E-commerce in Costa Rica: a complete guide to selling online

Selling online in Costa Rica is no longer a gamble: 4.78 million people use the internet in the country, 92.6% of the population (DataReportal, Digital 2026), and buying online, paying with SINPE Móvil and getting it delivered at home has become routine. For a small company, an online store is how you reach the whole country without opening another shop.

This guide covers what you need to set up e-commerce in Costa Rica: legal and tax requirements, how to choose a platform, which payment methods to offer, how to handle shipping, how to attract buyers and which costs to plan for. If you're a foreign company or an expat starting a business here, it also explains the local pieces that work differently from back home.

How Costa Ricans shop online

They compare before buying and look for signs of trust: real photos, clear prices, visible policies and reviews.
They pay the way they pay every day: with SINPE Móvil (the instant bank transfer every Costa Rican bank offers) or a card. If they can't find their method, they abandon the cart.
They ask on WhatsApp before deciding. A store that answers quickly sells more.
They buy from their phones. The store has to work perfectly on a phone, on mobile data.
They want to know when it will arrive and what shipping costs before paying, not at the end.

Legal and tax requirements

Selling online is selling: the same obligations apply as for any business, plus some specific to distance selling. Always confirm the details with a Costa Rican accountant.

Registering the business

You can operate as an individual with a commercial activity or form a company (for example, a Sociedad Anónima or a Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada) registered with the National Registry. If you're just starting, an accountant will help you choose the structure based on your income and plans.

The tax authority: VAT and e-invoicing

Register as a taxpayer with the Ministry of Finance (Hacienda) under the right economic activity.
Most goods and services pay 13% VAT (IVA). Show prices with VAT included, or say clearly that they don't include it.
Issue an electronic invoice for every sale. Many Costa Rican platforms and invoicing systems integrate with the store to do it automatically.

Consumer protection (Law 7472)

The Law for the Promotion of Competition and Effective Consumer Protection requires clear, truthful information about prices, features, warranties and terms. In distance sales, the buyer also has an 8-day right of withdrawal: they can cancel the purchase within that period. Publish your shipping, exchange, return and warranty policies where they're easy to find.

Personal data (Law 8968)

The Law on the Protection of Persons regarding the Processing of their Personal Data requires you to explain which data you collect and why, ask for consent and protect it. You need a visible privacy policy and should ask only for the data the purchase requires.

Choosing the platform

The platform depends on your catalog, your budget, who will run the store and how much you plan to grow.

Option	Best for	Consider
Shopify	Starting fast without worrying about servers	Monthly fee and commissions; integrating local payments may need apps
WooCommerce (WordPress)	Those who already have WordPress or want flexibility	Needs maintenance, updates and good hosting
Custom	Unique processes, local integrations, high volume	Higher initial investment; full control
Social media + WhatsApp	Testing products on a small budget	It isn't a store: no cart, no automatic payments, no SEO

We compare the two most used in detail in Shopify or WordPress: which suits you.

Payment methods you should offer

SINPE Móvil: almost mandatory in Costa Rica, fast and free for the customer. Show the number, the account holder's name and what to put in the description, and confirm the payment before shipping.
Credit and debit cards: through a payment gateway. There are local banks and processors (like Tilopay or the banks' own gateways) that deposit colones into your account. Prefer those that show a secure payment page and confirm the payment to your system automatically.
PayPal: useful if you sell to foreigners or to people who don't want to use a card directly. It charges in dollars.
Bank transfer: for large amounts or business customers.

See our online payments service for how these are connected to a store.

Shipping and logistics

Options

Correos de Costa Rica (the national post): nationwide coverage, useful for reaching outside the Greater Metropolitan Area.
Private couriers: local courier companies and app-based delivery services for fast shipping, often same-day within the Greater Metropolitan Area.
Store pickup: the customer buys online and collects; it cuts costs and brings in visits.
Your own delivery: more control over the experience, in exchange for more investment.

How to charge for shipping

Free above a minimum amount: it raises the cart's value.
Flat rate: easy to understand if your products are similar in size.
By zone: fairer, but more complex to set up.

Whichever you choose, show the cost and delivery time before payment. A shipping surprise at the end is one of the main reasons people abandon their carts.

How to attract buyers

SEO: product pages with your own descriptions (not the manufacturer's), real photos, FAQs and well-organized categories. We explain it in the SEO guide for Costa Rica.
Ads: Google Shopping and Search for people who already want to buy; Instagram, Facebook and TikTok for discovering products. Before you invest, read what to expect from Google Search ads.
Social media: show the product in use, reply quickly and send the traffic to the store, not just to messages.
Email: your customer list is yours; use it for news, abandoned carts and repeat purchases.
Reviews: ask for them after every delivery and show them on the product page.

What does an online store cost?

It depends mostly on the size of the catalog and how much you want to automate. Plan for:

Registration and accounting advice for the business.
A domain (see how to choose a domain) and hosting or the platform's monthly fee.
Design and development of the store, including the initial product upload.
Payment gateway fees on every card sale.
Product photography and copy.
Shipping, packaging and, if applicable, inventory.
Marketing for the first months.

At WEB.CR you can work out the cost of your online store in seconds with the pricing calculator.

Steps to get started

Define your niche and your customer: what you sell, to whom, and why from you and not the competition.
Sort out the legal and tax side before the first sale.
Choose the platform based on your catalog and who will run it.
Set up payments and shipping, with clear policies.
Prepare your own photos and copy for each product.
Launch with a small, well-presented catalog; grow with what sells most.
Measure: visits, abandoned carts, sales and where they come from.

How we do it at WEB.CR

We build online stores for businesses in Costa Rica: our portfolio includes a tire store, product and medical equipment sales sites and a fitness products store. Every store is delivered with local payments, invoicing and clear policies, ready for phones, and in English and Spanish if you sell to both. If you're a small business, the web design guide for small businesses helps you decide what you need first.

Thinking about selling online? Book a free call and we'll help you choose the best way to start.