Paying Medical Bills - Need Pesos Quickly

[Sleuth]

Most of my clients that, are tourists, are from the States and have the same problem. If you withdraw in increments of $700 pesos and agree to pay the service fee each time you can take out as much money as you want. It's a security issue. If you take out too much in one withdraw your card is frozen.

This is not true. There are Argentine limits on the amount of money that can be withdrawn on any given day. I can withdraw $2500 pesos, but have to do it in increments of $1000, $1000 and $500 (paying the service fee each time). My actual bank allowance on withdrawals is higher than this but this is all Argentina allows.

 

[ndcj]

This is not true. There are Argentine limits on the amount of money that can be withdrawn on any given day. I can withdraw $2500 pesos, but have to do it in increments of $1000, $1000 and $500 (paying the service fee each time). My actual bank allowance on withdrawals is higher than this but this is all Argentina allows.

One thing to keep in mind, is that it seems that the limit per day is network based. You can do that with a Banelco ATM and then go to a Link ATM and withdraw some more.

 

[Sleuth]

I'd recommend calling up your bank and requesting that they lift your limit. My bank (Schwab) has offered me this option before. Most banks impose a daily limit -- mine being $800 USD. The ATM limits me to $1,000 ARS per transaction, but I can complete a total of four before running into my bank's limit.

Have you personally made four $1000 withdrawals in a day? I have Schwab too and a $800 USD limit but I cannot take out more than $2500 in a day here. I was told this was an Argentine limit.

 

[sesamosinsal]

Have you personally made four $1000 withdrawals in a day? I have Schwab too and a $800 USD limit but I cannot take out more than $2500 in a day here. I was told this was an Argentine limit.

I guess I should clarify. The fourth transaction wouldn't be a full $1000 ARS because I'd have ~$75 USD left (of the $800 USD limit per day) after three full transactions.

Nonetheless, I have been able to withdraw more than $2500 ARS in one day. On 9/16/2011, I took out $726 USD in three separate transactions of $242 USD -- all at the same ATM. Assuming that 1 USD = ~4.25 on 9/16 and I subtract the $4.00 USD fee per transaction, I walked away from the ATM with a little more than $3,000 ARS in hand.

Hope that clears some stuff up!

 

[LaurenW]

The Argentine limit is definitely more than $2500 or $3000 pesos. I have withdrawn $4000 pesos at a citibank ATM (NOT in the banelco network) and have never tried more but my friend says he can take out 6000. Avoid pesky service charges, get a schwab card or use citibank large withdrawals (do be careful with the cash when you leave, I always separate it into four hidden bundles in different parts of my body)!

Also I used to have HSBC and they refunded my ATM fees here even though my card was from the US branch simply because I made a fuss about it. HSBC has good customer service.

 

[citygirl]

Agreed - I have taken out 4000 pesos at a time from Citibank. However as Lauren mentioned, I use the Citi ATM, not the other. I am using a Citi card however, not sure if that makes a difference.

 

[scarface]

Agreed - I have taken out 4000 pesos at a time from Citibank. However as Lauren mentioned, I use the Citi ATM, not the other. I am using a Citi card however, not sure if that makes a difference.

It makes a difference. It appears that the Banelco / Link system imposes a 1000 peso per transaction limit repeatable up until the customer's daily limit as determined by the card issuing bank. Using a Citibank ATM card at a Citibank ATM not in the Banelco/Link system will allow you more than 1000 per transaction. Use that same card in the Citibank lobby at the adjacent Banelco /Link machine and you can't draw more than 1000.

 

[citygirl]

I actually was refering to having a Citi card - I don't know if non-Citi customers can take 4000 pesos (or more) out at once.

I would never use the banelco machine in Citi as they charge a user fee even though I have a Citi card.

 

[LaurenW]

I use a Bank of America debit card in Citibank non-banelco ATMs to withdraw up to my daily card limit ($1000 USD or a bit more than 4000 pesos).

 

[scarface]

I use a Bank of America debit card in Citibank non-banelco ATMs to withdraw up to my daily card limit ($1000 USD or a bit more than 4000 pesos).

Can you do it in 1 transaction or must you do multiple transactions each of no more than 1000pesos?