Foreign credit cards purchases at MEP rate

[grosso95]

I'm buying a flight ticket from SP to BA using flybondi or aerolineas argentinas. If I set it to ARS and pay with foreign card will I get the Mep rate - 7 %?
Should I use visa or mastercard? I wonder if it's better to just pay in brazilian reais or risk the mep conversion.

 

[ngoyal]

Has anyone tried to book flights tickets from non-argentine websites in ARS? If they still get MEP rate? If so, is it only valid for flight tickets to/from Argentina?

 

[Jtee125]

I'm buying a flight ticket from SP to BA using flybondi or aerolineas argentinas. If I set it to ARS and pay with foreign card will I get the Mep rate - 7 %?
Should I use visa or mastercard? I wonder if it's better to just pay in brazilian reais or risk the mep conversion.

I tried this earlier this year and flybondi would never accept my foreign credit card. I was short on time so reluctantly went via an agent for twice the price, curious to know if you had any success

 

[grosso95]

I tried this earlier this year and flybondi would never accept my foreign credit card. I was short on time so reluctantly went via an agent for twice the price, curious to know if you had any success

I was able to use my foreign card (mastercard) but I got the official rate, waiting to see if it updates.

 

[grosso95]

I tried this earlier this year and flybondi would never accept my foreign credit card. I was short on time so reluctantly went via an agent for twice the price, curious to know if you had any success

Just got a refund on part of the charge with mastercard. Purchase was made on Sept 21 and I got 680 pesos per dollar. About 15% cheaper over paying with Reais same flight.

 

[grosso95]

I added some extras to my flight with a visa card and I got 750 rate, seems higher than posted mep rate...

 

[darksider415]

I bought tickets to Brazil for my fiancée and I on LATAM, and we got around MEP, saving roughly 15% over paying in dollars or reais.

 

[grosso95]

Arrived in BA today. Called uber from ezeiza and paid with card no problem, got the mep rate with visa.
I was looking for a banco galicia atm just for a quick cash run waiting for monday. I tried 3 banco galicias around palermo and no cash on any of them, only the one next to alto palermo shopping had cash but it only let me withdraw 20000 instead of the reported 40k max.
Charges 3600 comission and gives close to mep rate, I got 730 per dollar unfortunately all in 500 bills.

I was able to exchange a 100 usd bill in "cambio berlin" near alto palermo shopping as well. (for 740 rate since it was a sunday and cuevas "protect" themselves on weekends and give you a worse rate).
Seems like the best option is to always pay with card, too bad there are no atms that can dispense a high amount of high denomination bills. If there was an atm with a 80-100k limit close to the mep rate like banco galicia it would be perfect.

 

[Rich One]

Arrived in BA today. Called uber from ezeiza and paid with card no problem, got the mep rate with visa.
I was looking for a banco galicia atm just for a quick cash run waiting for monday. I tried 3 banco galicias around palermo and no cash on any of them, only the one next to alto palermo shopping had cash but it only let me withdraw 20000 instead of the reported 40k max.
Charges 3600 comission and gives close to mep rate, I got 730 per dollar unfortunately all in 500 bills.

I was able to exchange a 100 usd bill in "cambio berlin" near alto palermo shopping as well. (for 740 rate since it was a sunday and cuevas "protect" themselves on weekends and give you a worse rate).
Seems like the best option is to always pay with card, too bad there are no atms that can dispense a high amount of high denomination bills. If there was an atm with a 80-100k limit close to the mep rate like banco galicia it would be perfect.

You were lucky, good to know that Cambios Berlin is open Sundays.

 

[grosso95]

Did anyone have better luck with other atms? Seems like a good thing to keep in mind for emergencies/running out of cash when going out.
No cash seems to be a widespread problem I saw multiple people complain about it.

I wonder if the MEP rate applies to all atms or just banco galicia's it did have a notice it would apply the favorable exchange rate right before accepting.