Does Apple Pay work in Costa Rica?
Yes. Apple Pay launched in November 2021 with BAC Credomatic, BCR, Promerica and Scotiabank, and Google Wallet followed in 2023 with Promerica and BCR. Almost every terminal in the country is contactless, so both work in most shops.
In detail
Yes. Apple Pay launched in November 2021 with BAC Credomatic, BCR, Promerica and Scotiabank, and Google Wallet followed in 2023 with Promerica and BCR. Almost every terminal in the country is contactless, so both work in most shops.
Payment by digital wallet and X-Pay in Costa Rica
Costa Rica was an early adopter of phone payments in Central America. Apple Pay launched in November 2021 with BAC Credomatic, BCR, Promerica and Scotiabank, at a time when Mastercard already saw more than 60% of transactions made contactless. Google Wallet followed in February 2023 with Promerica and BCR. Bank apps double as wallets: BAC says 4 in 10 of its customers pay with its digital wallet, which now supports Tasa Cero installments from a phone or watch.
Apple Pay at checkout
Online, wallets stay small: PCMI puts digital wallets at 3% of e-commerce volume in 2024. Merchants should still enable Apple Pay and Google Pay, which gateways such as Tilopay and Banco Nacional terminals support, since they ride on the same regulated card fees. Banco Nacional, the largest state bank with more than 2.8 million clients, offers POS terminals with Apple Pay and Google Pay. Costa Rican wallets are an extension of the bank card.
More detail in our #PayWorldTour guide Payment methods in Costa Rica.