Best bank for paying utilities remotely

We bank at Banco Nacional de Costa Rica because so many businesses bank there. When making major purchases (appliances, furniture, etc) it's often most convenient to do an account-to-account transfer.

BNCR has bill-pay accounts with all the utilities you've mentioned plus most or all of the water utilities. So we can pay all our utility bills without leaving home. I don't know which other banks connect to the water utilities but some, at least, do connect to ICE, the CAJA, the cellular companies, etc, as well.

My two frustrations with BNCR are that, in Grecia, at least, the Service Platform is chronically overloaded, so wait times go on and on, and that their online service appears to be run off a 1980s TRS-80. Wanna see slow?

What 'dave' just wrote is basically my experience as well.  My guess is that any of the 3 nat'l banks are fine... but perhaps the one that is most convenient/close to your new home makes the most sense ???   When it comes to paying utilities and the Caja... as long as they offer it... then the name of the bank doesn't mean much to me. 

What I really do like...make that 'love' about Banco Nacional (not Banko... hahaha!) is that every time I use one of my debit cards from them (I have one in both colones and US dollars) AND when I make an on-line utility payments, monthly Caja payment, or transfer (easy to transfer between BN accounts)... i get an email with a review of the transaction.  That is really good to have... that way I don't have to go onto my account and open up the 'transactions' page; enter a date field, and read the transactions.  They also send electronic monthly balances via email.  So they make me think 'less' about it all... which is great when you are getting old and, honestly, wanting a less stressful and more 'simple' life.  I don't have to 'remember'...

Since you don't seem to be banking here yet... what is your beef with BN ???   My guess is that they offer all the same 'things' that BCR offers.

One thing I will add...  I was in Quesada this a.m. to get some cash via a credit card that i have in the States... I tried to use it at an ATM at BCR (which I have used many times before)... but it spit my card back out, twice, with no explanation nor reason whatsoever.  All the ATM's were working, so I considerably 'lowered' the amount I was seeking (from $300 down to $100) and it worked... but I hadn't yet had my fill of coffee... so I just left and walked across the park to Banco Nacional.  I used the same card in their ATM... and asked for $300... (actually it was 160,000 colones)... and there was no problem.   

I too, like 'dave' have noticed that many businesses use BN... that was the bank that I wire transferred the 'cash' for buying my property here.  The realtor had a BN business account... nobody asked any questions and the money was in CR at BN in 48 hours... not bad.

Also... BN lets you pay the electric utility for monthly payments on items you may have bought, on credit, from the utility's appliance/etc. store ...  Lots of Ticos do that.   I bought my electric scooter there... and paid it off in 8 payments... all from the comfort of my home, in my undies.  Maybe BCR or BP do that too??   

Yep 'dave' those service platforms seem to go slow everywhere... I waited at BCR (where I had to make some deposits for Residency) for over an hour once.  Have also waited at BN... in big city, and small town.  Most people don't realize that the typical teller can 'do' a lot of what the 'plataforma' people do.  I always ask, when I'm done, if I needed to use a platform person, or if I could have just gone to one of the tellers.  Always good to ask a Tico... for many things... 

Not sure it's the banks' faults... just the unknown client pool (more than a few people are illiterate here and it takes longer to serve them... a reality) and quantity that show up... They all should really consider letting people make appointments for more complicated banking needs and keep that out of the main lobby... but this is Central America and I must be crazy for trying to solve a problem... 

Be first in line, or bring a snack.  Most banks have bathrooms.

I think your question is really:   this cookie or that cookie???   dude... they're both cookies.

pura vida