Reputable private banker for USD transfer

[njexpat]

Hi everyone, I replied to a different thread on a similar topic with this question, but wanted to make a post for full visibility in case someone can point me in the right direction.

I'm a student from the United States new to Buenos Aires and have just been lucky enough to find an apartment in Recoleta. The only difficulty I am facing is exchanging some USD from my bank account for physical USD, which is the preference of my new landlord. I was wondering if by any chance anyone knew of a reputable private banker who charges a reasonable commission for this kind of transaction. I'd like to avoid calle Florida to avoid the risk of potential scams. Thank you in advance!

 

[El_fuego]

Getting USD sent here is no small task. something to undertake when there is no other option. not when a landlord sees a yankee and thinks he can take dollars. his preference for dollars is only because youre a yankee. the currency in argentina is the argentine peso. that is what he will have to accept, too bad he doesn't get to take dollars from the yankee. the best way to get pesos is to send money to yourself via western union. send from your USA bank account, pick up pesos at the blue rate at a western union.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

I would contact Casa Puente. They're over 100 years old, very reputable. Not a cueva or anything shady.
The company is based in the UK . They also have offices in the USA.

 

[Caribbean Cool]

I agree......all owners will accept the dollar rent converted into the Blue pesos. Some owners have little experience and have ideas that won't work. You will have trouble with this agreement as you have stated. El Fuego explains it well. And there may be more apartments than you think in Recoleta. I am getting one there for myself in a few days.

 

[njexpat]

Thank you all for for letting me know! I've already put down a deposit for the apartment via Zelle from my US based bank as well as the commission fee, so it seemed strange to ask for physical dollars every month. I'm sure the landlord will be able to use Pesos at the dollar rate, which would of course be easier for me and still paying for the cost we agreed upon.

 

[FrankPintor]

Transfer to your landlord’s offshore account isn’t an option? Pretty much every landlord has one, but they prefer to have the USD bills here. It’s an unfortunate reality.

Once you’ve been here a while you will most likely meet people who can get you USD bills for typically 4-5% commission. I would expect that most of the contributors on the forum have a contact who can do this, but sharing this information online is a bit iffy, given the need for confidence and trust at both ends.

It’s unfortunately a bit much to have to deal with this situation right from the start, which is why, despite all the negative aspects, Airbnb is a good option for starting off, and why in any case you should bring as much cash as you consider sensible when you come, and/or be prepared to make trips across the river as very well related in another thread.

 

[Macanudo]

How long are you going to be here? You can bring up to $10,000 without having to declare it. If the owner has a US bank account, the best-case scenario for you is to pay each month with a Zelle transfer. This beats paying in pesos because you don’t pay any fees. If you can’t convince the owner to do that, try to negotiate paying with pesos at the Western Union rate. Occasionally, the Western Union rate is higher than the Blue Dollar rate. If Milei becomes president, there is a good chance that you will be able to send yourself dollars. From 2015 to mid-2019, at https://www.riamoneytransfer.com/en-us/, we were allowed to send and pickup as much as US $3k at a time with a $29 fee, or approximately 1%. Maybe Western Union will start doing that if Milei wins. Who knows what the fees would be? Currently, Western Union charges different fees depending on a lot of variables. I recommend using Zelle to transfer money to a trusted friend or relative in the States and having them send you the money in person at a Western Union office where you can pick it up in person. Your fee “should" be $8 for each $1,000 sent,

 

[nikad]

Hi everyone, I replied to a different thread on a similar topic with this question, but wanted to make a post for full visibility in case someone can point me in the right direction.

I'm a student from the United States new to Buenos Aires and have just been lucky enough to find an apartment in Recoleta. The only difficulty I am facing is exchanging some USD from my bank account for physical USD, which is the preference of my new landlord. I was wondering if by any chance anyone knew of a reputable private banker who charges a reasonable commission for this kind of transaction. I'd like to avoid calle Florida to avoid the risk of potential scams. Thank you in advance!

Send me a private message if you are still looking. Commissions are usually 5-7% avg.

 

[earlyretirement]

7% is highway robbery, IMHO.

 

[nikad]

7% is highway robbery, IMHO.

Sounds steep to me too, but those are the ranges ( I would go for something in the middle )