El Coco You accept crypto payments online by adding a crypto option to the checkout you already have. A US business on Stripe or Shopify can switch on stablecoin payments and get paid out in dollars. Those two are built for US businesses. In Costa Rica, the local option is Bitcoin Jungle, which pays out to a local bank account in colones. BTCPay Server works anywhere.
The four options at a glance
The four are Stripe, Shopify Payments, Bitcoin Jungle and BTCPay Server. Where your business is registered decides most of the choice.
Four ways to take crypto online
As of November 2026.
| Option | US business | Costa Rica business | Upkeep |
|---|---|---|---|
| StripeUSDC, paid out in dollars | ✓ | – | A setting |
| Shopify PaymentsUSDC, paid out in dollars | ✓ | – | A setting |
| Bitcoin JungleBitcoin, counter and store | – | ✓ | Local help |
| BTCPay ServerBitcoin, into your wallet | ✓ | ✓ | A server |
Why take crypto at all
In Costa Rica, the people paying this way are real and local. Many foreigners who live here earn in crypto and spend it on local services. In the southern zone you see Bitcoin Jungle stickers on shop doors and even at small weekend markets, most of all around Dominical and Uvita.
Our own clients have asked to pay us in crypto. For them it skips the risk of PayPal holding their money, and the payment lands right away.
Crypto payments also can't be charged back. Add crypto next to cards, as one more way to pay.
Bitcoin or stablecoins
USDC is a stablecoin. One USDC is meant to be worth one dollar, so its price stays put. Stripe and Shopify convert it for you and pay you in dollars. You never touch crypto.
Bitcoin is what the local tools in Costa Rica are built for. Its price moves every day. If you keep the bitcoin you receive, the value of that sale goes up or down with it. Before you set anything up, decide if you will keep it or convert it.
If your business is set up in the US
On Stripe, stablecoin payments are a payment method you switch on in the dashboard. Customers pay from their own wallet, and the money lands in your Stripe balance in dollars. On Shopify, eligible stores can take USDC through Shopify Payments. Check your payment settings to see if your store qualifies.
Skip this path if most of your buyers hold bitcoin. Stripe and Shopify Payments take stablecoins only.
If your business is in Costa Rica: Bitcoin Jungle
Bitcoin Jungle is a Costa Rican community project that helps businesses take bitcoin. It offers:
- Free help getting started.
- A point-of-sale app for the counter that runs on a phone or tablet.
- A wallet where payments land right away. It takes a small fee, and most people who use it are happy with it.
- A hookup for online stores on Shopify and WooCommerce.
The feature that matters most gets the least attention. Bitcoin Jungle can pay out to a local bank account in colones. A customer pays in bitcoin, and the business ends up with colones in the bank, the same as any other sale. That takes away the main worry owners have about price swings. Most tourists have no idea this exists. Plenty of business owners don't either.
Every small business in Costa Rica that takes bitcoin should say so, and say that it lands in colones. Put a sign at the counter and a line on the website. For a shop, café or tour desk, this is the option to start with. One system covers the counter and the website, and you have local people to call when something breaks.
Running it yourself: BTCPay Server
BTCPay Server is free, open-source software for taking bitcoin. Payments go straight to your own wallet, so no processor takes a cut. You still pay for the server it runs on, and some payments carry a small network fee.
The cost is upkeep. BTCPay needs a server of its own, or an account with a company that hosts it for you. Someone has to keep it updated and check that payments still come through. That is the same kind of work as a website care plan, and it should be in someone's job description. If nobody owns it, it breaks quietly and you find out from a customer.
Skip it if nobody on your side wants to look after a server. Bitcoin Jungle is less to run.
What to sort out first
- Keep records. Note each payment's value in colones or dollars on the day you got it.
- Put your refund policy on the site. Bitcoin refunds are sent by hand, and the price may have moved since the sale.
- Make a small payment yourself before you announce it, on a phone, start to finish.
- List it on your Google Business Profile, so buyers who pay this way can find you.
- Hold your own keys. The wallet and the logins should be in the owner's name, the same as your domain and hosting.
We set up crypto payments as part of a website build, next to cards. The checkout, the footer note and the Google profile get done together.
Questions about crypto payments
Can a business in Costa Rica take bitcoin and get colones?
Yes. Bitcoin Jungle can pay out to a local bank account in colones, so the business doesn't have to hold bitcoin.
Is it legal to accept bitcoin in Costa Rica?
Yes. Bitcoin isn't legal tender, so nobody has to accept it. But a business is free to. You see it at tour desks, cafés and weekend market stalls.
Do I pay tax on crypto payments?
Ask your accountant. Keep a record of each payment's value on the day you got it, so the numbers are ready when they ask.
Can I accept crypto on a WooCommerce store?
Yes. BTCPay Server has a free WooCommerce plugin for bitcoin. Bitcoin Jungle connects to WooCommerce for businesses in Costa Rica.
What happens if a customer wants a refund?
With bitcoin, you send it back yourself from your wallet. Agree on the amount first, since the price may have moved.