Q COSTARICA — The Banco Central de Costa Rica (BCCR)—Central Bank of Costa Rica —established the new maximum annual interest rates that financial institutions can charge for loans and microloans during the first half of 2026, following their official publication this Tuesday.
For loans in general, the cap was set at 36.27% annually in colones and 30.39% in U.S. dollars. For microloans, the maximum permitted rates will be higher: 51.21% in colones and 43.03% in U.S. dollars.
Additionally, for loans denominated in other currencies, the annual interest rate limit was set at 7.50%.
These rates are calculated based on the average of the active rates negotiated during the last 12 months, specifically between January and December 2025.
The caps are in accordance with the Ley de Promoción de la Competencia y Defensa Efectiva del Consumidor (Law for the Promotion of Competition and Effective Consumer Protection), which empowers the Central Bank to define these caps twice a year, in the first week of January and July.
The Central Bank reiterated that these limits aim to prevent excessive charges and apply to all contracts, business deals, or lending transactions signed during the six months following their publication, that is, until June 2026.
The maximum rates can be consulted on the Central Bank’s website, in the economic indicators section, where they are updated semi-annually.