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Send Money to Argentina

As an Argentine living outside the country and looking for ways of sending money to your family, you need to consider the cost, speed, and security of the different money transfer providers. This guide looks at the various money transfer channels available when sending money to Argentina, the information you need, and the multiple factors to bear in mind.

Jonathan Merry
Author 
Jonathan Merry
8 minutes
February 5th, 2024
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Best Overall
XE

XE is the top rated money transfer provider that usually appears in our search results to Argentina.

Ways to Send and Receive Money in Argentina

There are multiple ways to send and receive money easily in Argentina, but these will largely depend on the money transfer services you decide to use. Below you will find everything you need to know about the best ways to send money to Argentina.

Sending Money to Argentina

Ways to Send Money to Argentina

There are different ways you can send money to Argentina. For example, you can opt for bank-to-bank transfers, online money transfer services, or in-store cash transfers.

Bank-to-Bank Transfers

From the country you are in, you can transfer money through the banking system to Argentina. Banks are still perceived as being secure and reliable even in the 21stcentury. International wire transfers are a popular way tosend money abroad. However, you need to have a bank account to make this kind of transfer, and the recipient requires an account.

To initiate a bankwire transfer, you must visit a local branch and fill in the recipient information. Some banks have branches or correspondent banks in Argentina that they leverage for their wire transfers.

Generally, wire transfers to Argentina cost about $40 per transfer. For this cost to make sense, you’ll have to transfer larger amounts of money. For the many senders to Argentina who on average transfer $200 to their families, such a cost is not practical. The exchange rate margins banks charge can also be high in the region of 6%.

Online Money Transfers

When you want to send money online, you should find out which online money transfer service provider suits your needs, such as TransferWise, Xoom, Dolex, WorldFirst, WorldRemit, XE, TorFX and Azimo give you the benefit of speed, cost-effectiveness, and reliability. To send money, you need to sign up for an account by providing all your personal details, including physical address and telephone contact.

Once the account has been verified, you can send money right from the comfort of your seat. There are several ways you can pay for your transfer.

  • Using a debit or credit card

  • Through a direct bank debit

  • Using a bank wire transfer

Of the above payment methods, the credit/debit card option is the most preferred if you want speedy transfers. For the payout, you can choose cash pickup or direct-to-bank transfers.Cash pickups are the fastest. However, bank transfers are subject to bank regulations and working hours, which may delay your transfer.

Apart from money transfers, online money transfer providers also allow you to top up the recipient’s phone. Airtime recharges are available on prepaid mobile numbers on the following Argentina-based carriers: Movistar, Claro, Nextel, and Personal. The airtime recharge is instant.

Instore Cash Transfer

Money transfers through the instore cash transfer platform require that the sender visits an agent in their host country. Money transfer operators like Western Union, MoneyGram, or Ria are among the big names in this niche.

Sending 1000 GBP through MoneyGram will cost you just 3.99 GBP. At Western Union, it costs you 19.90 GBP. You have the option of choosing cash pickup or bank transfer as a payout option. The main disadvantage of in-store cash transfer is that you have to visit the store to transact physically. This can be inconvenient, especially if you are the type of sender looking to transfer money on the go.

It is worth mentioning that in-store cash transfer providers such as Western Union and MoneyGram also have an internet-based cash transfer service that allows you to begin your transfer online and complete it in-store.

What is Needed to Send Money to Argentina

When sending money to Argentina, you’ll have to provide the following information.

  • A government-issued photo ID

  • The name of the recipient, their address, and phone number

  • The recipient’s bank details if the transfer is to a bank account

  • The transfer payout method

Most of this information is captured once when opening the account for online money transfers. Going forward, you don’t have to provide all of it to send money.

Receiving Money In Argentina

What are the Ways of Receiving Money in Argentina?

Once you make your transfer, the recipient gets notified that funds are on the way. There are two main options open to receiving money in Argentina.

Bank Deposit

Over 50% of Argentines have a bank account, thus making it simpler and safer to transfer money directly into their bank accounts. That being said, 1 in 3 low-income earners are financially excluded and may not have access to formal banking services.

