ATM's

[QUOTE=Sidney]I have been able to withdraw 600 pesos.[/QUOTE][blue]Sidney,

The most important question is: What system did you use?

Banelco, Link, etc.

Thanks,

Jackson[/blue]

Thanks everybody for all the info. This really is a screwy situation with the ATM's, the only thing I understand is, I'm being screwed! ATM fee, Foreign Transaction fee, give me a break.

However, for practical matters this may help: a couple of weeks ago I went to Citibank, used a Master Card, and was able to withdraw 1000 pesos in one shot. Today, just to see, I tried to pull 1500 pesos in one shot and surprisingly I succeeded.

I had to acknowledge that I was not in violation of money laundering laws!

The good news in all this is that the Not-So-Almighty-Anymore Dollar is actually getting more pesos today than it has all year. Go figure. Anybody planning on a trip to Brazil might want to hurry up. In relation to the Real, the dollar is sinking steadily.

[QUOTE=Sidney]Several others.[/QUOTE][blue]Hi Sidney,

Banco Cuidad is the name of the bank, which is generally irrelevant.

What we need to know is the name of the [u]ATM system[/u] that the bank's ATM was using.

Banelco, Link, Cirrus, etc.

Thanks,

Jackson[/blue]

This week the peso has plummeted! I'm not complaining, but I was wondering if anybody knows why, and if it is likely to fall more, stay the same, or revert back to where it has been for the past two years?

My last visit (May 07) as a us Citibank Gold account holder, I was able to obtain 2000P per withdrawalfrom a Citibank at Callao / Alvear day after day with no transaction fee.

So Sydo, Did you use a non Citi card in the Citi Banelco? My understanding is Banelco is a consortium of banks who operate this cash service and extract a piece of the action. You can use the Banelco at many banks but you will pay a fee and apparently be given a mere pitance of a withdrawal.

Go with a Citibank ATM with a Citi account in the US and stop the whining.

Jackpot

Looks like "whining" to me! But then all his post look like "whining" to me.:rolleyes:

Just get a US Citibank savings account to use as an ATM cash account. Transfer money into the account as needed. $500 minimum balance for no monthly fees. In the US, ATMs at 7-11's can be used with a Citibank card without any fees.

[QUOTE=Jackpot]My last visit (May 07) as a us Citibank Gold account holder, I was able to obtain 2000P per withdrawalfrom a Citibank at Callao / Alvear day after day with no transaction fee.

So Sydo, Did you use a non Citi card in the Citi Banelco? My understanding is Banelco is a consortium of banks who operate this cash service and extract a piece of the action. You can use the Banelco at many banks but you will pay a fee and apparently be given a mere pitance of a withdrawal.

Go with a Citibank ATM with a Citi account in the US and stop the whining.

Jackpot[/QUOTE]I am not sure of other locations, but at the Citibank branch on Callao and Alvear, I was able to use either the normal 2 Citibank branded ATMs, or the banelco one inside that Citibank branch without special fee, and either one let me take out up to my set limit of $1k per day, just over 3k pesos depending on the exchange rate (you can raise or lower the initial default that Citibank gives you - I don't remember what mine started at but it was I believe either 300 or 500, and I had them raise it to 1k)

One time, when I used the banelco one inside that Citibank branch, they charged me some ATM fee that came out on my Citibank transaction statement online as a foreign funds fee - I called Citibank, let them know I had withdrawn from a banelco inside their Citibank locationand they reversed that charge.

Around other world locations, I've found that policy to be the same. Citibank doesn't care who it is, as long as you take out cash from an ATM that they allow to be put inside their bank, you will (or should) never pay a fee to take cash out.

So I went to the Citibank and my debit card would not open the door (early evening) as it had a number of times before. I seriously needed money so went down the street to another bank where my Citibank card worked fine to get me in and the system gave me 700 pesos, all in hundreds. One of the popular features of the Citibank locations is that they give you a mix of change with each transaction, but so be it.

Then I went to a Farmacity nearby and picked up a box of condoms for 13 pesos and gave the clerk one of my hundreds. (I had almost no other money. He said he couldn't change a hundred, that he had no change. I pointed out that the man ahead of me in line had just given him 72 pesos in cash. He politely pointed out that 72 + 13 was 85 so he couldn't make the change. Did I have a credit card? No. So it was impossible.

I passed another Farmacity. I like these big chains because they always have plenty of change and really good service.

(And I know where they hide the condoms. This one was really busy and I had to wait in line. The clerk here was horrified at the 100, but this time I pretended I couldn't understand him and the security guard came over and told him that I was a gringo baludo (clueless) and he opened up his change drawer which was full of change and did it and was nice about it.

Apparently they have little change because they regularly stuff money into little safes so that in case of a hold up, the effects are minimal. In the meantime, the customers can go fuck themselves.

[QUOTE=Stormy] In the meantime, the customers can go fuck themselves.[/QUOTE]Stormy,

You have just figured out Argentina! The place we love to hate - of course that comment is limited to the financial and business sectors. The wine, woman, and song keep us living here - and smiling! Even overcoming the occasional snow fall!

Come on, it's not always like that. I often pay with hundreds at Farmacity and get change. You just had bad timing with the cash register, I guess.

BTW, the word 'boludo' in that context can be translated into 'dork', 'jerk', 'prick'.;)

Cheers.

I watched a local well-to-do mother get turned down trying to by diapers and formula with a crying baby with a 50p note that had a small tear in it at a farmacity.

She argued for 30 seconds and used an amex blue card in disgust.

I ran into the same problem with having to figure out ways to make my 100s into something more acceptable. Fortunately I found out that you can pretty much stroll into a McDonalds, Burger King and buy a little snack and end up with any combination of change your heart would desire.

