Countries › Costa Rica › Guide › 14. Disputes › Consumer claims in Costa Rica: strict liability, the Comisión Nacional del Consumidor, six month deadline, conciliation and fines in salarios base

Consumer claims in Costa Rica: strict liability, the Comisión Nacional del Consumidor, six month deadline, conciliation and fines in salarios base

Last verified: 2026-10-29 · Status: Stable

Producers, suppliers and merchants answer jointly and without fault for harm to consumers from goods, services or inadequate information, and since 2026 financial entities answer the same way for unauthorised third party withdrawals. Consumers may complain to the Comisión Nacional del Consumidor within six months, extendable by six more, or sue in summary proceedings. The Comisión first convenes conciliation and can impose fines of one to forty salarios base, ₡462,200 each in 2026.

USD figures use the Banco Central de Costa Rica reference selling rate of ₡454.82 per US dollar published for 29 October 2026 (indicator 318 on bccr.fi.cr), rounded to the cent.

Key facts

Strict liability of producer, supplier and merchant	yes yes or noLey 7472 art. 35, as of 2026-10-29 · in force
Term to complain to the Comisión	6 months, extendable by 6 textLey 7472 art. 56, as of 2026-10-29 · in force
Fine range	1 to 40 salarios base textLey 7472 art. 57, as of 2026-10-29 · in force
Maximum fine 2026	18488000 CRCLey 7472 art. 57; Circular 246-2025, as of 2026-10-29 · in force
Administrative authority	Comisión Nacional del Consumidor textLey 7472 art. 53, as of 2026-10-29 · in force

The rule

1. The producer, supplier and merchant answer concurrently and regardless of fault if the consumer is harmed by the good or service, by inadequate or insufficient information, or by its use and risks; only proof of being alien to the harm frees them; supervised financial entities answer without fault for theft from accounts by unauthorised third parties, save statutory defences.Ley 7472, as amended by Ley 10889, art. 35, 2026-03-23 official text · verified 2026-10-29 · changed: Ley 10889 of 23 March 2026 added strict liability of financial entities for unauthorised withdrawals by third parties.

2. Consumers may go to the administrative route or the courts, but choosing the courts excludes the administrative route; court claims follow the summary process of the Código Procesal Civil.Ley 7472, as amended by Ley 9342, art. 46, 2016-02-03 official text · verified 2026-10-29

3. Before a formal procedure on purely patrimonial interests, the technical unit of the Comisión convenes a conciliation hearing; an approved settlement has the effect of a Comisión decision with no further appeal.Ley 7472, art. 55, 1994-12-20 official text · verified 2026-10-29

4. Anyone may file a complaint without formalities, in person or electronically; the action lapses six months after the fault or its discovery, extendable by six more months if the consumer shows the supplier failed to resolve it; a notified merchant must designate a representative and an electronic address for notices.Ley 7472, as amended by Ley 10360, art. 56, 2023-04-12 official text · verified 2026-10-29 · changed: Ley 10360 (Acceso a la justicia para las personas consumidoras, 12 April 2023) reformed the procedure and the six month extension.

5. Infractions are fined at one to ten salarios base for the art. 34 d, e, f, j, n and o and art. 38 breaches, and ten to forty salarios base for the art. 34 a, b, c, g, h, i, k, l and m breaches; the maximum applies when the breach harms health, safety or the environment.
Example: Ranges in 2026: ₡462,200 to ₡4,622,000, and ₡4,622,000 to ₡18,488,000. / US$1,016.23 to US$10,162.26, and US$10,162.26 to US$40,649.05.Ley 7472, as amended by Ley 10360, art. 57, 2023-04-12 official text · verified 2026-10-29

6. The salario base used for fines from 1 January 2026 is ₡462,200.Circular 246-2025, Consejo Superior del Poder Judicial, single article, 2025-12-16 official text · verified 2026-10-29

7. Parties may at any time agree to submit the dispute to binding arbitration, choosing arbitrators from a list kept by the Comisión.Ley 7472, art. 58, 1994-12-20 official text · verified 2026-10-29

8. Consumer organisations may file or join proceedings before the Comisión and the courts for their members.Ley 7472, art. 54, 1994-12-20 official text · verified 2026-10-29

Worked example

A retailer sells appliances with misleading warranty information (a ten to forty salarios base breach). The Comisión first calls a conciliation hearing; failing settlement, it may fine the retailer between ₡4,622,000 (US$10,162.26) and ₡18,488,000 (US$40,649.05), the maximum if the defect harms safety.

Step by step

Answer complaints in writing and resolve them early: the consumer's extra six months depend on showing you did not.
Designate a representative and an electronic address as soon as you are notified, or automatic notification applies.
Attend the conciliation hearing with authority to settle.

Common traps

Liability does not depend on fault; the whole chain answers (art. 35).
Fines are linked to the salario base, which is updated every year.
A consumer who sues in court cannot then use the Comisión on the same facts (art. 46).

Sources

← Insolvency in Costa Rica for creditors: the single concurso under Ley 9957, the collection stay, ranking, creditor votes and cross border recognitionLimitation periods in Costa Rica: four years commercial, ten years civil, one year short claims, labour, the State and how to interrupt →

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