Moving from USA to Argentina....best option with phone?

[jblaze5779]

I'm kind of in the same boat. Argentina making banking transactions far more complicated than they were for me in Peru means I'm having to come up with x-fer solutions that go beyond going to the nearest ATM with my Charles Schwab debit card and withdrawing US dollars. I'm not gonna whine about that - it is what it is.

So with Western Union I called the 800 # in the US to verify my first transaction because there was no online option to send the SMS Verification Code to an Argentine number. Now I'm trying to use my Schwab debit card to send US $ to a dollar bank account in Peru using Remitly. Same deal with the SMS code. Problem is I haven't had a US number in years and Argentina isn't on Remitly's list of authorized countries from which to send funds, so I'm thinking an online chat explaining my situation isn't going to work like it did with WU.

Instead of involving a friend in the US and trying to co-ordinate a good time for him to receive a code and then get it to me I'm thinking maybe I can use Google Voice, or something similar, so that I have a US number for just such occasions - which isn't that often.

Also eventually looking for an inexpensive solution so that (potential) clients in the US can call me at a US number that I can answer here. Wouldn't be high volume as far as incoming/outgoing calls.

Is Google Voice gonna help me out with my current need, and are there any suggestions for my longer term need?

I get my bank and other sms codes with Google voice no problem.

 

[dsp27]

I get my bank and other sms codes with Google voice no problem.

Idem.

 

[IslandTime808]

Hi, thank you for the replies. Is there a best option for receiving SMS codes? I will need it for work, my accounts etc. Thanks

 

[sts7049]

they work just fine for me

 

[Silvie]

I moved from New York with my Vonage line. Very useful to deal with US banks.

 

[Big Swifty]

I just signed up with this affordable service based out of the UK. You get a number based in pretty much whatever country you'd like and then all calls and texts made to that number get forwarded to whatever number you choose. So you can have a number in your former home country or whatever country you do business in, people call it like it's a national number, and you answer here in Argentina on your cellphone. When you make calls they show on Caller ID's as being from your new number, not Argentina. Unlimited send/receive calls and texts so no keeping track of minutes used. Month by month so no contract commitments. It's not VOIP and they say it doesn't use any of your data from your local phone plan. I've only used it for a week and after a minor bump it seems to be working fine.

https://conxhub.com

 

[carride]

Google voice works great for almost everything.

Vonage does have a plan for less than $10 usd, plus taxes equals almost $19. you might need to ask them for the plan if no on-line signup. Unlimited incoming. Use Google voice for call back to your Vonage If need a long outgoing phone call.

Google Fi phone I only unpause for a day/hour when I need it. When paused you pay nothing, since pay by the hour. It is my primary phone when in USA.

In the past few years my Google voice has been considered a virtual number by many banks and now is not allowed for SMS verification. My USAA bank does not allow it. IRS verification does not allow either. Google Fi does work with my bank, IRS no. I did transfer my old Verizon landline number to another VOIP which does work for all SMS verification.

Finally any local cell service for daily cell/internet needs here in Argentina.

 

[lunar]

I did transfer my old Verizon landline number to another VOIP which does work for all SMS verification.

What is the name of the provider?

 

[SecretShopper]

I've only ever used the combo of Google Fi and Voice. The will never cancel your line if you're not restricting your usage in order to save money. My bill is usually between 80 and 100 each month. Google voice is my actual number. I have Fi so that I always have internet and don't have to worry about sims in other countries. But I will admit that data service in Argentina with Fi is slow compared to all other countries. If I'm on the go and need to make a call I have to use the Fi number because the data connection isn't good enough for a quality data call with Voice. I've never had this problem in other countries.

 

[Sojourner]

yep. been my daily phone since i moved here.

What is the cost to an in-country Argentine (friend, Uber driver, encargado, etc.) to call your Google Fi number, which I assume is a foreign number - are they charged for an international call? That would seem very limiting on use of the phone if so, but I have no idea how Movistar or whoever treats a local to->Fi call.