ATM's

[blue]Greetings everyone,

I moved the discussion regarding how to...

1. Bring cash for apartment rental deposits, and...

2. Options other than paying apartment rental deposits in cash.

...to the thread already established for this subject.

[url]http://www.argentinaprivate.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4361[/url]

Thanks,

Jackson[/blue]

The Citi ATM mentioned earlier in this post is the only one I have found that will let me take out 2000p in one shot and it always gives you 100p in a 50, 20, and 3 10's from what I can tell. So you don't have to do the x90p trick.

On the same block as the Alvear palace.

Just was in BA for about 11 days. It was my experience that the best ATM to use are the Citi ATM's with the large digital screens. Even within the same Citi branch only this kind seems to give out large amounts of pesos (like 2000) There is usually only one of these in each branch. Its much larger than the others and there are no buttons, just digital screen.

There is one right on the corner right by Jackson's 2 bedroom on Callao so very convenient.

Bart

Sidney,

I hate to say it buddy, but first you are wrong about China and now you are completely wrong about this ATM pin number bullshit. What you are claiming is complete bullshit and will not work, plain and simple. I went to snopes.com, found the article about this scam, and it says point blank that the entire thing is a bullshit internet rumor!

Here is the link to the article on snopeshttp:/www.snopes.com/business/bank/pinalert.asp.

Better Luck Next Time,

Rock Harders

Sidney,

No worries, I'm just pissed off that the Yankees are getting blown on on opening day, and their $200 million dollar pitcher looks like a washed up fat slob on the mound today.

Suerte,

Rock Harders

Sidney,

Is this the same source that recommended to buy GM stock?

I'm down $80K.

[QUOTE=Sidney]Per card injection.[/QUOTE]Could be that the limit on withdrawals is temporary due to the anticipation of a possible bank strike in the next few days.

[QUOTE=Sidney]The recent tragedy of a young woman being kidnapped and eventually killed after she had repeatedly given the kidnapper a wrong Pin to her ATM card. If she knew the method below, she could have been aved. So I think it is important enough to let you know. Here you go.

If you should ever be forced by a robber to withdraw money from an ATM machine, you can notify the police by entering your pin # in reverse.

For example if your pin number is 1234 then you would put in 4321.

The ATM recognizes that your pin number is backwards from the ATM card you placed in the machine. The machine will still give you the money you requested, but unknown to the robber, the police will be immediately dispatched to help you.

This information was recently broadcast on fox tv and it states that it is seldom used because people don't know it exists.

Please pass this along. You can go on snopes to verify.

Please pass this information on.[/QUOTE]So what happens if you use a Palindromic number? (¨capicua ¨ in Latin)

TL

This is a hoax. Snopes marks it as such.

[url]http://www.snopes.com/business/bank/pinalert.asp[/url]

[QUOTE=Sidney]The recent tragedy of a young woman being kidnapped and eventually killed after she had repeatedly given the kidnapper a wrong Pin to her ATM card. If she knew the method below, she could have been aved. So I think it is important enough to let you know. Here you go.

If you should ever be forced by a robber to withdraw money from an ATM machine, you can notify the police by entering your pin # in reverse.

For example if your pin number is 1234 then you would put in 4321.

The ATM recognizes that your pin number is backwards from the ATM card you placed in the machine. The machine will still give you the money you requested, but unknown to the robber, the police will be immediately dispatched to help you.

This information was recently broadcast on fox tv and it states that it is seldom used because people don't know it exists.

Please pass this along. You can go on snopes to verify.

Please pass this information on.[/QUOTE]

I guess if you're convinced that the police alert really works and you think it's a good idea then it's best to change your PIN to a non-palindromic number. I wonder if this system works in Europe.

This is an urban legend. It's not true!

[QUOTE=Amantelondres]I guess if you're convinced that the police alert really works and you think it's a good idea then it's best to change your PIN to a non-palindromic number. I wonder if this system works in Europe.[/QUOTE]Also, if you continue to use a palindromic number you need to realize that there are very few combinations and that anybody can fiqure out your pin number!

TL

On this past Saturday, I was trying to get cash out of the Citibank on Callao, but it gave me 'over the limit' sign for even as low as 400 pesos. Hmmm.

So walked around and went to HSBC. Same thing:(

I went to 2 other local banks. No luck. I didnt have enough cash even for a privado trip:(

Came back to apartment on Callao (Jackson's) and dialed my bank back home.

They reported no issues with the account.

Then I logged on and RTFF and found this post below about the 'larger' ATM machine Citibank giving out more cash.

