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We have used Aerocasillas’ mail and freight forwarding service for about five years. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty good. We’re fortunate to have a pick-up location here in Grecia.
Right now, we’re awaiting our new USAA VISA cards which USAA sez were mailed “sometime in mid-August”. I’m losing faith . . .
The cheapest, easiest way to move money from a U.S. bank to a Costa Rican one is to write a check on the U.S. bank and deposit it in the bank here. The problem is the delay in crediting your account.
We deposit a check each month at Banco HSBC in Grecia. It shows up online at our U.S. credit union in about three days, but HSBC imposes a ten business day “hold” period, so we don’t see the cash right away. There is no cost for processing our check. Other banks impose some charges.
Others have reported much, much longer delays at Banco Nacional and Banco de Costa Rica, and friends who have just opened an account at BN tell us that they are limited to $1,000 in U.S. bank check deposits each month. When I checked with the branch manager at HSBC here in Grecia, he said that they would accept for deposit each month checks in a total amount that are within the reasonable limits of what the accountholder’s income would support. That is, if your monthly income is (say) $2,000, then HSBC will accept checks in that general range. My guess is that they’d accept a much larger check from a known customer.
By the way, while there are banks in Costa Rica with international brand names (HSBC and ScotiaBank come to mind), their actual operations are not linked to their counterparts in the U.S. or Canada. So, for instance, if you have an account at HSBC in the U.S., you can use your ATM/debit card here in Costa Rican ATMs and retail stores, but you will have no standing with Banco HSBC de Costa Rica. You cannot, for example, go to a teller at Banco HSBC and withdraw money from your U.S.-based HSBC account.
U.S. banks promote credit card use over cash because each time a credit card is used, new money is created and, therefore, new debt. You are, in effect, helping the FED create more fake fiat currency with which to screw us over. I try to use cash whenever possible. I am waiting to see what people will do when the fiat paper totally fails.
A monthly check deposit to my BCT bank in Costa Rica, is a great secondary option. Especially in light of the fact that BCT clears checks in seven days. I have used USAA, Bank Of America, Pentagon Federal Credit Union credit cards in Costa Rica, all charged a foreign transaction fee. However, my new CapitalOne credit card and debit card, charge 0% transaction fees. The information in regard to having new credit cards sent to Costa Rica, was very informative, I am also exploring all viable options, in that regard.
my US bank mails my debit card directly to me at my post office box in San Ramon. i’ve had no problems getting new cards like this.
We recently received new credit cards for an account that we virtually never use. Thought they were the USAA VISA cards we’d been hoping for. So Aerocasillas can be counted upon to get it right at least some of the time. I’ve checked my profile at usaa.com and the mailing address is exactly what it should be, so that shouldn’t be an issue.
Who knows?
maravilla,
There is a combination post office and UPS delivery point, near me in Playas Del Coco. Is that what you are referring to? However, they use a Costa Rican address. They also charge a low monthly fee.no, i am talking about the correo donde yo tengo una caja! my debit card gets mailed directly to my PO box because i have registered my foreign address with my bank. no problemas!
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