Payment methods in Panama

I am not in Panama yet , but I would appreciate any hints ..
I am coming soon to stay long time , enough time for me to learn Spanish ..

You see , I took an early retirement , and thought I spend my retirement years in South America , but I need to learn Spanish first ..
CURRENTLY ; I am in gathering information stage ..
So I appreciate any information or suggestions ..

Thank you
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So, as much as I'd like to have a Panamanian bank account, I've been totally frightened off by other expats stories of horror in trying to open same.  Documents, long lines, more documents etc.  Found that as I have a debit card that does not charge for foreign ATM withdraw, no foreign exchange fee,  with two pulls a month I can cover all my cash needs for $10.50 (Pay rent, open markets, bus and taxi, etc.)  And if you open a Charles Schwab account, they'll even refund the $10.50.  My credit card gives me a nice % for use and no foreign transaction fee, so groceries and dining out are on the card.  If anyone knows of a Panamanian bank where an expat can easily open an account with Panamanian ID, and passport, I'd sure like to know.  Love it here, can deal with the banking back in North America.

http://yairatutoria.com/   Adee1986, for learning Spanish

I, too, am baffled and confused about banking in Panama.  I'm aware it is almost impossible to open an account when you come from the US.  How do expats get money out of their US bank accts to pay their monthly bills and pay expenses in Panama?  I read you could transfer money from your Paypal acct. for a small fee, but I found out that wasn't true -- any advice or suggestions?

Pay what you can with your USA credit card and pay that on line. Get cash from one of the many ATM’s for everything else. It helps if you have a bank that refunds ATM fees like Schwab, as mentioned above. (But I believe you must have a US address for them, something that is handy for many things.)

If you want a Panamanian bank account it’s a bunch of documentation, paperwork, and time to get started but definitely dooable. I have an account with Scotiabank here and have been pleased with their service. Transferring money from the US is fast but expensive so I’ve only done that once

Multibank is the one I used
To learn more, contact Lisseth Hall:
Email: ****
She will email you the latest requirements and will also make sure you have all
documents in place before coming to Panama.
During our recent conversation, Lisseth mentioned she travels frequently to the US on business, so she can potentially meet you there to finish the KYC (Know Your Client) process. In this case, you won’t even need to travel to Panama to open a bank account.