So I went back and tried the larger ATM. Low and behold, there was cash:)

The local banks may give 300-360 pesos (I later learned) At this "larger" ATM machine in Citibank, you can get at least 1000 pesos at a time.

Well done mogers!

[QUOTE=Bartonsky]Just was in BA for about 11 days. It was my experience that the best ATM to use are the Citi ATM's with the large digital screens. Even within the same Citi branch only this kind seems to give out large amounts of pesos (like 2000) There is usually only one of these in each branch. Its much larger than the others and there are no buttons, just digital screen.

There is one right on the corner right by Jackson's 2 bedroom on Callao so very convenient.

Bart[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Bizzie]The local banks may give 300-360 pesos (I later learned) At this "larger" ATM machine in Citibank, you can get at least 1000 pesos at a time.

Well done mogers![/QUOTE]Usually these "bigger" (or fancier - they are touch screen and a little more "modern-looking" than normal ATMs here) will let you have your daily limit, which in many cases is more than 1000 pesos a day. I regularly get out more myself every time I use one.

I think you ran into a cash-poor period in the area you were in. It may well have affected most of the city (living outside the city I don't usually run into those issues) - it's happened before, but I hadn't heard anything that big.

But it's not uncommon to find a small or large area of the city's banks without enough cash in the ATMs. People get paid on Friday and maybe this last Friday was a holiday (or was it the one before that? And machines weren't filled up.

Welcome to Argentina;)

It all depends on the bank and the card, but if you get the message that your request exceeds the daily limit, reduce it to 300, or 360. I think the idea is 100 US maximum.

But the stupid thing is, you can just repeat the process indefinitely. Do you want another transaction? Yes. And do another withdrawal.

Yes, of course there's a fee for the privilege of withdrawing your own money.

As for the message from Citibank machines: I'm sorry I can't do that right now: my answer is you're a fu**ing machine. It is your one dedicated task. Any hour of the day or night I seem to be able to access my Citibank account with my computer. What do you mean, you can't do that right now? Are you fu**ing R2D2 or something? And since when does a fu**ing machine get to use the first person singular pronoun?

I would like to warn everyone about the the ATM machine at the Citi bank (head office) at Florida street. Last week I needed to take out several times the 300 peso maximum with my foreign debit card.

While the machine was making the noice to sort out the different notes it stucked and reseted itself. After me came another person which also wasn't able to take money out. When later I checked my account balance the money was charged although I never received it. Next day I went to the office and the told me they would check it. After another day I needed to go there again to ask (they off course never call you or answer the phone) and they told me the machine didn't have a 300 plus so I could make a reclaim by my own bank but it was not sure they would pay it back. The camera pictures they will only use with a legal order they said after I asked them to check it. This has already cost me half a day so the amount of money won't justify the efforts to start a case. The reason why I post it is that the two times I have been there every time there were other people complaining who had encountered porblems with the same ATM machine. F. E. An american girl her card got taken and blocked. The ATM I'm talking about is the one most on your left when you enter the bank.

I have been able to use the ATMs at BNP Paribas in Retiro and Recolleta.

To get around 300p each time. I use a B of A debit card which charges me no.

Transaction fee when I use BNP Paribas machines in France. That is not.

The case in Argentina. Here it costs me 5$US each time I make a withdrawal plus 1%. Having said that for the last 2 weeks I have had no trouble.

Getting money when I needed it.

Today when I went to my local HSBC bank to use my HSBC US debit card, the ATM machine's processing message included a notice that Banelco would charge $11.84 pesos on top of the normal bank transaction fee for the $300 pesos I was allowed to withdraw. I assume that fee would be charged for every withdrawal.

That translates into a $4+ dollar charge for each $78 withdrawn - or about 5%.

The fact that the dollar to peso rate has been improving is now offset by this arbitrary and unfair new charge. I assume Banelco has the right to charge whatever they want, but a 5% fee is outrageous.

And once again its obvious that the financial institutions that blew up the global economy are going to dig their way out of the holes they made by charging their customers higher and higher fees.

Ain't capitalism great!

Mongers,

About five to ten years ago, ATM's were in fact the best way to solve foreign currency exchange / access issues. Over the past five years or so the banks collectively decided to start milking electronic access / exchange as another revenue stream. Ironically, in this day and age, in almost all circumstances (in Latin America) exchanging US Dollar cash will garner the best possible exchange rate when the exchange takes place at a market dictated bank or exchange house. In my experience, this holds true in Argentina, Brasil, Peru, Paraguay, Bolivia, Uruguay, Chile, and Venezuela. In Venezuela, the ATM rate is 2.15 Bsf /1 USD whereas the cash rate is 5-6 Bsf /1 USD. In Colombia it is better to use ATM's as the Colombian market is flooded with drug-money US dollar cash which causes the cash exchange rate to be almost 10% worse than the electronic rate.

