Foreign credit cards purchases at MEP rate

[doubleup_dan]

Anybody also start getting problems when the cashiers start asking for the DNI?
Earlier this year it was enough for most of them when i showed the number on my drivers license but now almost all of them start asking for passports...

Just got back from a month trip in Argentina, I used my card in multiple places and didn’t get asked for id once. I would always tell them that it has a pin on it and they would either use it contactless or insert it and i only used the pin a few times. I also put it on my other halfs apple pay and she managed to use it in a few places but alot of places have no clue what apple pay is.

i also tried to use it in i 47 and they said that they had to save all of the details from my card because it was “company policy”. Needless to say I didn’t let them do that.

 

[Maikito]

Oh god

https://twitter.com/x/status/1642893207330488324

I hope the changes aren't bad

I tried to follow up with this tweet, but I couldn't find a follow up. Does anyone know what where the changes?

 

[Quilombo]

I tried to follow up with this tweet, but I couldn't find a follow up. Does anyone know what where the changes?

The thought is come June that there will be marriage of the Qatar dollar (double the official exchange rate) with all the other ones, meaning that Argentines wishing to use their cards for purchases abroad, or buying concert tickets will pay, as of today 434.98 per USD. It's pending a broader agreement with the IMF as part of a package of new funding meant to keep the lights on.

 

[Maikito]

The thought is come June that there will be marriage of the Qatar dollar (double the official exchange rate) with all the other ones, meaning that Argentines wishing to use their cards for purchases abroad, or buying concert tickets will pay, as of today 434.98 per USD. It's pending a broader agreement with the IMF as part of a package of new funding meant to keep the lights on.

Okay, so will it really affect transactions made with foreign issued cards as far as the MEP rate reimbursement?

 

[Quilombo]

Okay, so will it really affect transactions made with foreign issued cards as far as the MEP rate reimbursement?

Not that I have heard no, there are two "tourist dollars" the ones for outbound tourists (Argentine issued cards) and inbound tourists (foreign issued cards, the MEP rate). This is for Argentines as a measure to stop the outflow of dollars.

 

[djxerard]

Cotización del dólar hoy, dólar blue | Ámbito

Cotización y el precio del dólar hoy. Seguí la información sobre el dólar, el dólar blue, dólar MEP, dólar CCL, dólar ahorro, dólar turista, el dólar Banco Nación, y el dólar mayorista minuto a minuto.

www.ambito.com

there are also apps like Ambito Dolar you can download.

Hope anyone can jump in on this. I used the VISA calculator and for today it says 390 the MEP Rate if I purchase something but according to this website MEP rate is 435. So how exactly do they get the MEP rate?

 

[earlyretirement]

Hope anyone can jump in on this. I used the VISA calculator and for today it says 390 the MEP Rate if I purchase something but according to this website MEP rate is 435. So how exactly do they get the MEP rate?

I never get the MEP rate when charging on my credit card. It matches what that Visa calculator says it will be but it's not as good as the MEP rate.

 

[Johnny]

I never get the MEP rate when charging on my credit card. It matches what that Visa calculator says it will be but it's not as good as the MEP rate.

I recall reading that the credit cards are taking about 7% off the top. Their price for playing ball.

 

[Cisnekin]

I paid two weeks ago with my Visa Santander card my plane tickets to Ushuaia. I got the MEP rate at the beginning then was charged with the official rate and a few days later (4 days) got a credit in a different transaction.

Two days later I made another payment with a local travel agency (Patagonline) and occurred the same, got the MEP rate but when the charge was final got the official rate. The diferencia is that its been two weeks and have not gotten the reimbursement. Has anyone has had the same problem. My card is from Mexico.

The charge was made March 24.

I got refunded today after a month. Visa card issued in Mexico take that long.

 

[Lex]

Hope anyone can jump in on this. I used the VISA calculator and for today it says 390 the MEP Rate if I purchase something but according to this website MEP rate is 435. So how exactly do they get the MEP rate?

I recall reading that the credit cards are taking about 7% off the top. Their price for playing ball.

Yes and that's blowing out to 10+% with exchange rates currently going ballistic and the lag it takes for Visa, etc to update their rates. They don't update the rate in real time. From my observation, Visa only seems to update the rate once per day.

To be clear, foreign credit/debit cards never got the actual MEP rate. They get a rate close to, but slightly lower than the MEP, as noted here on this Visa Argentina link: https://www.visa.com.ar/support/consumer/travel-support/tipo-de-cambio-english.html. I think the media got this wrong when the news first broke. So yes, the title of this thread is a little misleading in that regard.

As a tourist, how can I benefit from it?
Every time a foreign tourist pays for something in Argentina with a credit, debit or prepaid Visa card issued abroad, a preferential rate will be applied, which is slightly lower than the rate resulting from the “Dollar MEP” (aka “Mercado Electrónico de Pagos" or "Dólar Bolsa")