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Yappy adds Banistmo to its list of banks

Yappy, the phone-number payment app that more than 1.8 million people in Panama have linked to a bank account to pay a cleaner, split a bill or settle up at a market stall, now works with more banks than ever. Yappy's own list of connected banks, checked on 8 October, names seven: Banco General, Banisi, Caja de Ahorros, Credicorp Bank, Davivienda, MetroBank and St. Georges Bank (Yappy, Nexo). Banistmo says its more than 600,000 customers can send and receive Yappys from this month (Banistmo, La Estrella).

Where you can use it

  • Banco General and St. Georges Bank: in the bank's own app and in Yappy App (Yappy).
  • Caja de Ahorros, Credicorp Bank, Davivienda and MetroBank: in Yappy App (Yappy).
  • Banisi: in the Banisi app (Yappy).
  • Banistmo: in the Banistmo app and in Yappy App, from October (La Estrella, Banistmo).
  • Money you receive lands in your "main account", the first bank you registered with. You can change it as often as you like in Yappy App (Yappy).

Limits and costs

  • Yappy's standard maximum is $1,000 per transaction (Yappy). Credicorp Bank also sets a monthly ceiling of $9,999.99 (Nexo).
  • Yappy does not charge people to send, but each bank can charge for its own channels. Banisi and Credicorp Bank say sending is free; for the others, Nexo found no published statement either way, so ask your bank (Yappy, Nexo).
  • Businesses that collect with Yappy Comercial pay 1% plus ITBMS, or 1.07%, with a minimum of $0.02 (Yappy), and still need a savings or business account at Banco General (Nexo).
  • Yappy treats a personal user as a business once they receive more than 50 transactions and more than $10,000 in two consecutive months, and from then on charges 1% plus ITBMS on each Yappy received. Both conditions must be met (Yappy, La Prensa).

How big it has become

Yappy general manager Yolianna Alfaro told La Prensa the platform has more than 1.8 million customers with a phone number linked to a bank account and 34,000 merchants, and that four more banks are in the process of joining (La Prensa). The state-owned Banco Nacional is working on a link to connect Yappy, ACH and Kuara, the other main transfer systems (Nexo).

What it means for expats

If your account is at one of the connected banks, you can pay a landlord, a handyman or a fruit stall by Yappy without opening an account at Banco General. Before you hand out your number, check which bank is set as your main account, so payments land where you expect. For anything above $1,000, such as a rent deposit, plan on a bank transfer instead. Ask your bank, ideally in writing, whether it charges for Yappy sends. And if you collect many Yappys for a side business or a rental, keep the 50 transactions and $10,000 threshold in mind, because crossing both means paying 1.07% on what you receive.

Sources

  • Yappy - Banks that offer Yappy and where to use it (Banco General, Banisi, Caja de Ahorros, Credicorp Bank, Davivienda, MetroBank, St. Georges Bank) - checked 8 to 9 Oct 2026 - https://www.yappy.com.pa/bancos/
  • Yappy - FAQ: the main account is the first bank you registered with; you can change it in Yappy App - May 2025 - https://www.yappy.com.pa/faq-items/si-tengo-multiples-cuentas-asociadas-en-cual-recibo-los-yappys/
  • Banistmo (via Panamá Banking News) - Banistmo adds Yappy to its app from October; more than 600,000 customers - 5 Oct 2026 - https://panamabankingnews.com/notas-de-prensa/banistmo-suma-a-yappy-a-su-ecosistema-digital-de-pagos-y-transferencias-en-linea/
  • La Estrella - How Yappy works in Banistmo's app; how each bank offers it - 7 Oct 2026 (09:35 Panama) - https://www.laestrella.com.pa/economia/asi-funcionara-la-integracion-de-yappy-en-la-banca-movil-de-banistmo-DO26288649
  • La Prensa - Yolianna Alfaro: 1.8 million customers, 34,000 merchants, four more banks joining; business threshold of 50 transactions and $10,000 in two months - 8 Oct 2026 - https://www.prensa.com/economia/yappy-amplia-su-alcance-en-el-sistema-bancario-panameno/
  • Nexo - Seven connected banks; $1,000 per-send cap; Credicorp monthly ceiling; which banks state sending is free; Yappy Comercial 1.07% and Banco General account; Banco Nacional link - 8 Oct 2026 (18:53 Panama) - https://nexo.la/yappy-bancos-conectados-comisiones/
  • Yappy - FAQ: standard limits $0.01 to $1,000 per transaction - Jun 2026 - https://www.yappy.com.pa/faq-items/hay-un-monto-minimo-o-maximo-cuando-hago-envios-desde-la-opcion-enviar-a-varios-contactos/
  • Yappy - FAQ: does Yappy cost anything? No Yappy charge to send, banks may charge; business threshold and 1% + ITBMS fee - upd. 2 Oct 2025 - https://www.yappy.com.pa/faq-items/yappy-tiene-costo/