In Argentina, especially with the per-transaction ATM restrictions in place in most cases, exchanging cash is a MUCH better deal. For example, if one has a Bank of America account they will pay a $5 USD international transaction fee plus the 1% VISA fee and now the additional fee mentioned in an earlier post. This will mean to pull $100 USD ($380 AR today) one would be paying in fact at least a $7 USD fee, which means $380 AR costs you $107 USD, an exchange rate of $3.55 AR / $1 USD, which is obviously an absolutely terrible exchange rate.

This is especially ridiculous considering that Argentina is a relatively safe country where it is not dangerous to enter the country with a significant amount of cash to exchange as the chance of being mugged in the areas frequented by tourists is almost nil. In addition, there are literally scores of establishments that will gladly give the best possible market rate of exchange, especially during this time of weakness in the peso and an expected further weakening of the currency. I personally know of almost a dozen black market exchange houses that will sell pesos for at or MORE than the market rate because they can make such a nice profit re-selling the dollars for much more than the market sell rate as demand for dollars is high and access to legal purchases of substantial quantities of dollars is extremely limited or non-existent for most people.

Suerte,

Rock Harders

The Argentina Post web site is reporting that Link is doing the same thing.

Looks like we are back to hauling cash or losing an extra 5% rake. Cash might not be that riskky but it's a PITA to change money compared to just hitting the ATM.

I have had this happen twice, once in the Turks and Caicos, and once in Panama. I contacted my bank in the US via PM on my online account and the amount was credited the next day, no questions asked. I never got anywhere with the bank that the ATM belonged to. I bank with Chase.

Hope this helps, thanks for the heads up on the faulty ATM.

[QUOTE=Rock Harders]Mongers,

About five to ten years ago, ATM's were in fact the best way to solve foreign currency exchange / access issues. Over the past five years or so the banks collectively decided to start milking electronic access / exchange as another revenue stream. Ironically, in this day and age, in almost all circumstances (in Latin America) exchanging US Dollar cash will garner the best possible exchange rate when the exchange takes place at a market dictated bank or exchange house. In my experience, this holds true in Argentina, Brasil, Peru, Paraguay, Bolivia, Uruguay, Chile, and Venezuela. In Venezuela, the ATM rate is 2.15 Bsf /1 USD whereas the cash rate is 5-6 Bsf /1 USD. In Colombia it is better to use ATM's as the Colombian market is flooded with drug-money US dollar cash which causes the cash exchange rate to be almost 10% worse than the electronic rate.

In Argentina, especially with the per-transaction ATM restrictions in place in most cases, exchanging cash is a MUCH better deal. For example, if one has a Bank of America account they will pay a $5 USD international transaction fee plus the 1% VISA fee and now the additional fee mentioned in an earlier post. This will mean to pull $100 USD ($380 AR today) one would be paying in fact at least a $7 USD fee, which means $380 AR costs you $107 USD, an exchange rate of $3.55 AR / $1 USD, which is obviously an absolutely terrible exchange rate.

This is especially ridiculous considering that Argentina is a relatively safe country where it is not dangerous to enter the country with a significant amount of cash to exchange as the chance of being mugged in the areas frequented by tourists is almost nil. In addition, there are literally scores of establishments that will gladly give the best possible market rate of exchange, especially during this time of weakness in the peso and an expected further weakening of the currency. I personally know of almost a dozen black market exchange houses that will sell pesos for at or MORE than the market rate because they can make such a nice profit re-selling the dollars for much more than the market sell rate as demand for dollars is high and access to legal purchases of substantial quantities of dollars is extremely limited or non-existent for most people.

Suerte,

Rock Harders[/QUOTE]But you have to register yourself.

Hello Sidney.

Where is the Santander Rio bank located?

I will try with a VISA card and see how much its possible to withdraw.

Tr Tuga

I have an HSBC account and in my experience, all the HSBC branches in microcentro will allow you to take up to AR$980 pesos. Of course there is the AR$11.55 peso fee and HSBC will charge you 3% for the conversion. But from my investigation, there is nothing that can be done about it, unless you are able to get a local account and do bank to bank transfers. This has a fixed transfer cost of about US$30.

