero problems. I use any branch in the central valley and there are normally far less people than the national banks (I have never seen a line outside a Scotia  bank as I have with the national banks). I pay all my bills online - water, electric, rent and transfer moneys between my Scotia USD and Colones accounts. The web site is in Spanish but it is pretty easy to figure out. Might want to have a Spanish speaker walk you through it the first few times but after that it is quite easy. I'm not sure what services that US banks offer that are not offered at Scotia. I seldom even go to the bank. I wire USD from Schwab to my Scotia USD account ($20 fee on the Scotia end) and it arrives the same day. I then transfer USD to my colones account as needed. I have found the Scotia employees to be very helpful and nice when I actually go to the bank. Hope this helps !

jwboozeriii wrote:

Henrych wrote:

Simple but important question: If I open an account at the bank branch (e.g. BCR) in one city will I be able to do banking at any location and any branch of this bank? How is their online banking? What we take as a norm in the US or Canada can be different in CR.

I have been using Scotia Bank for 11 years with zero problems. I use any branch in the central valley and there are normally far less people than the national banks (I have never seen a line outside a Scotia  bank as I have with the national banks). I pay all my bills online - water, electric, rent and transfer moneys between my Scotia USD and Colones accounts. The web site is in Spanish but it is pretty easy to figure out. Might want to have a Spanish speaker walk you through it the first few times but after that it is quite easy. I'm not sure what services that US banks offer that are not offered at Scotia. I seldom even go to the bank. I wire USD from Schwab to my Scotia USD account ($20 fee on the Scotia end) and it arrives the same day. I then transfer USD to my colones account as needed. I have found the Scotia employees to be very helpful and nice when I actually go to the bank. Hope this helps !

Thank you, it helps but I am afraid that there is no Scotia Bank in Puerto Jimenez, which is the closest town to where I'll be residing.

Henrych wrote:

jwboozeriii wrote:

Henrych wrote:

Simple but important question: If I open an account at the bank branch (e.g. BCR) in one city will I be able to do banking at any location and any branch of this bank? How is their online banking? What we take as a norm in the US or Canada can be different in CR.

I have been using Scotia Bank for 11 years with zero problems. I use any branch in the central valley and there are normally far less people than the national banks (I have never seen a line outside a Scotia  bank as I have with the national banks). I pay all my bills online - water, electric, rent and transfer moneys between my Scotia USD and Colones accounts. The web site is in Spanish but it is pretty easy to figure out. Might want to have a Spanish speaker walk you through it the first few times but after that it is quite easy. I'm not sure what services that US banks offer that are not offered at Scotia. I seldom even go to the bank. I wire USD from Schwab to my Scotia USD account ($20 fee on the Scotia end) and it arrives the same day. I then transfer USD to my colones account as needed. I have found the Scotia employees to be very helpful and nice when I actually go to the bank. Hope this helps !

Thank you, it helps but I am afraid that there is no Scotia Bank in Puerto Jimenez, which is the closest town to where I'll be residing.

Sorry my post was not helpful to you but hopefully it might be to someone else ! Cheers ....

While still a tourist, you can only transfer funds to another account at  one of branches of the bank you have chosen until you have received your DIMEX/cedula. Also, there will be a limit to how much you can transfer into CR, per month while still considered in this status.

.Good information on banking in Costa Rica can be found here

Best to open an account with one that has a branch in your local community.

Simple answer is yes. Their online banking is excellent.

BCR's online banking is pretty bad. It works but has a number of idiosyncrasies and sometimes just plain won't work.
My friend told me Banco Nacional was better but then later he started having trouble with it, too. Even the stores that take payments seem to have trouble with BCR-online, at least around here.

It's not horrible. Just not as reliable as US bank web sites. And I absolutely hate the "clave dinamica" which is a chart of numbers they give only to you and to verify your account you have to refer to that chart and enter the series of 3 different numbers each time. It's a real pain imho. Banco Nacional has a USB you use instead but how does that work for if you're out somewhere on your phone? I don't know.

One very weird thing is if you have to pay Claro a prepago cost of, say, 18mil for internet for example,  via BCR, it won't let you. You have to pay 10 mil one day and 8mil another day if you use BCR. It has a 10 mil daily limit. I guess that's a Claro thing more than a BCR thing but not sure exactly whose fault it is.

At least BCR private party accounts are like that with Claro. I have been able to pay either 15mil or 20 mil (nothing in between) at a (non-Claro) store that accepts Claro payments though. It's crazy. (I asked BCR about it and of course they knew nothing. LOL. You can pay Claro on their MiClaro web page but that doesn't work half the time either.) Again, not just me, this happens with my Tico friends as well.

I don't recommend Scotia. Have heard a few bad stories re their holding money for no reason instead of releasing it in a reasonable time. But I guess all the CR banks hold your money for a long time before releasing it. I've just heard more problems with Scotia regarding that. But like I say, it's what I've heard. I have not used them except for atm withdrawals which I quit doing because they raised their fee to almost $5 for any withdrawal.

And like most places, as far as how the customer service is inside, it depends on your branch and the phase of the moon.

No matter how I lower my expectations, I need to keep lowering because of flourishing stupidity. Pura Vida!

I agree, banking in CR is a nightmare.  However, just be thankful you are here and not in the states with the fubar Biden administration.

Things are a MESS here in the states!!!

Wish I was in CR now. Banking and whatever other challenges CR lays out, CR is the place to be. For US expats, count your Blessings that you're in CR and not in the states.

In Canada, they are installing the interprovincial border control to stop non-vaxed people...you have no right to your body. Vaxed or non-vaxed it doesn't matter. This is the time of...you figure out for yourself.

Guys
I was forced to get the vaccine on Monday because of my work NYC
September 1 you wouldn't be allowed indoors of commercial business and restaurants
I flew back Saturday and got the  J& J on Monday  Totally against my will. I was told by my clients if I didn't have a vaccine card that they would cancel my contract

I am not happy that my rights are slowly being taken away

Be aware other States & Countries will follow what Canada and New York  City are forcing on us

JB... so sorry to hear what happened to you. I have opted no vax. Would really frighten me if I was forced to get it. Hope you're OK.

Joseph, rights are taking away very fast. Try to avoid the second one to increase your chances...