Curious how to send money to Argentina these days? If so, then you’re in the perfect place.
In this detailed guide, I’ll breakdown exactly what you need to know about paying rent, sending money to loved ones, and more in this South American country.
For those looking for a quick answer, here it is:
The best money transfer service in Argentina I’ve found is — TransferWise. Using TransferWise, you’re able to transfer small and large amounts of money to the country with little fees/costs.
But there’s a little bit more to it than that. Te lo juro.
That’s why I wanted to write this detailed ‘A-Z’ guide on sending money to Argentina. For any Argentinians living abroad or expats in the country, you’ll find everything you need to succeed inside this article. From remittance to paying rent or avoiding ATM fees, I’ve got you covered.
Below you’ll find detailed information regarding:
How to Send Money to Argentina | The Basics
Argentina is a wonderful country filled with a unique passionate culture. You’ll also find one of the nicest cities in Latin America here — Buenos Aires.
Many a traveler falls in love with Argentina, but every single foreigner visiting or living in the country has the same issue:
Offering massive fees, low withdrawal limits, and a lot of hassle — Argentinian ATMs are known as some of the worst in the world.
Thus, many foreigners are curious about money transfer services in Argentina. Not only that, many expats need to find a way to pay rent in Pesos while living in the country. Many landlords want cash or bank deposits, and international bank fees and ATM charges can add up quickly here.
Oh, and many Argentinians living abroad for some time also like to send money back home to family and friends on occasional. Yet if these Argentinians no longer have bank accounts in the country, this can be difficult.
Lastly, many people need to send cash to individuals in the country for child support and a number of other reasons.
Whether you’re looking for the cheapest way to send money to Philippines, transferring funds to Argentina, or sending money anywhere globally, comparing transfer services helps you save on fees and get better rates. So in this guide, I’ll show you how to send money to Argentina using the best money transfer services I’ve found.
If you’re looking to:
- Pay rent in Argentina
- Send money to family and friends in Argentina
- Pay child support or something similar in Argentina
- Avoid crazy expensive ATM fees
- …And much more!
This in-depth guide will show you exactly how to do so, while saving tons of money on fees and international bank exchange rates.
Sounds good, right?
Pues…
¡Vamonos!
Best Ways to Send Money to Argentina | Top Transfer Services
Enough of my fluff! Let’s dig into the absolute best ways to send money to Argentina on the cheap.
Below you’ll find my top three money transfer services in Argentina, ranked from first to still damn good.
So without further ado, here’s the best ways to send money down south:
– TransferWise –
TransferWise in Argentina is the ideal way to send money to the country. In fact, I consider this service ‘lo mejor’ when ranking the best money transfer services in the country.
However, I’ve found it’s best to compare TransferWise and World Remit on the day of your transaction, to see which service will be cheaper and faster. Fees and exchange rates tend to vary day-by-day in Argentina.
Plus…
There’s a lot to love when looking at using TransferWise in Argentina. For example, here’s a few incredible things about using this company:
- Impressive Transparency: TransferWise prides itself on letting you know all of the fees before any transaction. There’s no hidden costs here. You will know exactly how much it costs to send money with these guys. I love that about this company!
- Low Fees: As of writing, it only costs $21.66 USD to send $1,000 USD to Argentina, and have that money converted to Argentinian Pesos automatically. That’s just insanely cheap. Barely over 2% total fees is cheap, cheap!
- Mid-Market Exchange Rate: There’s no exchange rate manipulation here. With TransferWise, they update their exchange rates every two hours or so. They use the mid-market exchange rate from Reuters when doing so. This ensures no hidden conversion fees for you!
- Fast Delivery: Sending money in Argentina with TransferWise usually takes 1 day, around 24+ hours. The company offers bank deposits in Argentina, so the person you’re sending too will need to have an Argentinian bank account generally.
- Easy to Use: You’ll find it’s super easy to send money internationally with TransferWise. With just a little bit of information, you can move money around in Argentina from their awesome app or your computer.
- Safe and Secure: As a FCA regulated institution, TransferWise is a safe and secure way to send money to Argentina. Or any other country they support. Your money is in great hands with these guys.
- Worldwide Reach: TransferWise works in 58 countries, as of writing this article. As such, you’ll have a worldwide reach to send money to Argentina with these guys.
Overall, I’m a huge fan of TransferWise, especially when handling bank deposits in Argentina. They tend to be cheap, quick, and safe.
This is the cheapest way to send money to the country — if you’re sending from your bank to someone’s bank account in Argentina. THE CHEAPEST BY FAR!
Highly recommended.
– World Remit –
Using World Remit in Argentina is easy, peasy. In fact, it’s one of my top-rated money transfer services in the country. There’s a number of reasons for that, but the main one is:
It’s easy!
This is one of the easiest way to send money to Argentina that I’ve found, and it’s significantly cheaper than ATMs, PayPal, regular international bank transfers, and more.
Here’s a few other things I like about using World Remit in Argentina:
- Bank Deposits: You can automatically transfer money from your international bank account to any major bank in Argentina. From Banco Santander to BBVA Banco Frances, World Remit in Argentina has got you covered. Most deposits arrive in next business day.
- Cash Pickups: If you need money even faster, you’ll want to use the cash pickup option. With World Remit, you’ll be able to send money throughout the country to various pickup locations. There’s hundreds of them, including Giros Express. This money is usually available for pickup within minutes of completely the transaction.
- Fast Payments: World Remit is one of the quickest and most convenient ways to send money to Argentina. Cash pickups are available within minutes, and bank deposits arrive next business day. That’s quick! Your recipient just has to decide how they want the money — cash or bank deposit.
