# Costa Rica — payment codes and schemes

> Source: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/CR
> extracted at 2026-10-03
> Publisher: Barcoder — encyclopedia of QR, barcode and payment-code standards

## Summary

- **SINPE Movil** 3M users, 76%+ adoption
- **SQR PAGOS** QR code expansion
- **506M transactions** 2023 (84x growth from 2019)
- **4th globally** in transactions per capita
- **BIS recognition** December 2024

## Banking landscape

### Central Bank
- **Name:** Banco Central de Costa Rica (BCCR)
- **Website:** https://www.bccr.fi.cr/
- **Role:** SINPE system operation

### Major Banks (2024)

| Rank | Bank Name | Type | Digital Platform |
|------|-----------|------|------------------|
| 1 | Banco Nacional | State | BN Movil |
| 2 | Banco de Costa Rica | State | BCR App |
| 3 | BAC Credomatic | Regional | BAC App |
| 4 | Banco Popular | State | Popular App |
| 5 | Scotiabank CR | International | Scotia Mobile |

### Market Structure
- **SINPE Movil:** 3M users, 4M accounts
- **76%+:** Population 15+ using system
- **90%:** Bank account penetration (2024)
- **BCCR operated:** Central bank system

---

## Payment infrastructure

### National Payment Systems

| System | Operator | Type | Status |
|--------|----------|------|--------|
| SINPE Movil | BCCR | Fast payment | 3M users |
| SINPE | BCCR | Interbank | Active |
| SINPE-TP | BCCR | Transport | 2020 |
| SQR PAGOS | Various | QR | Active |

### SINPE Movil Performance
- Launched 2015
- 506 million payments (2023)
- 6 million SINPE Movil payments (2019)
- 84x growth in 4 years
- 0.5% GDP cost savings annually

### Global Ranking
- 4th globally in transactions per capita
- Behind Thailand PromptPay, Brazil Pix, Sweden Swish
- BIS Paper December 2024 recognition
- Financial inclusion driver

---

## QR code standards

### SQR PAGOS

| Attribute | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| **Operator** | BCCR expansion |
| **Feature** | Scan to pay |
| **Integration** | SINPE Movil |
| **Status** | Active |

### QR Payment Features
- Scan business QR code
- Direct to account payment
- No account/phone number needed
- Error elimination
- Immediate processing

### Request to Pay (RTP)
- Under exploration
- Invoice and bill payments
- Recurring payments
- Subscriptions
- B2B embedded payments

---

## Mobile payment apps

| App | Provider | QR | Features |
|-----|----------|-------|----------|
| Bank Apps | Various | Yes | SINPE Movil |
| SQR PAGOS | Service | Yes | QR payments |
| SINPE-TP | BCCR | Yes | Transport |

### SINPE Movil Features
- Phone number as alias
- Peer-to-peer transfers
- QR code expansion
- Instant settlement
- All banks integrated

### SINPE-TP (Transport)
- Launched 2020
- 6 months pilot with INCOFER
- Public transport payments
- Open loop contactless
- QR code support

---

## Schemes

| Scheme | Type | Symbology | Adoption | Technical standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [SINPE Movil](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/CR/sinpe-movil) | Fast payment | Phone | 3M users | [`sinpe-movil`](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/sinpe-movil) |
| [SQR PAGOS](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/CR/sqr-pagos) | QR Code | Scan | Active | [`sqr-pagos`](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/sqr-pagos) |
| [SINPE-TP](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/CR/sinpe-tp) | Transport QR | BCCR | 2020 | — |

## Sources

- [BCCR - SINPE Movil](https://www.bccr.fi.cr/en/payments-system/public-services/sinpe-m%C3%B3vil)
- [TransFi - Costa Rica Payments](https://www.transfi.com/blog/costa-ricas-payment-rails-how-they-work---sinpe-mobile-payments-instant-transfers)
- [Fintech News - SINPE Movil](https://fintechnews.am/costa-rica/52549/fast-payment-system-sinpe-movil-driving-financial-inclusion-efficiency-in-costa-rica/)
- [BIS - Costa Rica SINPE Movil](https://www.bis.org/publ/bppdf/bispap152_d_rh.pdf)
- [Antit.io - Digital Payments](https://www.antit.io/blog/costa-rica-at-the-forefront-of-digital-payments)
- [Q Costa Rica - SINPE Movil](https://qcostarica.com/sinpe-movil-transfers-exceed-10-billion-colones/)

## Full country report

[CR-costa-rica.md](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/CR)