Cash Pickup

Money transfer providers such as WorldRemit have partnered with More Money Transfer, an Uruguayan money transfer provider, to offer cash pickup services in Argentina. MoneyGram has simplified the cash pickup process by allowing you to locate cash pickup locations near you through its website. In 2013, Western Union and Carrefour Argentina signed an agreement to use Carrefour’s retail locations as cash pickup points.

Home Delivery

You can receive cash straight to your address, convenient and ideal for customers without bank accounts. The recipient will need to wait a few days for the funds to arrive and present identification documents. The fee and delivery time depend on the money transfer options available. Note that remote addresses may not be served, so check the covered areas before sending.

Money Transfer Service

Receiving funds with money transfer services offers several advantages. The low transfer fees and competitive FX rates mean that the sender will not experience massive charges. Also, the transfer time is fast, which allows the recipient to get the funds quickly. In fact, you can enjoy instant processing times when using balance transfers. You also have access to multiple payout options, including cash and bank transfer. Therefore getting funds out of the money transfer services into your hands is simple.

Mobile App

You can use mobile apps to receive money, and there are many to choose from. Visit Google Play and the App Store to check out the best-performing apps. Then, inspect the customer reviews scores to determine the app’s performance and if international money transfers to Argentina are available.

What is Required to Receive Money in Argentina?

For you to receive your transfer in Argentina, you’ve got to provide the following documentation and support information.

  • Your national identity card or passport

  • The transaction number -This code is automatically generated when the sender initiates the transfer. It could either be sent to you by the provider or the sender.

Depending on the provider you are picking the funds from, you may be asked to identify the sender and the reason for the transfer.

Understanding the Economy in Argentina

The developing economy of Argentina makes it the 2nd biggest in South America, behind that of Brazil. Economically Argentina’s best assets include a robust agricultural sector, high literacy rate, and natural resources. Overall, Argentinian’s economic performance has been a roller coaster ride, going up and down compared with other economies.

The national currency is Argentine Peso, and at the time of writing, 1 ARS is equal to 0.0092 USD. In fact, the national currency declined by around 50% in 2018 compared to the US Dollar and a further 25% in 2019. Therefore, you may need to use currency exchange services when sending money to Argentina.The FTSE Global Equity Index considers Argentina an emerging market, and the population is 45.6 million. The nominal GDP is $505 billion, which ranks 31st in the world. Some of the biggest sectors contributing to GDP include manufacturing, commerce and tourism, and business.

Common Reasons for Sending Money to Argentina

There are different reasons behind money transfers into Argentina. Some are directed towards savings and investments, others for family upkeep, and many other use cases. Below are some of the commonly cited reasons for funds sent to Argentina.

Family Support

Argentines living in the diaspora often send money to support their families in meeting their basic needs back at home.

Savings

Argentina had a savings rate of 20.1% as of September 2019. Part of the savings is contributed by Argentines living and working in the diaspora. Money for savings is sent directly to bank accounts or savings products based in the country.

Investment

Argentina has vast investment opportunities thanks to its wealth of natural resources, skilled workforce, and dynamic market reforms. Inflows into the country are targeted at investment opportunities in infrastructure projects, real estate, and financial assets.

Income repatriation

Argentines in countries such as the United States and Spain send part of their incomes back home. This trend is powered by the fact that many Argentines are in those countries for contractual work. When their contracts end, they return home, moving their earnings with them.

Tours and Travel

Millions of tourists visit Argentina each year. Many of them take advantage of travel plans and packages that require advance payment to lock in early-bird discounts and other heavily discounted promotions.

Education

Apart from the basic support that Argentines living abroad give their families, some of them send money home to keep their siblings in school.

What’s the Fastest Way to Send Money to Argentina?

The fastest way to send money to Argentina is through Western Union’s fast option. With Western Union’s fast option, you can expect your money to reach its Argentinian destination in a matter of minutes. Cash pickups are the fastest and easiest method to organize, while bank transfers can take longer. The main downside to Western Union’s fast option is the fact that it is more expensive than most of the competition. You can always expect to pay more with Western Union.

What’s the Cheapest Way to Send Money to Argentina?

