Fijatevos.com - Look Deeper

Costa Ricans have a choice of 404 different types of credit cards from 29 companies and banks, a recent Ministry of the Economy study shows. And they pay for it dearly with 23% to 45% interest rates.

Of those 404, 96 are registered to Credomatic, Citibank offers 78 and Banco Nacional 37. From February to April, 32 cards were withdrawn from circulation while 28 new ones were posted.

The study also surveyed debit cards and found 236 types available from 25 operations, averaging fees of about $10 per year for membership, withdrawal fees and renewals. The study may be found at the www.meic.go.cr website and allows consumers to assess financial costs, benefits and payment methods of various credit and debit card suppliers.