Reloading SUBE cards
Mar 15, 2019 | 8:53 am
#1
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: RDU
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Reloading SUBE cards
I just went through this, and I thought I'd share the knowledge.
I've a SUBE card from previous trips, you can use these to pay fares on subways and city buses in BA. There are a bazillion loading points in the city, but you can only use cash at those.
To reload using a credit/debit card:
1) Get the Mercado Pago app
2) Register a credit/debit card
3) Tap on "Cargar SUBE"
4) Follow the prompts
5) Once the transaction succeeds, you will be told to tap the card at an official validation point. The SUBE app tells you where they are, most banks seem to have them, as well as city government offices of which there are many around the city. NOTE: tapping at a subway station to open the turnstile won't work to validate the load.
There are sometimes promo offers where you get 25% off (ie, you load AR$100 on the card, but you get charged AR$75).
Note that you can also use the Mercado Pago app to pay at merchants that normally don't take credit cards, by scanning a QR code. I did this at a few kiosks [1] with zero problems.
Hope this helps!
[1]: the ratio of candy sale points to other stores has to be the highest in the world
I've a SUBE card from previous trips, you can use these to pay fares on subways and city buses in BA. There are a bazillion loading points in the city, but you can only use cash at those.
To reload using a credit/debit card:
1) Get the Mercado Pago app
2) Register a credit/debit card
3) Tap on "Cargar SUBE"
4) Follow the prompts
5) Once the transaction succeeds, you will be told to tap the card at an official validation point. The SUBE app tells you where they are, most banks seem to have them, as well as city government offices of which there are many around the city. NOTE: tapping at a subway station to open the turnstile won't work to validate the load.
There are sometimes promo offers where you get 25% off (ie, you load AR$100 on the card, but you get charged AR$75).
Note that you can also use the Mercado Pago app to pay at merchants that normally don't take credit cards, by scanning a QR code. I did this at a few kiosks [1] with zero problems.
Hope this helps!
[1]: the ratio of candy sale points to other stores has to be the highest in the world
Mar 15, 2019 | 4:33 pm
#2
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,876
Thanks for that.
Glad to say I have a free SUBE Card as they also give one to the spouses of teachers who qualify for one through their pension. Never likely to use it as whenever I'm in BA I just use taxis.
Glad to say I have a free SUBE Card as they also give one to the spouses of teachers who qualify for one through their pension. Never likely to use it as whenever I'm in BA I just use taxis.
Mar 15, 2019 | 4:49 pm
#3
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Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
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Posts: 42,563
Mar 16, 2019 | 9:50 am
#4
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Paris, France
Programs: Flying Blue Platinum
Posts: 927
I can confirm the Mercadopago trick works. We have a Whatsapp group with some friends and always one alerts the others when theres a Mercadopago discount for topping up Sube the offers usually last for just a few hours, and the maximum top-up limit is ca. 200 pesos, but yes, they make the discount instantly.
Also some merchants (e.g. McDonalds and Green Eat, BAs answer to Pret a Manger) make discounts if you pay through Mercadopago, so its convenient to have the app linked to your credit card if you are here for a long-ish period.
Theres a very nice short story/sociological analysis by writer Hernn Casciari about kioscos and Argentina. He concludes that in other Latin American countries, when people are broke they emigrate to Europe and the US. In Argentina, when people are broke, they set up a kiosco. :-)
Also some merchants (e.g. McDonalds and Green Eat, BAs answer to Pret a Manger) make discounts if you pay through Mercadopago, so its convenient to have the app linked to your credit card if you are here for a long-ish period.
Theres a very nice short story/sociological analysis by writer Hernn Casciari about kioscos and Argentina. He concludes that in other Latin American countries, when people are broke they emigrate to Europe and the US. In Argentina, when people are broke, they set up a kiosco. :-)
Mar 17, 2019 | 7:53 pm
#5
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