The cheapest way to send money to Argentina is through OFX. With OFX, you only pay a small percentage of each transaction. OFX carries a minimum transfer size requirement which is significantly higher than any of the competitions. Despite this, their rates cannot be beaten, particularly when you send more money at once. The more money you send through OFX in a single transfer, the cheaper the transfer becomes. The result is the best rates on the market. Furthermore, it typically only takes a day or two for your money to reach its Argentinian destination.

What’s the Easiest Way to Send Money to Argentina?

The easiest way to send money to Argentina is through Wise. Wise makes sending money to Argentinian exceptionally easy. After you set up your account, all you need to do is follow these simple steps:

1) Tap in the amount of money to be sent.

2) Tap in the destination.

3) Pay Wise for the transaction.

4) Wait one or two days for the funds to arrive at the Argentinian destination.

What’s the Overall Best Way to Send Money to Argentina?

The overall best way to send money to Argentinian is through Wise. Wise is easier to handle than any of the other options available to you and offers highly competitive rates. When it comes to money transfer sizes, Wise is good for transfers large or small but will lose out to OFX when it comes to the cost of larger transfers.

Why Send Money With a Money Transfer Service?

The choice of sending money with a money transfer service is informed by the convenience, reliability, and affordability of the transfer services. Below is a summary of why you should try out money transfer services on your next transfer.

Ease of Set-Up

Signing up for a money transfer service account takes minutes. If you have all the information required, account verification takes a couple of hours or a day at most.

Transfer Speed

As the sender, the speed at which money gets transferred to the recipient is of great significance to you. In under an hour, your transfer can get across to the recipient. Cash pickups arrive in minutes while bank deposits can take as little as 1 business day.

Lower Exchange Rate Margin

Exchange rate margins contribute to the profits of money transfer providers. The higher the exchange rate margin the higher the profits and the lower the rate you get for your transfer. Money transfer providers charge anywhere between 0.5-3.5%. On the other hand, banks charge upwards of 5%.

Multicurrency Support

Money transfer services facilitate the movement of funds with a lot of ease from host to destination countries because of the multiple currencies they support on their platforms. Whatever the country or currency you are sending money from, you will always get a provider supporting it. This feature helps you avoid the intermediate conversions of currencies and the fees involved.

Security

Money transfer providers use bank-grade security installations to protect clients’ funds and information during transfers. The fact that activities of money transfer providers are regulated by government-affiliated bodies such as FINTRAC, FinCEN and Financial Conduct Authority, make them even more reliable.

Transfer Fees

The cost of transfers varies from one money transfer provider to another. However, compared to interbank wire transfers to Argentina, money transfer services are way cheaper. For instance, a direct to bank deposit of 1000 USD to a bank account in Argentina on the Xoom platform costs $0 in fees. Compare this with the $40-50+ that banks charge per transfer.

Things to Consider When Sending Money to Argentina

Before you send money to Argentina, it is crucial that you understand the governance framework guiding money remittances to Argentina. Some of the critical areas to consider include:

  • Tightened Currency Controls –The Central Bank of Argentina has put in place currency control measures to ease foreign exchange pressure on the peso. At the time of this writing, savers can only buy $200 per month, down from $10,000. The danger with this move is that it may skyrocket black market dollar rates.

  • Tax on Bank Account Transactions –Argentina taxes bank transactions (debits and credits) at a rate of 0.6% of the transaction value. However, pension payment deposits are tax-exempt.

  • Tax on Worldwide Income –Argentina residents are taxed on their worldwide income. In the case of double taxation, where there is an underlying agreement between Argentina and the other country, you can get a tax credit.

Looking to Send Money Somewhere Else?

Sending money anywhere else in the world is as easy as sending money to Argentina. So if you're looking to send money to another country, here is the list of the most popular destinations.

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Contributors

Jonathan Merry
Jonathan is the founder and editor of MoneyTransfers.com. Jonathan is highly experienced in the currency transfer market, having previously worked in the FX trading industry, alongside being an avid traveller. Using his knowledge he identified a need for transparency and further education to help people save money on their money transfers, leading to the creation of MoneyTransfers.com