OK. Thanks for the information Womanizer.

Same story as always in Argentina, if you are a foreigner you have to pay some more. But still a great country to visit.

Tr Tuga

I was at EZE today doing a luxury pickup, and during peak time in the morning, the line for the HSBC ATM was at least 20 deep, and I imagine at least a 30 minute wait, plus with the new withdrawl fees it seems crazy.

Better to simply bring extra cash in if you can and get starter pesos at Banco de La Nacion, (they offer average rates) There was a line also, looked like a 15 minute wait There was another change house (Global) with no wait, but the exchanges are horrible, only paying $3.39 or so. Another good site to know who's paying what for currency exchange is [url]www.dolar.hoy.com[/url] it is in realtime, and they highlight the best buy/sell rates. One tip-if the line is really long at Banco de la Nacion in Terminal A, you can take a 3 minute walk to Terminal B, and there is generally no line at that office, especially in the morning.

Of course if you book a premium airport pickup with SilverStar, I generally can provide some starter pesos, at Banco de la Nacion rates as a courtesy, and time saver. I also will change coins to get you started with 10. Coins are very helpful here. Reverse applies on dropoffs.

Happy Travels,

Fred

Went to the Citibank ATM at Av. Callao and Av. Alvear and used by US Citibank debit (MasterCard) to withdraw AR$2500. Charged US$668.19 to my account so paid US$19.84 to withdraw from BA Citibank, based upon exchange rate for 9-12-09 (AR$385.59/ US$100)

So I just wanted to share my experiences with ATM's over the years. I used to travel down there just using my Bank of America account, I would usually draw out 500 pesos three times at each ATM visit. After staying usually a month each time I would ring up about 280-300 in ATM fees from BofA. They would charge me 5 per transaction and so each trip was 15 in fees. I called and complained to no avail, so was resigned to it pretty much. Then last year I got an email from my E-Trade account spouting off about their checking account, I looked into it and it looked pretty good for traveling given their fee structure. They say that technically they are allowed to charge up to 1% of the withdraw in fees, but they told me more then three different times on the phone that they are currently not collecting those fees at this time, it seemed fishy but three different operators said the same thing, so I shifted some money into that new account to use during my trip last December. So you do get the tiny fee from the Local bank in BsAs but it was usually in the order of $.50 to a $1 I think, it was so small I hardly gave a shit considering I was enjoying the slide of the peso at the time. It turned out saving me about 300 because as promised they did not collect any fees for international ATM use, this actually works in the states as well, since they don't have a network of their own ATM's they pretty much refund every single ATM fee no matter where. I have in one month of normal use in San Francisco had them refund $92 in fees. They simply refund them as they occur, so if I withdraw $80 from a BofA ATM the charge shows up as $83 charge from BofA and then it is followed in my online statement with a $3 credit. I am no shill for ETrade but they have saved me a fortune in fees and make it so I can simply use any ATM and just laugh at whatever ridiculous fees they want to charge. So worth a look if you are getting hit with asinine fees by your local bank while traveling in Argentina, or anywhere else.

Captain Looney.

Last Sunday I withdrew $980 pesos from the Santader Rio Bank ATM on Callao, paying the $11.84 special fee on top of the standard fee. That was fine with me.

I was suprised when the cash that came out of the machine was almost all $50 peso notes.

I was more surprised the next day when I gave one of the bills to my newspaper vendor and watched him check it. He handed it back showing the missing silver stripe. When I went home I found two other counterfeit $50 among the bills issued from the bank.

Of course I could do nothing about it a day after and probaby would have had a problem even if it had happened on Monday when the bank was open. I am sure I would have gotten only a denial that this was possible.

Having traveled the world using banks everywhere I chocked this expensive experience to "only in Argentina!"

On Friday Novembre 6 I pulled 1000 pesos from the HSBC agency in Maipu 431.

Here is what my online account reports:

DAB 0233515821 06/11 *

H AV. MAIPU 431

1000,00 ARS.

COMMISSION 0

1 EUR = 5,663 ARS.

176,58 EUR.

On that day, Banco de la Nacion reports a "compra" rate at 5.67. So it could have been at 5.663 at the time I withdrew. (compra is the most favorable rate)

Conclusion: Absolutly no argentine bank fee. No fix HSBC fee. No proportional exchange rate fee.

I don t have a Premium HSBC international account. I don't even have a bank account. I just have an internet saving account that pays me a 2% rate calculated on daily bases. I use a free debit card associated to that account which allows 500 Euros cash withdrawal a week all over the world.

I hope this can help.