Does anyone have any thoughts on which banks would be best to use while here - I'm getting a masters so i'll be here for long enough to warrant opening an account but don't see myself staying long enough or having enough income to worry about saving abroad in dollars as is (perhaps justifiably) the fad right now. Just wondering if anyone has any advice/experience with the banks down here. AND if anyone is so awesome as to help me out with another question, what do you all think about cell phone plans - claro, personal or movistar - or is it just not worth it and better to stick with my pay-as-you-go tarjeta that never ever has any credit?
Banks
- Thread starter nelaursen
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earlyretirement
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Even if a storm is approaching, it's always nice to have a local account to pay bills and recharge your cellphone credits without having to go stand in line.
You don't have to keep too much in it but they make it easy to pay bills with the pagomiscuentas which I think all of the major banks like HSBC, Banco Santander Rio, etc. use.
Also, it's nice to be able to be out and about sometimes and use the ATM machines and also many times in grocery stores or other stores they have big discounted rates or promotions if you use your card vs. cash (I know it sounds strange).
My advice would be to go with a big bank with lots of locations. My Santander seems to have more promotions vs. my HSBC.
You don't have to keep too much in it but they make it easy to pay bills with the pagomiscuentas which I think all of the major banks like HSBC, Banco Santander Rio, etc. use.
Also, it's nice to be able to be out and about sometimes and use the ATM machines and also many times in grocery stores or other stores they have big discounted rates or promotions if you use your card vs. cash (I know it sounds strange).
My advice would be to go with a big bank with lots of locations. My Santander seems to have more promotions vs. my HSBC.
Do you mean a contract, like with Personal?
I have a plan from Personal, can't remember the name (I saw in the thread about roaming/long distance the comment about the Black plan - can't remember if that's what mine's called) but I pay 199 pesos a month, well under the radar, a I understand it. I have 500 minutes free, 500 mb of data, 200 SMS, etc. My wife has the same plan and my sister-in-law has a Blackberry plan with about the same limits, same cost.
Never tried to call international - Vonage is too cheap for the States and I have a land line we use to call Paraguay. Although, I probably ought to compare prices between my land line international and Personal - land line international is expensive. (Really, I need to get the family in Paraguay on internet [they finally have it available where they live] and get them a computer so we can talk via Skype - much cheaper overall!).
I've heard that AFIP starts looking at 3000 pesos a month movement, but can't confirm that. I've also read (and has been posted I believe) that they are going to start looking at monthly payments of over 2000 pesos, but I don't think that's been passed yet, or I haven't heard anything more anyway.
I have a plan from Personal, can't remember the name (I saw in the thread about roaming/long distance the comment about the Black plan - can't remember if that's what mine's called) but I pay 199 pesos a month, well under the radar, a I understand it. I have 500 minutes free, 500 mb of data, 200 SMS, etc. My wife has the same plan and my sister-in-law has a Blackberry plan with about the same limits, same cost.
Never tried to call international - Vonage is too cheap for the States and I have a land line we use to call Paraguay. Although, I probably ought to compare prices between my land line international and Personal - land line international is expensive. (Really, I need to get the family in Paraguay on internet [they finally have it available where they live] and get them a computer so we can talk via Skype - much cheaper overall!).
I've heard that AFIP starts looking at 3000 pesos a month movement, but can't confirm that. I've also read (and has been posted I believe) that they are going to start looking at monthly payments of over 2000 pesos, but I don't think that's been passed yet, or I haven't heard anything more anyway.
Thanks @ El Queso.
When I made my first purchase at Jumbo this year ( after returning from abroad after a year), I was paying by cash. But even then, it was not acceptable to them. They wanted to see my id and register me in their system.
Is this normal at all supermarkets?
Even if you are a foreigner and paying in cash, you need to be registered first to buy?
When I made my first purchase at Jumbo this year ( after returning from abroad after a year), I was paying by cash. But even then, it was not acceptable to them. They wanted to see my id and register me in their system.
Is this normal at all supermarkets?
Even if you are a foreigner and paying in cash, you need to be registered first to buy?
Iznogud
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It is by law if you pay over 1k and you should do so by CC or check (though a bank), not cash. At one point they would split your balance in different tickets to circumvent this rule.
This law came to pass after the 2001 crisis. That's how the government forced the people back into the banking system (the other significant measure was making the payment of salaries though bank accounts mandatory). Otherwise no one in a right mind woud trust local banks ever again.
Banks started charging for every movement not long after that and reduced human interaction to the current automated service nightmare.
The govenment can now effectively track the bulk of the electronic cash flow and actual cash operations were significantly reduced.
BOHICA
This law came to pass after the 2001 crisis. That's how the government forced the people back into the banking system (the other significant measure was making the payment of salaries though bank accounts mandatory). Otherwise no one in a right mind woud trust local banks ever again.
Banks started charging for every movement not long after that and reduced human interaction to the current automated service nightmare.
The govenment can now effectively track the bulk of the electronic cash flow and actual cash operations were significantly reduced.
BOHICA
