Alternatives For Paying An Argentine Designer From Canada

[syngirl]

Hey -- I'm asking this for my boss who is back in Canada. We've been working with an Argentine designer (who is based in Rio Cuarto, Cordoba) for years. My boss has gone through various methods for paying him, the Argentine guy always seems to have problems receiving. The latest method they've been using apparently is that my boss pays into the Argentine's paypal acct (which I guess the guy has registered for providing online services?), who then transfers the money onto a Payoneer card which he can then use as a debit card to withdraw the funds. Now the Argentine guy is saying Paypal will no longer allow him to transfer funds to the Payoneer card.

So, what are the current alternatives that are working so my boss can send the guy funds from Canada. I said I assumed from Canada my boss should just be able to pay him via Exchange4Free -- I think that's the only transfer service working from Canada right now? Any others please let me know.

I feel I'm really not being told the whole story -- my boss I think is just kind of clueless about the whole situation here, but I think the Argie guy is just having so many problems because he doesn't want to declare a dime to the AFIP, so he's trying to get away without having to present any information to any transfer service. But to me it seems that receiving money from another party would be a lot easier than the hurdles people have gone through to receive it from themselves... doesn't he just have to show up with his ID and receive the funds from Ria, Exchange4free etc etc

Anyway sorry for the long winded and not very clear explanation of the situation -- the fact is, I haven't been given all the details, yet I've been asked to try and help sort it out :S

BTW we are talking about trying to successfully transfer the equivalent of 1000USD to this guy every month. Obviously the guy wants the best rate he can get on that. I'm not sure that my boss still has accts in the USA, so really looking for solutions that work from Canadian accts if possible

 

[syngirl]

Oh and if anyone has info specifically for cash pickup in Cordoba Province (or Cordoba Capital even) that would be really helpful too.

 

[ben]

For about a 5% commission this can be solved fairly simply by any number of people, including at least one who works with Canada. PM me and I'll get you details.

 

[nkotb]

Tell the Argentine that your company will not assist with tax evasion. And mean it.

 

[syngirl]

Tell the Argentine that your company will not assist with tax evasion. And mean it.

Yeah I really feel that this is what it is all about, because from what I can tell he can receive money direct into a bank acct no problem. He just doesn't WANT to. He wants to receive his salary at blue rate I'm sure as well, or better yet, in cold, hard USD. He's a part-time worker, in Rio Cuarto, ie middle of nowhere, so there are limits on how to pay him without him having to do an 8 hr drive to Uruguay or whatever.

 

[syngirl]

For about a 5% commission this can be solved fairly simply by any number of people, including at least one who works with Canada. PM me and I'll get you details.

Ben the thing is this guy is in Rio Cuarto -- middle of nowhere -- so unless you have a guy there or who can wire it there, it won't work. Thx though

 

[Girino]

Yeah I really feel that this is what it is all about, because from what I can tell he can receive money direct into a bank acct no problem. He just doesn't WANT to.

That's his choice, not yours. He should offer several options of payments, depending on the location of the sender, not asking the clients to make the funds available to him in ARS at the blue rate - that is his concern, not yours!
I am sure there is plenty of designers out there who make a lesser fuss over methods of payment. What kind of business strategy is this?! Driving your client crazy over the method of payment because you live in an inaccessible place with odd economic measures in place...

 

[ben]

If a bank account works, can be deposited directly in cash in Capital or wired from BA bank account with CBU - no?
Once the money hits Argentina, actually much easier to move money around than in the US - unless you want it off the radar and out of the banking system altogether. In which case living in Rio Cuarto doesn't help.

 

[Girino]

If a bank account works, can be deposited directly in cash in Capital or wired from BA bank account with CBU - no?
Once the money hits Argentina, actually much easier to move money around than in the US.

Yeah, but this implies that:

1) His USD are automatically transformed into ARS at the official rate ($1000 = ARS 8700 instead of ARS 12,600 blue - that is probably his rent for a month!)​

2) AFIP would know he his being sent funds from abroad and might wonder why​

3) Most likely, he will have to pay bank fees to receive a wire from abroad, and on $1000 these might be on the order of $20-30 at time, which means over $200 a year​

 

[ben]

Yeah, but this implies that:

1) His USD are automatically transformed into ARS at the official rate ($1000 = ARS 8700 instead of ARS 12,600 blue - that is probably his rent for a month!)​

2) AFIP would know he his being sent funds from abroad and might wonder why​

3) Most likely, he will have to pay bank fees to receive a wire from abroad, and on $1000 these might be on the order of $20-30 at time, which means over $200 a year​

No that's not what I was saying. I was referring to getting the money to Argentina creatively, as in my first response (#3 above).

The OP mentioned that he's in Rio Cuarto, to which I replied that once the money has been brought here, moving it from Capital to Rio Cuarto via the internal Arg banking system is trivial.