Amazon Direct Delivery Hits Costa Rica

If you think it’s been a struggle getting the stuff you enjoy from the United States and abroad, you should have seen what it was like twenty years ago.  When I first stepped foot in Costa Rica, the lack of common goods I was consuming as a college student really ate at me.  No Mountain Dew, no Doritos, and heck, the first Papa John’s wasn’t even on the map yet.  (The first location was in Liberia around 2000.)  The lack of beer choices ate at me as well.  Pilsen, Imperial, Rock Ice, and Budweiser was about it.  Craft beer?  Stop.  Didn’t exist.  Sure, you had the locally made Heineken as well as the imported, and pricey, Corona.  My, how things have changed in Costa Rica in just a short twenty years.

Amazon Allowing Costa Rican Residents to Get Direct Delivery

Previously, for those not in the know, the people of Costa Rica had to use a U.S. shipping address and then re-send the items to Costa Rica.  Many people used services like Jetbox and others to get a third party exchange from Miami.  This was the local “hack” but according to the Tico Times, this is all changing.

With over 45 million items available online with the click of a mouse, using over 25 currencies, and yes – including the Costa Rica Colon, you can shop for goods and get them to your door using the Amazon App or website.

I’m loving this. This is the best news I’ve heard in a while.  Sure, there will most likely be hefty shipping charges, but this is a huge move forward for Costa Rica, and Amazon.