ATMs
 

Hi can someone outline the situation as far as ATMs in BA and are there any in the airport arrivals area?

Thanks

Yes there is an ATM in the ariivals hall. You shouldn't have any difficulty finding them throughout the city and what's more they speak English!
TIP: Withdraw odd amounts e.g. 490 instead of 500 - change is a little scarce and by the way don't be put off by the grubby 2 peso notes - they're accepted every where.

Christophe,
Many thanks for your very useful tip.

Thank you so much. :-)

Irish Chic,

Christphe gave you great advice regarding pulling out odd amounts like 480 or 490. So far, every ATM machine has worked doing that. Sometimes change is hard to come by. When going to breakfast or lunch, make sure you break bigger 50 or 100 peso notes.

Never pay with bigger bills in taxis. I've had some clients that weren't paying attention and got back some fake money. Avoid this problem by always having some 5 and 10 peso notes.

Cheers Mike,

Is there an upper limit on how much you can withdraw at one time?

Hi Irish Chic,

Most ATM cards for some reason only let me take out 500 pesos at a time. However, you can keep taking out 500 pesos up to your bank's limit. For example, if your daily withdrawal limit is $500 US per day you can take out about 1,500 pesos in three 500 peso transactions.

A good idea is to call your bank before you leave to let them know you are traveling to Argentina. Give them the dates you will be traveling so they don't freeze your card. Do the same thing with your credit cards. There is nothing more frustrating then trying to pay for something or in a restaurant and having them tell you it was rejected. Banks do this as a security measure. Sometimes even if you call and tell them you are traveling they still freeze it.

Bring more than one ATM card. I have many clients that only bring one and either lose it or they have a problem with it. I've had to loan customers money out of my own pocket because they had this problem. Bring enough cash for emergencies.

There are two banks ATM cards in the USA that I know of that let me take out more than 500 pesos per transaction. It is Bankdirect (www.bankdirect.com) and Netbank (www.netbank.com). I can take out the entire $500 US daily limit in one transaction.

Good luck.

Thanks a million for the advice and tips