The Financial System Supervisory Authority of Bolivia has issued rules requiring banks to immediately remove restrictions on the use of debit and credit cards for cross-border transactions, allowing cardholders to make online purchases, pay for services abroad via POS, and withdraw cash at foreign ATMs. For debit cards, banks must enable at least USD 500 per month in spending, with the possibility of higher limits depending on each bank’s policies and foreign-currency availability; transactions can be split across multiple purchases up to the limit. Credit cards may be used without restrictions, subject to the approved credit line and the customer’s ability to repay. The framework also removes additional commissions for foreign or online card use and requires conversion to BOB using the US dollar reference rate updated and published daily by the Central Bank of Bolivia. The measures are set out in Circular 938/2026, Resolution 280/2026 and Circular Letter 864/2026 and are intended to be applied immediately, with any future changes to be communicated by the authorities.
Financial System Supervisory Authority of Bolivia 2026-04-10
Financial System Supervisory Authority of Bolivia lifts overseas card restrictions and mandates a USD 500 monthly minimum for debit-card spending
The Financial System Supervisory Authority of Bolivia has ordered banks to lift restrictions on cross-border use of debit and credit cards, enabling online purchases, POS payments abroad and foreign ATM withdrawals. Banks must allow at least USD 500 per month in foreign spending on debit cards, permit unrestricted foreign use of credit cards within approved credit lines, remove extra commissions on foreign and online transactions, and convert amounts into BOB using the Central Bank of Bolivia’s daily US dollar reference rate.