The Central Bank of Costa Rica published a notice on improper use of the Tarjeta de Ciudadano de Oro (TCO) in public bus services and set out stronger controls to ensure the statutory senior fare discount is used only by eligible adults aged 65 and over. The approach relies on applying the identification requirement in Article 11 of Law 7935. Introduced in 2022, the TCO is a debit card with additional, Central Bank-standardised features for exclusive use by older adults in public transport, with more than 25,000 issued by financial institutions. It is identifiable by its gold colour, the cardholder’s photo and national ID number, a notch on the right side of the front, and a validator alert that produces a yellow light and distinctive sound for the driver; bus camera monitoring has provided evidence of cases where cards are taken from older adults or shared with relatives or acquaintances who then use them to obtain the discount by impersonating the cardholder. Going forward, when the validator alert is triggered, drivers may request an identity document to verify eligibility, and the Central Bank noted that misuse increases costs for other passengers under the current public transport fare-setting scheme.
Central Bank of Costa Rica 2025-02-27
Central Bank of Costa Rica tightens identity verification to curb misuse of the Tarjeta de Ciudadano de Oro on public transport
The Central Bank of Costa Rica announced stricter controls on the Tarjeta de Ciudadano de Oro (TCO) to ensure the senior fare discount is used only by eligible adults aged 65 and over. The TCO, a debit card for older adults in public transport, has been misused, prompting measures such as identity verification by drivers. Misuse of the TCO increases costs for other passengers under the current fare-setting scheme.