- Super Easy to Use: It’s never been easier to send money internationally. With World Remit, you can pay with your bank account, credit card, debit card, prepaid card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and more. Then the money shows up in a matter of minutes — all the way around the world! Talk about easy.
- Simple to Use App: One thing I love about World Remit in Argentina, and everywhere else for that matter, is how easy the app is to use. Just a few seconds on your phone and you’re paying rent in Argentina, sending money to loved ones, and more. Super convenient!
- Worldwide Reach: World Remit legit works in almost every semi-developed country in the world. From Argentina to the USA to Haiti to Indonesia…you can send and receive money.
If you’re wanting to pay rent with your credit card in Buenos Aires, then World Remit is your best bet. You can use your credit card to send Argentinian Pesos to any bank account in the country at low rates and fees.
Overall, World Remit is another top money transfer service in Argentina. Mainly, it’s just so damn cheap when using credit card payments and incredibly simple to use.
Highly recommended!
Direct Bank Transfers to Argentina?
The above money transfer services generally connect to your bank account, and then send money to an Argentinian bank account. Of course, you can also pay with credit cards and other payment methods — while the recipient can pickup cash in some instances, too.
These are third-party services that internationally connect people and their banking accounts. Thus, making it seamless to send money all over the world.
However, some have wondered if they could simply send money directly from inside their banking account to Argentina.
For example, I use Wells Fargo Banking in the United States. Could I send a bank transfer to Argentina? The answer is NO. Wells Fargo does not offer express money transfer services from the USA to Argentina.
Many banks in the USA and other western countries do not allow money transfers to Argentina. This is due to the unique difficulties banking in Argentina presents. There’s lots of rules and regulations in the country.
This is why services like TransferWise are so invaluable. They make sending money to Argentina easy as just clicking a few buttons on your computer or opening an app on your phone!
There’s no doubt in my mind this is the easiest way to send money to and throughout the country! Te lo juro.
How to Pay Rent in Argentina | Gringo’s Guide
One of the biggest pains in the arse when living and/or traveling abroad is paying rent.
I tend to use Airbnb when I’m in Argentina to rent apartments, especially in places like Buenos Aires. If you’re staying for under two months in the country, I highly recommend using the apartment rental service to book your place. It’s just easy. Just don’t use Airbnb in Patagonia ;(
Save $40 off your first Airbnb rental in Argentina! Just click here.
However…
For long-term travelers and expats in the country, it can be difficult to pay rent once you’re not using Airbnb. This is due to the horrific ATM situation in the country.
Many Argentinian ATMs only allow $80-125 USD in Argentinian Pesos to be withdrawn per transaction. Then you have a $4-10 USD ATM fee from the local bank, and a potential ATM fee from your bank back home.
If you’re renting a nice place in Buenos Aires for $1,000 USD a month, you could be looking at over $85+ USD in ATM fees and fines to withdrawal the money needed to pay rent.
Oh, and you’ll have to spend at least an hour taking money out of the ATM — then walking around in public with all that cash.
TERRIBLE.
Luckily, with the Argentinian money transfer services mentioned above, you’ll be able to automatically send cash to your landlord cheaply.
Here’s my recommendation:
If your landlord wants to do a cash pickup: World Remit.
If your landlord wants to do a bank deposit: TransferWise.
You should definitely check both rates before selecting any service, but after handling multiple transaction — both cash pickups and bank deposits — I’ve found the methods above to be the easiest and cheapest.
Much easier than handling dozens of ATM transactions just to pay rent!
How to Avoid ATM Fees in Argentina
If you have a trusted Argentinian friend or family member, there’s an easy way to avoid insane ATM fees in Argentina once and for all.
Simply use one of the services above and send the cash to the friend or family member you trust. Then have them either pick the money up via a cash pickup or deposit the money in their Argentinian bank account. Then have them bring you the cash.
While both carry risks if you’re not working with someone you trust completely, this is the easiest and cheapest way to get Argentinian Pesos.
You could get $1,000 USD in Argentinian Pesos for around $20 bucks in fees. It doesn’t get better than that in Argentina!
Tips and Tricks When Sending Money in Argentina
This comprehensive guide should give you everything you need to know about money transfers in the country. But I wanted to break things down a little bit more for you.
So here’s a few extra tips and tricks when in Argentina:
- Do Business During the Day: Argentina is one of the safest countries in Latin America, but that doesn’t mean you should be walking around with lots of cash at night. Buenos Aires has its rough areas too. So make sure to handle all major cash transactions during the daylight hours, as this is generally safer.
- Secure, Public Space: When handling large cash transactions, like having someone pickup cash from Xoom or an ATM withdrawal, make sure to do so in a secure and safe public space. I often choose large shopping malls in safe, upscale neighborhoods.
- Always Compare Exchange Rates: Make sure to always compare exchange rates and fees between online providers. This will ensure you get the absolute best rate and pricing when sending money to or from Argentina.
Sending Money to Argentina | Verdict?
¡Ayyyee dios mio!
That’s about all she wrote. Well, he. Me. Everything you need to know about sending money to Argentina these days.
From cash pickups to remittance to paying rent in Buenos Aires as an expat…its been covered here.
As one of the worst countries in the world to deal with banking laws, ATMs, and the like as a foreigner — my hope is that this guide will make your life easier when traveling to Argentina, living there, or even sending money back home to family and friends.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about sending money down to Argentina, simply comment below and I’ll do my best to get back with you.
Que te vaya bien