Money Guide: Paying and Getting Pesos in Argentina
Last reviewed: October 2026
Which rate to watch
Find what you're doing, then check that row on the rates page.
| Paying by card | AMEX, Visa, MC |
| Picking up pesos with WU | WU |
| Using another transfer service | TapTap, Remitly, Wise |
| Exchanging dollar bills | D. Blue (buy) |
On the rates page, tap any rate name for what it means. To get an email when a rate moves, set up a rate alert.
The short version
- Pay in pesos (cash) or with AMEX to get the best conversion rates. Cash pesos from an exchange house or Western Union come in near or above the Blue rate. AMEX gives the best card rate, about 4-5% more pesos than Visa or Mastercard (on a card with no foreign transaction fee), and in Buenos Aires it's accepted almost everywhere Visa is.
- Ask for a cash discount. Many places take 10-15% off for cash (20% is rare): "¿Hay descuento en efectivo?"
- Get pesos with Western Union or another transfer service, or by exchanging US dollar bills.
- Avoid ATMs and the street changers on Florida Street unless you have no other option.
Why cash is usually better
- Better rate: pesos from Western Union or from exchanging dollars come in near or above the Blue rate. Card rates are lower (see the table below).
- Cash discounts: many businesses take 10-15% off for cash ("efectivo"); 20% is rare. Ask "¿Hay descuento en efectivo?"
- Tips (about 10% at restaurants) are usually in cash. Many card machines can't add a tip yet; that's changing, but slowly (as of October 2026).
- Taxis, small shops and markets often don't take cards.
Paying by card
When you do use a card, the network converts your peso charge at its own rate. Each network sets one rate per day for all charges that day, unlike market rates, which move during the day. They differ a lot, and AMEX comes out ahead:
| Card | Rate it uses | vs Blue* |
|---|---|---|
| AMEX | BCRA's Mayorista (A3500) from 2 business days before the charge, with no markup. The charge shows its final dollar amount right away (AMEX used to charge the official rate and refund the difference later). | about 1% below |
| Visa | Visa's own daily rate. It moves with the previous day's MEP but runs about 6.5% below it. | about 5% below |
| Mastercard | Same as Visa on weekdays | about 5% below |
* Compared with Blue buy, as of October 2026. The "vs Blue" column on the rates page shows today's numbers.
- Use a card with no foreign transaction fee. Otherwise your bank adds its fee (often around 3%) on top of the network's rate.
- At the airport, choose pesos. Card machines there may offer to charge you in US dollars, which uses a worse rate. You rarely see that choice anywhere else.
- Use AMEX first. In Buenos Aires it's accepted almost everywhere Visa is. Keep a Visa or Mastercard as a backup for the few places that don't take it.
Getting pesos
1. Western Union
Send money from your own US bank account to yourself, then pick up pesos at a WU location with your passport. You don't need to carry dollars or deal with street changers.
WU's rate is usually above Blue. For senders in the US, the fee brings the overall cost back close to Blue. Senders from most other countries pay much lower fees, which makes WU an even better deal.
2. Other transfer services (TapTap Send, Remitly, Wise)
Their rates are on the rates page, before fees. Check how each one pays out in Argentina before you sign up: some only pay into an Argentine bank account or wallet, which most visitors don't have.
3. Exchanging US dollar bills
- Use a reputable exchange house (casa de cambio) that publishes its rates, such as Cambio Baires. Expect a rate near Blue buy. See licensed exchange houses near you.
- Bring US$100 bills in the current design, the one with the blue 3D security ribbon (issued since 2013). Exchange houses and cuevas pay less for older designs, even in perfect condition.
- Bills should also be clean and undamaged, with no marks or tears. Smaller denominations get a worse rate too.
- Some small Western Union branches also buy dollars. Ask at the counter.
Last resorts
- Florida Street changers: risk of fake bills and poor rates, and they often ask you to follow them to a second location.
- ATMs: low limits per withdrawal and high fees per withdrawal.