Are card fees regulated in Costa Rica?
Yes. Under Law 9831 the Banco Central sets annual caps, and for 2026 it kept the maximum acquiring fee at 1.95% and interchange at 1% for domestic card payments, with POS rental capped at ₡14,000 per month.
In detail
Yes. Under Law 9831 the Banco Central sets annual caps, and for 2026 it kept the maximum acquiring fee at 1.95% and interchange at 1% for domestic card payments, with POS rental capped at ₡14,000 per month.
How the caps work
Acceptance costs are regulated. Under Law 9831 the BCCR sets annual caps, and its rule for 2026 keeps the acquiring fee at 1.95% and interchange at 1% for domestic payments, 2.5% for foreign cards, with POS rental capped at ₡14,000 a month. Since July 2025 every terminal must accept Amex, Mastercard and Visa. Anyone pricing a Costa Rican merchant should understand interchange fees, because here they are set by the central bank, not the schemes.
What the caps mean for merchants
Acquiring in Costa Rica is a bank business. The BCCR lists nine licensed acquirers, led by BAC San José, Banco de Costa Rica, Banco Nacional, Promerica and Lafise, alongside Tilopay, ONVO, mPOS Global and dLocal. Fees are capped by the central bank, so providers compete on settlement speed, SINPE Móvil automation, Tasa Cero support and plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce and VTEX.
The central bank also caps card interest, which it set at 38.36% in colones for the first half of 2025. Apple Pay and Google Pay payments ride on the same regulated card fees.
More detail in our #PayWorldTour guide Payment methods in Costa Rica.