I guess being McDonalds they're expected to do things that make the customer happy without the bs. I don't think I've ever had a problem with them.

LM

[QUOTE=Stormy]I seriously needed money so went down the street to another bank where my Citibank card worked fine to get me in and the system gave me 700 pesos, all in hundreds. [/QUOTE]A trick I learned from a porteño friend is to request $10 pesos less than an even $100 amount. For example, if I wanted $700 pesos, I'd actually ask for $690 pesos. The machine usually gives a $50 and then some combination of twenties and tens. But the key point is, if you're flat broke, you're guaranteed enough small bills to at least take a taxi somewhere.

Yes, get 490 or 590 pesos at the ATM machine.

And then use 100s when you're eating at decent places, where they'll be accepted and generate even more small bills in change.

If I ever ran out of small bills my local kiosko would take a few seconds to change a 100 for me since I went there every day.

Just heard on the news that the Brink's truck drivers might go on strike tomorrow and consequently leave the ATM's bone dry. If you are living off of ATM withdrawls you might want to consider making additional withdrawls between now and early tomorrow.

I was able to pull $900ar from the (Banelco) ATM at Av. Santa Fe 2699 without any problems. I used a MasterCard Debit card. Have the local withdrawal limits be lifted or can you only do this with MasterCard?

[QUOTE=Sidney]Master Card --Debit used at HSBC branches (Banelco) = 3000 pesos and NO FEES![/QUOTE]Yes but that is with a HSBC account right? Thanks for the reply Sid but I'm interested in none HSBC cards. I guess I should have just ask about Visa cards? Did they take the $300 or $350ar limit off?

[QUOTE=Sidney]And spreading like an epidemic![/QUOTE]Thanks, I think I will check it out, before I go to the gun shop today.

I used a HSBC MasterCard debit card my last trip there in March. I had zero fee's using it at any link ATM. This is just a generic free checking account.

I could take out 3000 peso's, if the machine had it. (1000U$D limit)

I travel frequently for my work and I use the HSBC debit just about everywhere.

The nice part is that you can have the card linked to a savings acct online, but not linked to the card at the ATM. If you were to get jacked and they made you go to the ATM they would only get the cash in your checking, not the big wad.

This was all during the changes to the ATM's using visa earlier in the year

I opened a Citibank Checking account and got an ATM card before my trip.

The nice thing is that it allows you to get to the ATM's outside of business hours by swiping the card at the door.

[QUOTE=Timba8]I opened a Citibank Checking account and got an ATM card before my trip.

The nice thing is that it allows you to get to the ATM's outside of business hours by swiping the card at the door.[/QUOTE]I think all AMT cards will get you in the door, doesn't matter what bank your account is at.

[QUOTE=FreddySmith52]On my 2 visits to BA I have used my Citibank USA Debit Card to withdraw AR pesos from the Citibank ATM on Florida St. 746. Withdrawal is debited directly to my US Citibank account and there are no fees. There are several Citibank ATM machines at this location and what looks to be an actual branch.

Funny thing is that when I look at my account online it shows the description of the transaction as a "non Citibank ATM" whlie all the signage at the location says very boldly Citibank.

At this location there is a reception desk open during normal business hours and when I asked if I could make a US dollar deposit to my Citibank USA account I was told I could not.

I only used my Citibank debit card at this location. Never tried any other ATM.[/QUOTE]They charged me 3% for each ATM transaction, and when I withdrew cash from an ATM they also charged me for a "non Citibank ATM". Try HSBC. They often give you dollars and don't charge any fee for their ATM's. Just like in the US, Citibank is always a ripoff.

That's odd. I recently used my Citibank card at BA Citibank ATMs and didn't get charged any fees. I got 3.15 on Oct. 1 with no fee.

Do you have a USA Citibank account? Were you using the ATMs in the Citibank branches? Did you talk to Citibank customer service about it in your home country? 3% and a fee is what Citibank charges for a non-Citibank ATM (which I agree is a rip so I only use my Citibank card at Citibank ATMs)

Double-check before getting an HSBC card as I've read a few things that say they are increasing the fee to 3%.

[url]http://www.travelfinances.com/blog/index.php/2007/07/09/hsbc-to-increase-foreign-transaction-fees/[/url]

[url]http://flyerguide.com/wiki/index.php/Credit/Debit/ATM_Cards_and_Foreign_Exchange[/url]

I've also read that Citibank is increasing to 2% effective Jan. 08 even when using a Citibank ATM.

I have an Chase bank account and it seems that the have a fixed US$3 fee for withdrawing from a non Chase ATM. Of course, as you are allowed a maximum of US$100 each extraction, that would be a 3% charge and as there are no Chase banks here I have no other option!

[QUOTE=Aqualung]I have an Chase bank account and it seems that the have a fixed US$3 fee for withdrawing from a non Chase ATM. Of course, as you are allowed a maximum of US$100 each extraction, that would be a 3% charge and as there are no Chase banks here I have no other option![/QUOTE]Chase uses Visa for ATM cards, doesn't it? If so, that's your problem on the withdrawal limit, as the limit on MasterCard is much higher, if not only limited to your bank's limit. I have a small bank account in the States and can pull out about $2500 pesos, or $800 (which is my bank's limit) at a time and I know someone else who can pull out much more.

That's right, I have a visa debit card I use for withdrawals but I rarely need to withdraw more than US100 at a time. I have an account in an Argentine bank (Patagonia) that allows me to take out a 1000 pesos each time and I use the Chase card to pay everything else even the gas in my car. The question is if I took out less than a 100 US, say US$ 50, would I still pay the 3 bucks?

I know, the easy way to find out would be to take out US$50 and see what happens but I couldn't be bothered! I was just wondering if anybody here knew;)