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Newcomer Foreign Credit Card purchases at MEP rate?

My pick is Capital One. No foreign transaction fees. I don't pay a transaction fee when making purchases outside of the USA.
Schwab is simply the best. When I posted on BAExpats, Caribbean Cool was had no clue about Charles Schwab and kept recommending Capital One. Strange an expat wouldn't have heard about the Charles Schwab card which is the BEST I the world. I don't believe Capital One refunds ATM fees even though they don't charge a foreign transaction fee. The key is the rebating of ALL ATM fees.

Also, I just purchased an airline ticket inside Argentina and I used a Mastercard and was immediately posted to my account at almost the MEP rate. It's nice that it's like Visa now which posts immediately without having to wait for the refund.
 
I have a quick question from a Canadian expat who will soon be visiting for three months. Are there any fellow Canadians who can share insights on whether Canadian credit cards, such as Visa, also enjoy the MEP rate (adjusted, of course, to the Canadian exchange rate, currently around 0.735 per 1 US dollar)? I hold both Canadian and US credit cards but am particularly interested in hearing about experiences with Canadian credit cards. Appreciate any insights. Thanks.
 
I have a quick question from a Canadian expat who will soon be visiting for three months. Are there any fellow Canadians who can share insights on whether Canadian credit cards, such as Visa, also enjoy the MEP rate (adjusted, of course, to the Canadian exchange rate, currently around 0.735 per 1 US dollar)? I hold both Canadian and US credit cards but am particularly interested in hearing about experiences with Canadian credit cards. Appreciate any insights. Thanks.
Hi Jon! I am here now but leaving soon, and I can verify that the MEP rate applies to a Canadian Visa. I only used it once for a small purchase as a test. My suggestion would be to try it out with a small transaction before committing to a larger purchase. Nonetheless, I would recommend bringing USD and exchanging it for pesos as the credit card rate might not match the blue rate, though it's a handy option to consider. I brought $100 bills as I thought it would be tougher to use credit cards but it's very easy.
 
Does anyone know of any places that exchange at the blue dollar rate on Sunday? Either Palermo or the downtown area that they trust. I arrived too late due to delayed flights yesterday to do any exchanges and we leave early tomorrow morning outside the Capital Federal for 4 days.
 
Does anyone know of any places that exchange at the blue dollar rate on Sunday? Either Palermo or the downtown area that they trust. I arrived too late due to delayed flights yesterday to do any exchanges and we leave early tomorrow morning outside the Capital Federal for 4 days.
Yes, in Soho try Serrano 1563 in front of Plaza Serrano. They are open sundays from 11:30 AM to 5 PM.
 
So it seems like Visa always updates their rate for the day early while Mastercard does it much later(I think around 3 pm ET). For example, if you look at the Mastercard website right now the rate is still the same as yesterday and you will be charged this rate for transactions made before the new rate is published.

So if you have both Visa and Mastercard you can check to always use the best rate at the time. If the dollar increased in value Visa is probably going to have the better rate but if the dollar went down in value then probably the Mastercard rate from yesterday that still applies is going to be better.

The differences can be significant. I tested this on Monday and it was around 90-100 pesos between the cards.
 
I'm 99% sure the answer to this is a big, fat, resounding, NO, but figured it doesn't hurt to ask....does anyone have experience using Discover here in BA, and also receiving the MEP rate? The reason I ask is that I have a Discover cash back card that gives me 5% cash back in a predetermined spending category that rotates every quarter. The spending category for Q1 2024 is restaurants, so it'd be pretty sweet to find a few local restaurants that take Discover and get a little extra money back. But obviously, it's moot if no one accepts Discover and/or Discover still processes transactions at the official ratit's only Visa and MC. Please illustrate me.
As far as I know, it's only Mastercard and Visa that work. But I could be wrong. I often am.
 
Additionally, American Express (Amex) is also included. It's worth noting that the preferential rate isn't limited to North American cards; there are reports of European cards (including my non-US, non-EU MasterCard) working similarly.

According to reports, Visa provides immediate reimbursement or simply applies the preferential rate without apparent reimbursement procedures. MasterCard may take a few days, while Amex is known to take days, weeks, or even months. This topic has been extensively discussed here. However, there haven't been any reports regarding Diner's Club.
 
I made a Visa purchase at 6 P.M. and was charged at a rate of 1037 pesos per dollar. I gave it a shot just to test it out. If my calculations are correct, this rate is better than Western Union, where the cueva rate is 980 pesos for 1000 dollars.
 
I made a Visa purchase at 6 P.M. and was charged at a rate of 1037 pesos per dollar. I gave it a shot just to test it out. If my calculations are correct, this rate is better than Western Union, where the cueva rate is 980 pesos for 1000 dollars.
Hmm. Strange. Here it says it is 933.

 
I'm 99% sure the answer to this is a big, fat, resounding, NO, but figured it doesn't hurt to ask....does anyone have experience using Discover here in BA, and also receiving the MEP rate? The reason I ask is that I have a Discover cash back card that gives me 5% cash back in a predetermined spending category that rotates every quarter. The spending category for Q1 2024 is restaurants, so it'd be pretty sweet to find a few local restaurants that take Discover and get a little extra money back. But obviously, it's moot if no one accepts Discover and/or Discover still processes transactions at the official rate
I recall reading a comment affirming that Discover card worked a while ago. It's processed through the Diners Club network. You might want to give it a try, perhaps by ordering an appetizer or a glass of wine, and then updating us. However, ensure that it covers international restaurants, not just those in the US.
 
Anyone have a clue if I can use my Discover card in Buenos Aires and get the MEP rate? I looked online and on TripAdvisor but I couldn't see any posts about it. I get cash back on my Discover Card so I'd like to use it but NOT if I don't get the preferred rate.

I haven't seen any stickers on the windows at any places. I asked at a few bars and restaurants but no one even knew what it was.
 
Anyone have a clue if I can use my Discover card in Buenos Aires and get the MEP rate? I looked online and on TripAdvisor but I couldn't see any posts about it. I get cash back on my Discover Card so I'd like to use it but NOT if I don't get the preferred rate.

I haven't seen any stickers on the windows at any places. I asked at a few bars and restaurants but no one even knew what it was.
I have NEVER in my entire time seen a Discover card sign. I didn't even know they were still a thing! Ha.
 
Just to be clear I've been just changing $US 100 bills but I'm almost out of cash that I brought down on the trip. I went to this website and saw so many rates. https://www.dolarito.ar/

It's the MEP rate that I should get if I use my USA Mastercard or Visa or I think AMEX too? The rate looks very good compared to Western Union too. Is this what most expats are doing now at restaurants and stuff?
 
Just to be clear I've been just changing $US 100 bills but I'm almost out of cash that I brought down on the trip. I went to this website and saw so many rates. https://www.dolarito.ar/

It's the MEP rate that I should get if I use my USA Mastercard or Visa or I think AMEX too? The rate looks very good compared to Western Union too. Is this what most expats are doing now at restaurants and stuff?
Most expats and even locals like my parents are using their credit cards from outside of Argentina. As long as they are foreign they will get the good rate close to MEP rate.

A member made a nice post about the daily rates here -


It is about 7% less than MEP rates listed online here


From what I understand the credit card brands charge a fee so it is usually about 6% to 8% less.
 
I worried for nothing and I'm using my foreign credit cards quite a bit and a great rate. I'm getting on average about 8% less than the posted MEP rates listed online. It is so much easier just paying with credit cards.
 
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