HOW • WHERE TO PAY YOUR UTILITY BILLS in Costa Rica

I LOVE the ease we have living in Costa Rica when it comes to paying Utility Bills as you can pay most utility bills at MANY locations around the country. 

EASIEST!

All BANKS in Costa Rica allow you to pay your bills ONLINE.  I LOVE how this works in Costa Rica - especially like with CitiBank which has the EASIEST website in English!!!  All you need is the account number (which could be for someone else even!) - just put the type of payment and number and they'll tell you how much is due and you can even pay someone else's bill!  (hey - this is a GREAT "Pay it Forward" move to just do something nice for someone without them knowing about it!!)

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(the ServiMas window in the back of Mas x Menos - Escazu)

MY FAV

ServiMas
ServiMas booths are located in Mas x Menos, WalMart, MaxiBodega's & Maxi Pal (don’t know if Maxi Pali is different than "just" Pali's but I know that Pali in Escazu does NOT have a ServiMas [because there's one at Mas x Menos]). 

They take payments for the standard Utility Bills and LOTS MORE plus they're 

 LOCATIONS:  HOURS:  Mon.-Sat. 8am-8pm.  Sun. 9am-5pm 

ServiMas is one of my FAV FINDS in Costa Rica for MANY reasons!!  #1 - they’re the BEST place to exchanging your U.S. $s into colones!!  

WHY DO I LOVE THEM SO MUCH? 

#1  -  They have LONGER HOURS than banks (many are open from 8am to 8pm!!) and you get a decent rate of exchange (with no exchange service fee). 

#2  -  They usually have MUCH shorter lines (except on days where key Utility bills are do). 

#3  -  You can pay your Utilities Bills here and LOTS MORE!!  Examples  - Landline and cell/cellular phone bills (ICE•Kolbi, Claro, MoviStar, FullMovile), Cable TV (Amnet, CableTica, Sky, DirectTV, CableVision), Electricity (AYA).

They’re an official WESTERN UNION location. 

You can also pay other businesses like: GroupoNacion - la Nacion newspaper (like ads or your subscriptions), ADT alarm company. Credit Card Bills (CitiBank, Banco LaFise, Banco Cathaj, MasiMas Facil Visa, Maxima). 

You can also pay some services like all the taxes that Banco Nacional has – Municipalidad taxes, your cars annual Marchamo (be forewarned that closer to the date [December 31] you can have some LONG lines!!!     

I’m working on gathering a more complete list!!

LIST OF LOCATIONS AND HOURS:   

http://google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CFQQjBAwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.servivalores.com%2FHORARIOS%2520SERVIMAS%2520agosto.pdf&ei=6Y_GT8OcNabC2wX-sYXECA&usg=AFQjCNF3ykYlWebL0Pf9rcuGOALdR9ufmQ&sig2=ZVSW3QKkmUbW52lk5zhnfg

(Corporate Office – 2-210-8500  /  http://ServiValores.com)

(these are just a few of the bills you can pay at ServiMas)

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Most main GROCERY STORES/markets allow you to pay the main Utility Bills at the Cashier so no need to walk off separately.

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FISCHEL Farmacia/Drug Stores (the largest pharmacy in Costa Rica) accepts your Utility Bills as do many pharmacies.  Find a location at:  http://FischelEnLinea.com

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AT BANKS  -  Most banks take the basic Utility bills but NOTE - as of June 1, 2012 - Banco Nacional is no charging 300-colones/60¢-ish for EACH bill you pay if you pay it AT THE COUNTER (awaiting other banks jumping on that bandwagon as often happens!  You can still pay them at the atm).

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MORE A PAIN IN THE TUSH

Go to their offices and pay there.  This MAY be required if you've been cut off though MY experience has been to just go to pay it (for me - usually at a ServiMas) and pretty fast many things are turned back on (especially the phone/cell).  Electricity may be up to 24 hours (you might want to NOT have everything turned on as it CAN POSSIBLY blow your system out with such a huge power surge I've been told by techs).  Don't know if it's still true but water used to be shut off within 3 days of when the bill was due and can take a FEW days to reconnect!!!  YIKES!!!

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http://EscazuNews.com/directorio-de-servicios-/165-servicios-publicos-utility-services.html
has some notes/hints about paying your bills.

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HELP THE RED CROSS • CRUZ ROJA

WHEN YOU PAY YOUR UTILITY BILLS!!!!

Trisha shared this with me:
If you pay your Utility Bills at SOME Cruz Roja•Red Cross around Costa Rica, they get some sort of BONUS so SERIOUSLY consider doing that.  I'm awaiting details on which Cruz Roja's do that since when I just called the head office - after getting passed away a LOT, someone FINALLY said it is NOT all of them.  Someone else said it was something in conjunction with ICE.  I'm working on getting to the root of this & will update here!

Do you go to the Escazu Organic Farmers Market on Wednesday?  The Cruz Roja is just across the street so you can pay right there and help them [which MAY help you or someone you know one day with needing/using their ambulance service!!]).  To find the closest Cruz Roja to you go to http://CruzRoja.or.cr

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Please "SHARE" this link with EVERYONE you know that could use this information (ESPECIALLY in Facebook!!!):

http://LivingLifeInCostaRica.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-where-to-pay-your-utility-bills.html

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