Monzo in Costa Rica 🇨🇷

Monzo Chat Travelling with Monzo
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Hi, I just ordered one of these cards. Has anyone used in Costa Rica pls??

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Hi! I’m heading to Costa Rica next week with my new Monzo card; has anyone had any issues with ATMS or purchases over there?

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Don’t forget if travelling, if there are any issues using an ATM then try turning on magstripe functionality. This can be done within the Apple version of the app but within the Android app you will need to message Monzo customer services who will do this for you.

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It looks like you won’t have to worry about enabling Magstripe withdrawals, if you use this bank’s ATMs -

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I must be still in my holiday mode as I got it completely wrong, somehow I thought i was adding to mag stripe ATM list, my apologies. Banco Nacional in Costa Rica use a mag stripe only ATMs and therefore your monzo card will not work, use BAC ATMs instead

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No worries, thanks for sharing your feedback :slight_smile:

There’s a new feature now which does let you use Magstripe only ATMs.

To switch it on, go to Card > Profile > Security. If you’re an Android user, you’ll need to ask support to enable them for now.
You should also check that you’re a verified user, as foreign ATM withdrawals are disabled for unverified users. On iOS you can compare your limits from your Profile in the app with the limits for verified users listed here or if you’re an Android user, message the support team to check - again, this won’t be necessary :soon:

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I used my card several times in Costa Rica , Banco Nacional worked fine without magstripe enabled, also used Banco de Costa Rica but had enabled the magstripe it when I had wifi just in case so not sure if it would have worked without.

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Glad I read this thread! I’m off to Costa Rica on Thursday so have contacted support re the magstripe thing. I’m also not sure if I’m a verified user…

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Hey! Tips for using the Monzo card in Costa Rica? Going in a couple weeks and planning to benefit from the rates on the card!

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Hi Kat :wave:
I moved your post here, you can find previous posts about Costa Rica above your post :arrow_up: . It’s not much, so we’d totally love if you’d share your experiences once you’re back. :heart_eyes_cat:

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Will be travelling to Costa Rica in December with Monzo, has anyone used it here before ?. I do know from past trips that Costa Rica does not accept Mastercard everywhere, definitely not accepted in Liberia airport to pay for the airport departure tax for the record!, Visa seems to be king!. I will update with my own findings and keep everyone posted!

Thanks

Leighton

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Hi @Ikaros97,

I’ve moved your post here so it’s in the same thread as others who’ve also visited Costa Rika!

Thanks for reporting on your findings. Hopefully others will find it useful.

Enjoy your trip!

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2 weeks travelling - no issues at all

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Hi @Ikaros97,

I’ll be interested to know if Liberia airport is still not accepting MasterCard for the payment of the departure tax, as according to their website they are now (I know the reality can be different):

https://www.liberiacostaricaairport.net/Entry_Exit_Requirements.html

If not, I’ll make sure to save some cash for the return home!

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Hi all

I’m off to Costa Rica this month and was wondering how Monzo fairs there? Been once before but I was using my legacy bank.

In addition, I can withdraw up to £200 a month free of charge from atms there right?

Thanks!

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In a thirty day rolling period, then it’s 3% fee.

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My apologies for the duplicate, should have searched! Apologies for that.

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No worries at all! I’ve merged your topic into the existing thread to keep it all together. Hopefully that’s okay! :hugs:

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