Paying bills?

[Ceviche]

I use the Banco Ciudad debit card to pay for all purchases and rarely have any cash in my wallet. It's nice not dealing with the dirty paper. I'm happy to have a free local bank account with a debit card that keeps life simple.

Thanks Jantango.

 

[Aztangogirl]

Thanks Jantango.

Except you get the official rate from your bank. I get above blue from Western Union.

 

[steveinbsas]

I use the Banco Ciudad debit card to pay for all purchases and rarely have any cash in my wallet. It's nice not dealing with the dirty paper. I'm happy to have a free local bank account with a debit card that keeps life simple.

Except you get the official rate from your bank. I get above blue from Western Union.

While it's true that you would only get the "official" exchange rate if you used a foreign debit card to make a purchase or pay a bill in Argentina, the exchange rate is not an issue when using a debit card issued by an Argentine bank (such as a Banco Ciudad debit card as jantango does) to pay bills or pay for purchases made in Argentina.

I only use my foreign (Charles Schwab) debit card to make transfers by Western Union and I only use my Argentine debit card to get the relatively small amounts of cash I need each month at the grocery store or at the gas station ($8K pesos maximum per day). I only need cash to pay for (a maximium of two) 10 kilo tanks of LP gas once a month when the YPF truck comes to the plaza one KM from my house on Friday afternoons and to buy beef and chicken from the best local butcher (who only accepts cash).

I use my Argentine credit card to pay for almost everything else, including groceries at the local market 1.2 KM from my house and all purchases on Mercado Libre. Even though Mercado Libre charges an additional commission to sellers who offer interest free payments of six to eighteen months (usually for used items that are incredibly cheap thanks to the WU exchange rate). I have also been aboe to "pick off" the best buys from the highly competetive sellers of new, high ticket items (my cell phone and lawn mower) who's prices are still lower than those who do not offer interest free payments on identical or similar items. The savings more than offsets all of the fees for my bank account and credit card.

PS: I use my Argentine credit card to make only one foreign purchase each month and that's Netflix.

 

[Ceviche]

netflix and you tube premium is incredibly cheap in argentine pesos...even if paying with foreign credit card

 

[jantango]

I just discovered that the new Home Banking system still requires the use of a TOKEN for bill payment. I don't have a cellphone, so I can't fulfill the requirement of a TOKEN.

 

[Macanudo]

I just discovered that the new Home Banking system still requires the use of a TOKEN for bill payment. I don't have a cellphone, so I can't fulfill the requirement of a TOKEN.

I activated my TOKEN last week using email and not a cell phone. https://bancociudad.com.ar/cms/recu...ing/HBCustom/Token/Configuración de Token.pdf

 

[jantango]

I activated my TOKEN last week using email and not a cell phone. https://bancociudad.com.ar/cms/recursos/institucional/carpetarecurso/Landing/HBCustom/Token/Configuración de Token.pdf

Thank you for letting me know that email is an option. I did a transfer last year by using the ATM which was complicated and required a bank employee to do the transfer for me.

I had to do a transfer again and decided to try it online. It took longer to add a new recipient on my account than to do the actual transfer. I found that using the ALIAS DE CBU is the most efficient way that automatically adds all the information required for a transfer. The best part of the process was that there is an option to email the transfer confirmation to the recipient. Banco Ciudad automatically sent a confirmation of the transfer to me.

The new system is an improvement over the old one, but it still takes getting used to. It takes longer to process with all the security measures added. I know I wouldn't have even given it a try if you hadn't posted the option of email for a security code. I'm certainly glad there is someone else on the forum with a Banco Ciudad account.

 

[jantango]

Since I pay Edesur, MetroGas online, I've been trying to find a way to pay my phone bill to Movistar Hogar online instead of going to RapiPago where I pay with a debit card. I received my home phone bill by email yesterday, and another email from Movistar today that was exactly what I needed. Movistar offers many options that only indicate credit cards; I use a debit card. This was the first time I got an email about paying Movistar (ex Telefonica) online. I gave it a try. My phone number and amount of the bill were in the system. I just added my VISA debit card number, security code, expiration date, and pressed PAGO. The system indicated that the bill was paid. I checked my bank account online, and the payment was made.

Bill paying has never been so easy for me in 22 years!

 

[lunar]

Bill paying has never been so easy for me in 22 years!

Since you have a debit card, why don't you just go to online banking page of your bank and pay from there?

 

[jantango]

Since you have a debit card, why don't you just go to online banking page of your bank and pay from there?

I've been paying bills the moment I receive them via email from Edesur and MetroGas for two years. I didn't have access to home banking for the two years I've had the account without a TOKEN, so I haven't used the system. Then Banco Ciudad made major changes. Macanudo informed me about security codes by email. If you take took long, you need another security code. My only experience is doing transfers in the last month.

I'm used to using the websites for paying bills which take no more than one minute. Movistar finally initiated a new system that processed my payment online quickly. I'll stick with that.. Thanks.