Pay with SINPE Movil Using Peanut — Coming Soon
Peanut is adding SINPE Movil support. Soon you'll pay merchants and send colones across Costa Rica from your digital dollar balance.
Peanut is adding SINPE Movil support. Soon you'll be able to pay at merchants and send money instantly across Costa Rica directly from your Peanut balance — without needing a Costa Rican bank account or DIMEX. SINPE Movil is Costa Rica's real-time payment system with approximately 76% adult adoption, making it one of the most successful instant payment implementations in Latin America. Once the integration goes live, Peanut will connect you to Costa Rica's payment network using your digital dollar balance.
Costa Rica is a popular destination for tourists and digital nomads alike, with hubs in San Jose, Tamarindo, and Santa Teresa. While the country is relatively accessible for foreigners — banks accept passports for account opening — full transfer functionality and higher limits require a DIMEX (foreigner ID document). Peanut will remove that barrier entirely, giving you instant payment access without any local documentation.
What Is SINPE Movil?
SINPE Movil is Costa Rica's national instant payment system, operated directly by the Banco Central de Costa Rica (BCCR) — the country's central bank. Launched in 2015, it was one of the earliest successful real-time payment systems in Latin America. Transfers are phone-number-based, meaning you send money using a mobile number rather than account details.
What makes SINPE Movil unique is that it is operated by the central bank, not a private company or bank consortium. This ensures universal interoperability — every participating bank connects to the same central infrastructure. BAC, Banco Nacional, BCR, Scotiabank, and other Costa Rican banks all participate. Users access SINPE Movil through their existing bank app.
With 76% adult adoption and over 3 million users, SINPE Movil has replaced much of the cash economy in Costa Rica, especially for small-value transactions. QR code payments for merchants are also integrated, expanding the system beyond peer-to-peer transfers.
Where You Can Pay
SINPE Movil is widely accepted across Costa Rica:
- Sodas and pulperias — the small local eateries and corner shops that make up the backbone of Costa Rican retail
- Restaurants and cafes — from casual dining to beachside spots
- Supermarkets — major grocery chains and local markets
- Taxis and ride services — pay drivers directly via phone number
- Farmers' markets (ferias) — fresh produce vendors accept SINPE Movil
- Professional services — medical offices, repair shops, tour operators
SINPE Movil is used across the country — in the Central Valley (San Jose, Heredia, Alajuela), along the Pacific coast (Guanacaste, Puntarenas), and the Caribbean side. US dollars are commonly accepted in tourist areas alongside the colon, but local payments via SINPE Movil are always in CRC.
How It Will Work
- 1
Open Peanut and select Pay
You'll open the Peanut app and choose to make a SINPE Movil payment — either scanning a QR code or entering a phone number.
- 2
Scan QR or enter the recipient's phone number
At a merchant, scan the SINPE Movil QR code. For person-to-person payments, enter the recipient's Costa Rican mobile number.
- 3
Review the payment
You'll see the colon amount, the digital dollar equivalent, and the exchange rate. The rate will lock at the moment of confirmation.
- 4
Confirm and pay
Tap to confirm. The recipient will receive colones instantly in their bank account — whether they use BAC, Banco Nacional, BCR, or any other participating bank.
The exact payment flow will be confirmed closer to launch. The steps above reflect the general SINPE Movil experience combined with Peanut's existing payment model.
What You'll Need
When SINPE Movil support goes live, you'll need:
- A Peanut account with identity verification. Verify with your passport or national ID card from any country — under 2 minutes for most users. Your documents are handled securely and Peanut never sees or stores them.
- A funded digital dollar balance. Deposit from any exchange or wallet, or via bank transfer. All deposits are free.
- No Costa Rican bank account or DIMEX. You won't need a DIMEX (Documento de Identificacion de Migrantes y Extranjeros), a local bank account, or a Costa Rican phone number linked to a bank. Just your passport and your Peanut balance.
Specific requirements and transaction limits will be confirmed at launch.
Fees & Exchange Rate
Peanut charges no fees on payments. When SINPE Movil support goes live, you'll pay at a competitive market exchange rate with no transaction fee, no foreign exchange fee, and no hidden charges.
Your digital dollars will convert to Costa Rican colones at the moment of payment. The rate locks when you confirm — no slippage, no post-transaction adjustments. While US dollars are commonly accepted in tourist areas, you'll typically get a better effective rate paying in colones through Peanut than exchanging cash or using a foreign credit card.
Detailed rate comparisons and savings estimates for the Costa Rica corridor will be published closer to launch.
