If you are planning...

...a trip to the bank, it’s best to block out at least 2 hours of your schedule. Doing business at a Costa Rican bank, at least the Banco Nacional of Costa Rica, is a time-consuming process. In North American banks, customers generally line up along the waist high, Deposit/Withdrawal form table where there may be a couple of stanchions with the retractable belt barriers outstretched to direct the flow of waiting customers. Though the last few times that I’ve visited a North American bank, there is rarely a line of customers, as I believe that most people bank online.

To enter a Costa Rican bank, you pass through the outer glass door to a small vestibule where the security guard stands with the key to the inner glass door. Any large bags are placed in a locker and you are required to take off your hat and/or sunglasses. In order (I suppose) that the security cameras can capture your face. If you wish to deposit or withdraw money from a teller, you approach the rows of chairs placed facing the tellers’ windows. The set-up is somewhat like you are the audience waiting for a performance. In most banks, there are 3 rows with at least 6 chairs and space behind the chairs for people to stand in line. You take your place at the end of the line and wait. As the customer in the first chair is invited to approach a teller, 2nd-in-line customer moves up to "first chair" and the rest of us shift up a spot. There are ATMs at every bank and many Ticos use them. Depending on the time of day, there can be a line of 4-5 people at the ATMs that are generally placed outside the building in a small alcove with a little bit of shade.

Thankfully, the bank interiors have great air-conditioning. So cooling that after an hour of waiting, I get a little chilled. Also available are clean restrooms. Yesterday, M and I were waiting in a set of chairs in front of the “Informacion” desk with 5 people in front of us when the man in "first chair" got up to go to the restroom. His seat was reserved for his return but wouldn’t you know it that the customer being served at the desk finished his business and left. The man in "2nd chair" waited a little so as not to seem that he was queue jumping. "First chair" customer did not return so "2nd chair" customer approached the desk. When "first chair" customer returned to see the situation, he shrugged his shoulders as if to say, “isn’t that always the way” and sat back in" first chair."

Two weeks ago, we applied to open a CR bank account at the local branch in Laurel (about a 40 min drive.) That day, we sat in the rows of chairs in front of the “Platforma de Servicios.” There were two young woman, wearing the bank uniform of form-fitting white shirt with a slim blue patterned ascot around the collar, each sitting behind a desk with 4 customers sitting in the first row of chairs. We took a ticket from the dispenser with the number printed 69. The digital display above the service desks stated 54. We were somewhat confused and distressed but mentally settled in for a long haul. Fortunately, it turned out that the bank staff was not using that numbering system. Still, it was an hour before we were invited to a desk. They did have a large TV showing an animal rescue show on Animal Planet to help pass the time. After about 45 mins of paperwork, signatures, photocopies of our ID, and pages being officially stamped with an old-fashioned metal date stamp, we were told to return the day after tomorrow to receive our debit cards and account number.

Say what?!? The application needed to be reviewed and later a bank employee called M for more info before a final determination was made to approve the account. We waited until our next trip to the border to return to the bank. Bringing us to yesterday. After about an hour, the 4 people in front of us were served. The “Informacion” desk primarily deals with dispensing newly-minted debit and credit cards to customers. No cards are mailed to customers in Costa Rica, you have to pick them up at your bank. M’s debit card was ready and waiting. A printer on the desk, issued him his Pin Code. The “Informacion” desk had no record of me on the account so we had to go back to the “Platforma de Servicios.”

Fortunately, no other customers were waiting and we were served right away. It was a relatively simple process to add me, as we watched her on the computer, I could see that they had a scan of my signature from the paperwork from 2 weeks ago. She entered information on several different screens and let us know that we could return the day after tomorrow for me to pick up my debit card. I’ve just discovered from a little internet research that we don’t have a joint account. Costa Rica only allows a main accountholder and a beneficiary. I can withdraw or deposit money but if M were to die, the bank will freeze the account. In such a case of tragedy, it is recommended that the beneficiary withdraw all the money from the account and then inform the bank of the death.

The young woman was very helpful in registering M for online banking and downloading the Bank’s app on his phone. Online banking is new to Costa Rica. I’m not sure what the statistics are for customer usage. Just observing the lines of people at our bank, I’m thinking that it is a small percentage of the population. Especially in our rural area, cash or “plata” is king. A “rojo” is the nickname for a 1,000 colones bill. A “rojo” is the smallest paper denomination and varies in value on the international market from day-to-day depending on Costa Rica’s debt credit rating. One US dollar ranges in value from 580 to 600 colones. Carrying a 10,000 colones bill makes you feel rich until you calculate that its value is approx. $17 USD. In our area with so many tourists, some merchants will accept US dollars, though there is always the dance as to what informal rate of exchange is to be used. Ticos and Gringos, both, complain about the banks and their cumbersome systems and requirements. We have confidence in the stability of the system and the Costa Ricans are eager to enhance their digital systems and footprint. Poco a poco (little by little.)