Costa Rica News – Are you tired of having of going grocery shopping and then having to make a trip to the ATM or bank before running errands that require cash in Costa Rica? Those days may be coming to a close in the near future.
The Central Bank of Costa Rica is making a push for everyone to get a Super Card, a credit card that includes a plastic chip that brings new technology into the hands of consumers. Scotiabank will be the first to add this, in the next six months.
Just imagine that with your debit/credit card you can withdraw money from cashiers, in addition to paying for your purchase. You could also use it to pay for public transportation, such as buses, trains, taxis, and ferries.
Another feature of the Super Card is that it can be used to sign documents digitally. This card of the (near) future will change the face of the National Payments System (IPNS).
The two new technologies, “power approach” and “digital signature” will be introduced shortly, ideally in the first half of this year.
This year, participating banks must replace all cards with these new ones. The change is costly, as they also must update or change ATMs, in addition to changing millions of cards. There are already 17,000 stores that can process the new technology.