ATM's

[AllIWantIsLove]

Spend some time browsing the forums here. Your questions have been thoroughly discussed. I've been using a bank recently (and I don't think that banks have been discussed much). The bank I use is very convenient to where I stay and the rate seems to be competitive with the best rates in town.

Bob.

Where is the best place to exchange money. I assume the airport rates suck. How about ATM rate.

Thanks why'all.

Jay

[JayHighFive]

Where is the best place to exchange money. I assume the airport rates suck. How about ATM rate.

Thanks why'all.

Jay

[Gandolf50]

If you want to work with cash to avoid fees you just have to learn where they pay more. For example in Moreno near where I live there is a "sastre" who changes U$D for 4. 10 for $1000 and over. For lesser amounts 4. 08. Every where I have ever lived or worked I have always found these hole in the wall places that pay over the going rate.

[Chica Seeker]

Cash is king here. Bring in U$ in unmarked notes and forget about the card. My cash exchange guy delivers and gave me 4. 07 last week and Rock Harders (El Alamo) , was offering better than that a week back. It adds up.

I abanoned the cash machines down here a couple of years ago as I got fed up with the fees and restricted withdrawals. I always bring american $. I got 4. 01 at Ezeiza (Banco National) yesterday. Guess I will be talking to Argento or Rock before my next transaction.

[El Perro]

I've been having to use my US ATM card the last week or so. The Banelco fee is 16. 45 pesos per transaction. I haven't looked to see if my own bank has also been reaming me.

That 16p fee gets charged on non Banelco machines at Citibank as well. My bank out of the USA reimburses me those fees as long as there aren't a ton of them per month.

[Schmoj]

So I go to withdraw, and get the message that I will be charged XX. XX pesos for the transaction. I canceled, then went around the corner to the Florida Citi branch and did my business.

I've been having to use my US ATM card the last week or so. The Banelco fee is 16. 45 pesos per transaction. I haven't looked to see if my own bank has also been reaming me.

[Argento]

Well, that rate " after" all fees etc from Citi ATM machines is 4. 01.

The rate I am getting using a US credit card is 4. 03 after all fees etc.

Cash is king here. Bring in U$ in unmarked notes and forget about the card. My cash exchange guy delivers and gave me 4. 07 last week and Rock Harders (El Alamo) , was offering better than that a week back. It adds up.

Argento

[Northsider]

Is this pulling cash out of the CC, or charging purchases?

[Member #3320]

The rate I got from the Citi ATM (before fee) came out to a 4.03 pesos per dollar.

Well, that rate " after" all fees etc from Citi ATM machines is 4. 01.

The rate I am getting using a US credit card is 4. 03 after all fees etc.

[Northsider]

The other day I came across the big Citi bank in Microcentro, huge place with several floors and a lot of activity. To my surprise there was no Citi ATM in the building that I could find, and no one there knew of, other than a Banelco. So I go to withdraw, and get the message that I will be charged XX.XX pesos for the transaction. I canceled, then went around the corner to the Florida Citi branch and did my business.

Got home and checked my activity online. The canceled transaction was listed, and then deducted. The usual listing is the amount of the withdrawal, then another listing with Citi's 3% fee. The rate I got from the Citi ATM (before fee) came out to a 4.03 pesos per dollar. The Banelco pre-fee rate was 3.92. This comes to app. 1% difference. I assume this was at least part of this was Banelco's fee, and perhaps skimming a little on the exchange rate (can't recall the charge figure that was on the screen). Regardless, it's another 1% hit.

So, if you have a Citi ATM card and you go to one of their branches to withdraw beware of these Banelco machines.

[Travlnman]

There seem to be fee differences depending if you withdraw money from your credit card account vs directly from your checking or savings account. I withdrew 600 pesos from my credit card and I was charged around $155. 00 USD plus a $5. 00 ATM fee. In addition my bank charged me an interest fee. When I called my bank on this, they cancelled the ATM fees and the interest charges.

I started drawing directly from my checking account and I was charged around $159. 00 for 600 pesos and charged a $2. 00 fee with no interest. In this case I took out 600 pesos at the total cost of $161. 00.

The differences ($159 vs $155) were not as a result of the exchange rate.

All the withdrawals were from the same ATM.

[Gmx888]

This was in one ATM transaction. It did not say Banelco on the screen.

was that in one ATM transaction or several?

Did it say Banelco on the screen?

[Northsider]

I just pulled out $2790 pesos from this ATM this afternoon....

was that in one ATM transaction or several?

Did it say Banelco on the screen?

[Gmx888]

I just pulled out $2790 pesos from this ATM this afternoon. I chose that amount because I have a $700 withdrawal limit on ATMs.

Had I know another person was able to pull $4000 pesos, I might have tried that instead. I hate those damn ATM fees, damn you big banks!

[Schmoj]

I like to keep a stash of greenbacks in case the plastic goes sour, so my question is do the Citi ATMs in BsAs, which offer withdrawal of USD on the screen, do indeed dispense dollars? Please respond with a positive only if you yourself have witnessed them being dispensed. If not, I'll stock up over here.

Looking back at the other responses on this thread I have impression the answer is no, but those messages are from a while back. But if not, why are dollars offered on the ATM screen?

If you need dollars and it is working in Uruguay, by all means stock up there.

I've never been able to get dollars out of an ATM in Argentina. I have tried at numerous ATMs with cards from both an Argentine and a US account.

As to why the option appears? It could be as simple as no one ever got around to restocking the machine with dollars. However, my guess is that some Argentine accounts allow you to withdraw dollars from an ATM (mine does not) but this is not available to all users of the ATM.