Hello and a cash question

[carride]

For only one or two months enjoy yourself by not spending time thinking about how to get the best rate. If paying a rent or hotel bill with ARS pesos, perhaps it is worth converting physical USD bills, but anything less is a distraction. Also some tour operator or other curated tourist activity might be cash only.
- Just bring a few $100 bills to play the Argentina currency game, and to have some cash in your pocket.
- also do one or occasional WU transaction. If you send WU from a real location (pharmacy, grocery, etc..) in United States before getting on the plane you save a lot on the fee. There is also MoneyGram, and then others less popular
- as reminded above, never use an ATM

2. I've heard in some YT videos that most places accept credit cards and I have a card with no international fees, a Visa. But I see conflicting YT videos saying that cash is king and I should pay cash everywhere. I also heard that Visa and Mastercard get the MEP rate, which seems pretty good.
What have you seen there, do Visa cards generally get the MEP rate? Am I better off to never use the credit card?

Most places accept credit cards and debit cards. Occasionally the merchant will tell you they will add 5-15% for CC but it is not common. It is almost the MEP rate. For example, today a Zero fee Mastercard will charge you $8.93 USD for a 10,000 peso charge which equals 1119.82 ARS for $1 USD. The MEP shows 1200, and Blue Compra rate 1215 (which a cueva give a bit less). Is you value your travel time than just pay the 5-7% extra for the majority of transactions.

Check the calculator each morning if you really want. It only changes once per day.

Mastercard Currency Converter | Currency Exchange Rate Calculator

Mastercard currency converter tool calculates foreign exchange rates for all the major currencies worldwide to enable cross-border purchases and ATM transactions.

www.mastercard.us

Strange Visa calculator is having issues today which is not common https://usa.visa.com/support/consumer/travel-support/exchange-rate-calculator.html

 

[argeiCanuck]

I think you need to go back to surveys.

Mr @SinPulgas ,,,, Out of courtesy, only you decide where to go.

That's probably your strong suit.

Fallacious guess.

(Just so you know, pulling a number out of the air, or wherever you pulled it out of, doesn't make it anywhere close to correct or reasonable.)

Perfectly OK your estimated number differs. Would have been more informative though if you specified what is your reasonable number.

 

[SinPulgas]

For only one or two months enjoy yourself by not spending time thinking about how to get the best rate. If paying a rent or hotel bill with ARS pesos, perhaps it is worth converting physical USD bills, but anything less is a distraction. Also some tour operator or other curated tourist activity might be cash only.
- Just bring a few $100 bills to play the Argentina currency game, and to have some cash in your pocket.
- also do one or occasional WU transaction. If you send WU from a real location (pharmacy, grocery, etc..) in United States before getting on the plane you save a lot on the fee. There is also MoneyGram, and then others less popular
- as reminded above, never use an ATM

Most places accept credit cards and debit cards. Occasionally the merchant will tell you they will add 5-15% for CC but it is not common. It is almost the MEP rate. For example, today a Zero fee Mastercard will charge you $8.93 USD for a 10,000 peso charge which equals 1119.82 ARS for $1 USD. The MEP shows 1200, and Blue Compra rate 1215 (which a cueva give a bit less). Is you value your travel time than just pay the 5-7% extra for the majority of transactions.

Check the calculator each morning if you really want. It only changes once per day.

Mastercard Currency Converter | Currency Exchange Rate Calculator

Mastercard currency converter tool calculates foreign exchange rates for all the major currencies worldwide to enable cross-border purchases and ATM transactions.

www.mastercard.us

Strange Visa calculator is having issues today which is not common https://usa.visa.com/support/consumer/travel-support/exchange-rate-calculator.html

Sorry I offended you, but people come here for information based on others' experiences, not on wild speculation based on what's rolling around in your head. It doesn't mean we don't like you.

 

[argeiCanuck]

wild speculation based on what's rolling around in your head.

Your rolling head reading speculations ,,, unreliable and as erroneous as your wild guessing.

 

[argeiCanuck]

It doesn't mean we don't like you.

Irrelevant

And who are the "we"? Are you also speaking on behalf of other people?

Multitalented ,,, No?

What other supernatural powers you possess?

You did not enlighten us ,,, what is your reasonable number?

 

[argeiCanuck]

but people come here for information based on others' experiences,

Just curious

Did it ever occur to your mind ,,, others' experience IS as good as yours?

Why did you install yourself as the final supreme guardian? It's a big burden.

A bit of reality and a tad bit of humility would be nice. No?

 

[carride]

Sorry I offended you, but people come here for information based on others' experiences, not on wild speculation based on what's rolling around in your head. It doesn't mean we don't like you.

Why are using the past tense “offended” with your first comment to my post? Did you mean to comment to someone else?

 

[SinPulgas]

Just curious

Did it ever occur to your mind ,,, others' experience IS as good as yours?

Why did you install yourself as the final supreme guardian? It's a big burden.

A bit of reality and a tad bit of humility would be nice. No?

I just offered my experience. Now stop bothering me, please.

 

[SinPulgas]

Why are using the past tense “offended” with your first comment to my post? Did you mean to comment to someone else?

I'm sorry, I thought I had responded to that silly canuck's post. My comment was a response to the post following yours. It wasn't intended as a comment on your post.

 

[carride]

I would bring more cash. WU is the way to go but some folks run into snags setting up an account with WU. Best to be prepared!

Good point. Be prepared for cases of money transfers delays or not working. Moneygram, the second largest company, has been offline since last week.

https://www.fastcompany.com/91196474/moneygram-update-service-down-cyber-issue-attack-whats-happening.

As mentioned a few days ago in other thread https://baexpats.org/threads/moneygram-transfer.44962/post-453466