What Coopecaja does

Coopecaja (legal name: Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito de las Personas Físicas y Jurídicas R.L., COOPECAJA R.L.) is a member-owned savings and credit cooperative founded in 1971 and headquartered on Avenida 12, Calle 5 in San José, Costa Rica. The cooperative serves private and public sector workers in Costa Rica through a full-stack product suite that includes savings accounts (Ahorros), term investment products (Inversiones), consumer and mortgage loans (Créditos), and debit and credit cards. Supplementary service lines span funeral services (Servicios Funerarios), severance fund administration (Administración de Cesantía), payment channels (Canales de Pago), digital signature (Firma Digital), and a specialized public-sector service called Cendeisss. The cooperative has grown from 46 founding associates to serve thousands of families across the country and currently operates with 101–250 employees under SUGEF supervision, holding ISO 9001 quality management certification.

The technology stack is centered on a digital banking ecosystem built around Coopecaja en Línea, a virtual banking platform accessible via web and mobile applications, supplemented by Video Atención (personalized video-call consultations) and electronic signature capabilities. Security architecture includes multi-factor and two-factor authentication, session management with automatic timeouts, and risk monitoring for unauthorized-access prevention, complemented by member-facing cybersecurity awareness campaigns. Distribution is omnichannel: physical branches (sucursales), self-serve virtual banking, inside-sales video consultations, and partner payment channels. Educational and community infrastructure — including Campus Virtual, a VISA co-developed financial-literacy program (Finanzas Prácticas), the gamified Fútbol Financiero, and a podcast series — operate as member-engagement and acquisition channels alongside the Programa Mujer Emprendedora, a women-entrepreneurship initiative developed with the Asociación de Empresarios para el Desarrollo (AED) that has impacted over 9,500 women since its 2020 launch.

The business model is that of a closed, member-financed cooperative with no external equity and no disclosed funding rounds. Revenue mechanics are anchored on net interest margin between deposit and loan yields, plus transactional and administrative fees across severance administration, payment channels, funeral services, and card products. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer for private and public sector workers, with a community-led overlay through the Mujer Emprendedora program and financial-education content driving word-of-mouth referrals. The company is privately held under cooperative governance; ownership resides with member-associates, and there is no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no indication of private equity or venture capital involvement in the available data.

Name

Coopecaja

Legal name

Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito de las Personas Físicas y Jurídicas R.L., COOPECAJA R.L.

Website

https://coopecaja.fi.cr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Coopecaja is a Costa Rican member-owned savings and credit cooperative founded in 1971 that provides savings, investments, consumer and mortgage loans, debit and credit cards, and ancillary services to private and public sector workers across Costa Rica through physical branches and its Coopecaja en Línea digital banking platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Credit Union / Savings Cooperative

NAICS

Credit Unions (522130)

SIC

Savings Institutions, Not Federally Chartered (6036)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Development Credit Unions (CDCUs) (FSABAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Sector & Municipal Credit Unions (FSABAEAK)

Keywords

• Savings and credit cooperative
• Consumer banking services
• Mortgage and consumer loans
• Cooperative financial services
• Member banking products

Headquarters

HQ city

San José

HQ country

Costa Rica

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Savings Deposits: Accepts savings deposits from members, providing interest-bearing accounts and various savings products including programmed savings.
2. Credit/Loan Products: Provides various credit products including consumption loans, mortgage loans, and credit cards. Interest income from lending constitutes a primary revenue stream.
3. Investment Products: Offers investment products to members generating returns and fees.
4. Service Fees: Fees from services including funeral services, unemployment (cesantía) administration, payment channels, and other financial services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Coopecaja is a Costa Rican savings and credit cooperative that offers its associates a full suite of retail financial products including savings accounts (Ahorros), investments (Inversiones), consumer and mortgage loans (Créditos), and debit and credit cards. It complements these with member services such as online banking (Coopecaja en Línea), funeral services, severance fund administration (Cesantía), payment channels, digital signature, video consultation, and a discount/benefits network. The cooperative, founded in 1971, serves both private and public sector workers in Costa Rica.

