Our Journey to the BCCR

At Zimplifica, we believe that a country’s financial transformation doesn’t begin with a massive investment or a big-name brand.
It starts with a clear vision and a relentless will to build something different.

From day one, we knew technology alone wasn’t enough. We wanted to create financial services that were modern, accessible, and secure.
To do that, we needed to connect directly to the heart of the system: the Central Bank of Costa Rica and its national payment platform, SINPE.

The Original Plan: Build Through Partnerships

Our initial strategy was to build through alliances.
We looked for partners in the financial ecosystem who shared our vision.

We spoke with cooperatives, mid-sized banks, and even some of the country’s largest financial groups.
Many showed interest, a few even shared our excitement about modernizing the financial system.

But after nearly two years of unrealized agreements and unkept promises, we realized that real innovation required a different path.

Taking the Leap: Direct Integration

That’s when we made the boldest decision in our journey as a fintech:
to register as a Payment Service Provider (PSP) with the Central Bank of Costa Rica and build our own direct integration with SINPE from the ground up.

It wasn’t easy. The road was far from smooth.

We faced technical challenges, evolving regulations, and an ecosystem that wasn’t yet built with fintechs in mind.

What We Learned Along the Way

To succeed, we had to master the intricacies of the national financial system, including:

• The operational structure of SINPE
• Cybersecurity and technical certification requirements
• Risk management (operational and financial)
• Architecture and communication between critical systems
• Costa Rica’s evolving financial regulations

Every step taught us something new.
Every obstacle became an opportunity to build something stronger, more independent, and better aligned with our vision.

The Outcome: A Fintech Integrated into the National System

By the end of 2024, we successfully completed the registration and certification process as a PSP, becoming officially integrated with the Central Bank of Costa Rica as entity #351.

Today, Zimplifica is part of the core of the national financial system.
We’re authorized to process SINPE transactions through a platform designed to meet the highest technical, compliance, and cybersecurity standards.

What’s Next?

Our integration with the BCCR isn’t the end.
It’s just the beginning.

This milestone enables us to:

• Design new payment experiences for individuals and businesses
• Let third parties embed financial services directly into their apps (Embedded Finance)
• Build a robust infrastructure to launch products like accounts, cards, and automated payment services

In other words, it opens the door to redefine how financial services are built and experienced in Costa Rica.

Our path to the BCCR was long, challenging, and transformative.
Today, as entity #351 of the Central Bank, we’re better prepared than ever to build the financial future we envisioned from day one.