Credit card use in Costa Rica surges

The use of credit cards in Costa Rica has surged, showing a 10 percent increase in the balance handled by users compared to last year, Costa Rican daily La República reported.

There are now 1.7 million credit cards in circulation in the country, with many people having an additional two or three cards from department stores or supermarkets.

But the next challenge is to boost financial education, as many users spend without considering interest rates or added costs, which is why the Education and Economy Ministries are designing programs to raise awareness about responsible use of credit cards.

Full story (in Spanish)