Originally Posted by
jrussell
I have been following another thread concerning counterfeit currency in BA (I'd rather not enter that discussion) and am wondering if credit cards are widely accepted at most restaurants (such as El Establo) and other establishments? Seems this might eliminate some of the fake money problems with the exception of taxis and other minor purchases.
I'm an older guy (not quite as quick as I used to be) traveling alone to Buenos Aires for the first time and would really like to enjoy the city with a minimum of worry about being ripped off. How wide spread is the fake money scam anyway? Opinions seem to vary. Do you really need to carefully examine your change every time you make a cash transaction?
I'm not paranoid about this (been ripped by taxi drivers from Dubai to Bangkok) but it is nice to know what to expect.
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I just returned and had no problems using credit cards in any restaurant. One word of warning, though...My experience was that you could not add a tip to the bill after they ran the card, so plan accordingly.
I didn't have any issues getting fake bills (although maybe I did receive some and unknowingly passed them on to other vendors
). Just look at your change and don't feel rushed. As with anything else in life, a courteous manner is a better way to handle any disputes.
BsAs is a lot like a big European city, from my experiences. I found it to be very walking friendly, although cabs are cheap (unless you catch the cab at AEP).