I need to pay for a months rental on an apartment on arrival in BA. Can anyone tell me if it is possible to withdraw US $ from an ATM (as it is in Peru) or maybe over the counter in a bank using a debit or credit card?

No, you'll get pesos in the ATM. The ones that have USD require an argentinian account nominated in USD.

However I see no problem paying in pesos.

Regards
Javier

If you do not wish to bring the dollar bills required to pay for the rental, you'll have to withdraw pesos from an ATM and then buy the dollars in an exchange house.

Maybe you can agree to pay the rental in pesos, but the exchange rate could be worse (or better?) than the rate the exchange house would give you.

Amex has a large office in BA which MAY allow you to withdraw dollars, if you have their card.

Have a great time in our town.

As others have noted....you will receive pesos from ATMS in Argentina, even when the machine lists a dollar option....


I have not tried it in several years, but I used to go to the AMEX office on Plaza San Martin (downtonwn) to exchange Amex travelers checks for dollars....

I have long since given up this awkward and time consuming process in favor of simply bringing dollars with me from the USA....I place them in a money belt beneath my clothing...and pay cash for the apartment I am renting when I arrive. It is much faster....


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Thanks for clearing this up for me. I am English and bank in London so I do not have a $ bank account. I guess I will go back to the agency and see if I can pay in pesos.

That would be your best alternative, as long as they give you a reasonable rate, because the "spread" exchange brokers apply for Pounds is rather large, as you can see here:

http://www.dolarhoy.com/

In my experience I have a US dollar account in the US where I live, but when I go to a ATM machine in Buenos Aires, like the one in ITAU Bank, or in the ex Bank of Boston now Standart Bank,or at City Bank I respond to the questions inthe machine, as If I had a pesos account. the machine gives me pesos and it deducts the equivalent from my account in the US.