Costa Rica is a market with high digital payment adoption in Central America. While domestic transactions center on cards and SINPE Móvil bank transfers, global account-based payment methods like PayPal enjoy strong recognition for overseas online purchases. For consumers who are reluctant to enter their card number directly on a foreign site, logging in to PayPal to pay feels like a familiar safeguard.

For this reason, sales structures that are perceived as a "foreign merchant" — such as cross-border commerce shipping directly from Korea to Costa Rica, or the sale of digital goods and services — see a greater benefit from adding PayPal alongside local options. We recommend making local card payments the default while layering PayPal on top as a trust-builder for first-time purchases.

When a consumer selects PayPal, they are taken to a login screen where they approve the payment using their balance or a linked card of their choice, and the approval is confirmed instantly. Hecto Financial collects the transaction amount in CRC, converts it, and settles it in whichever of USD, KRW, or JPY was agreed in the contract.

Through integration with Hecto Financial, merchants registered in Korea can review PayPal acceptance. The actual support conditions, fees, and dispute policy coverage for transactions targeting Costa Rica vary by industry and transaction structure, so confirmation before contracting is required.

• Business registration country

  Confirm eligibility to contract as a business registered in Korea

• Sales channels

  The integration method and priority vary depending on your online sales channel mix — owned mall, open marketplace, mobile app, etc.

• Product categories

  Check in advance whether your products fall under categories restricted by PayPal's merchant policy

• Local regulatory compliance

  Confirm compliance with local regulations such as the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR) payment system rules (see official sources below)

Settlement starts with collection in CRC. After conversion, funds are paid out in whichever of USD, KRW, or JPY the merchant selected under the contract, with the settlement cycle and fee rate set by the contract terms. When a PayPal dispute or refund occurs, the corresponding amount may be deducted from or held back in settlement, so it is advisable to build dispute-response deadlines into your operating process.

• Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR)Official information on Costa Rica's payment systems (including SINPE) and currency (CRC). If this page's content differs from actual regulations, the official source takes precedence.