Product overview

Coopecaja is a Costa Rican cooperative (Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito) offering a comprehensive suite of financial products and services to its associates. The core product portfolio includes savings accounts (Ahorros), investments (Inversiones), loans/credits (Créditos), and debit and credit cards (Tarjetas de Débito y Crédito). The cooperative also provides supplementary services including online banking (Coopecaja en Línea), funeral services, severance fund administration, payment channels, digital signature, and specialized services for public sector employees (Cendeisss). Beyond traditional banking, Coopecaja offers educational and social programs such as the virtual campus (Campus Virtual), the Mujer Emprendedora program for women entrepreneurs, and financial literacy initiatives in partnership with VISA. The 55th anniversary promotion and recent Platino award recognition demonstrate the cooperative's focus on innovation and social impact.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ahorros (Savings) Savings accounts with competitive interest rates for associates, enabling them to grow their wealth over time through various programmed and term savings options.
• Inversiones (Investments) Investment products designed for associates to maximize returns on their savings with various term options.
• Créditos (Credits/Loans) Loan products including consumer loans, mortgages, and other credit facilities tailored to meet various financial needs of associates.
• Tarjetas de Débito y Crédito (Debit and Credit Cards) Debit and credit card products offering convenient access to funds and purchasing power with various benefits and rewards for associates.
• Coopecaja en Línea (Online Banking) Digital banking platform enabling associates to manage their accounts, perform transactions, and access financial services online 24/7.
• Servicios Funerarios (Funeral Services) Funeral service benefits provided to associates and their families to support during difficult times.
• Administración de Cesantía (Severance Administration) Severance fund management service helping associates manage and access their unemployment (cesantía) benefits.
• Canales de Pago (Payment Channels) Multiple payment channels and methods allowing associates to make bill, loan, and other financial transactions conveniently throughout Costa Rica.
• Firma Digital (Digital Signature) Digital signature service enabling secure electronic document signing for various transactions.
• Cendeisss Specialized service for public sector employees, providing financial services tailored to their needs.
• Video Atención (Video Attention) Personalized customer service through video calls, allowing associates to receive tailored support remotely without visiting branches.
• Programa Mujer Emprendedora Coopecaja Women entrepreneurship program providing free virtual training, business mentorship, and support for developing business plans across a three-month curriculum.

Quantifiable outcome

• Program has positively impacted over 9,500 women since launch in 2020
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Asociación de Empresarios para el Desarrollo (AED)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Strategic alliance with AED for the Mujer Emprendedora Coopecaja program, providing high-quality virtual asynchronous training and close accompaniment for women entrepreneurs over a three-month period. The program uses a three-pillar approach (Aspirar, Activar, Acelerar) to help participants develop business plans and scale their ventures.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Banco Popular y de Desarrollo Comunal: State-owned Costa Rican mutual bank offering savings, credit, and social services to workers; the most direct institutional comparable to Coopecaja in terms of cooperative/mutual identity and target member base in Costa Rica.
• CoopeAnde: One of the largest savings and credit cooperatives in Costa Rica, serving public-sector workers with a similar product suite (savings, credit, cards, severance administration); directly comparable in scale and operating model.
• Coopenae: Costa Rican cooperative focused on savings, credit, and financial inclusion with strong social-impact positioning; competes directly with Coopecaja for the same member personas in Costa Rica.
• CoopeSanRamón: Costa Rican savings and credit cooperative offering similar savings, loan, and member-benefit products; comparable in cooperative governance and community-led GTM.
• Caja de ANDE: Closed-membership Costa Rican cooperative serving the education sector with savings, credit, and social benefits; comparable in member-restricted cooperative structure and product breadth.
• CoopeVictoria: Costa Rican savings and credit cooperative providing consumer loans, savings, and member services; a direct competitor within the Costa Rican cooperative ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• BAC Credomatic Costa Rica: Largest private commercial bank in Costa Rica offering the full retail banking suite (savings, credit, cards, payments); broad incumbent that competes with Coopecaja for retail deposits and consumer credit share.
• Banco de Costa Rica: State-owned Costa Rican commercial bank providing universal banking services; broad incumbent competitor with much larger balance sheet than Coopecaja, competing for the same public-sector worker segment.

Regional players

• Fedecrédito: Pan-Costa Rican federation of savings cooperatives offering savings and credit products to a broad membership; comparable as a cooperative-platform play, though it operates as a second-tier federation rather than a single primary cooperative.

Others

• IMAS (Instituto Mixto de Ayuda Social): Costa Rican social assistance institution running financial-inclusion programs for vulnerable populations; thematically comparable to Coopecaja's Mujer Emprendedora inclusion mission but operates as a public entity rather than a financial cooperative.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/CoopecajaRLoficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/COOPECAJA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coopecajarl
• Instagraminstagram.com/coopecaja
• TikToktiktok.com/@coopecaja
• Xx.com/coopecajarl

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Coopecaja