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I would bring approx. USD 1000 in cash and exchange 400 or so at Eze - avoid the crooks and go to the BNA.

On what Bank in what country?

John,
in my opinion that wouldn't help. It's a local issue in Argentina and filing a suit in Argentina against Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, Cirrus, FirstData or alike could/would, according to my experience, be a lifeteme never ending pain..

I believe that only the users can start to claim at their banks so much that at the end they find a solution to it somehow by getting the fees waived or alike.

On the other side it hase been close to 2 months now and I still do not get a solution propposal from my bank here in Germany.

On the other side it's no big issue for one-time tourists in Argentina, but it's a real pain if you use this on a regular basis...

US. The Mechanics Bank (California)

Argentina side ATM per use fee?
 

Could someone elaborate on this? I don't ever recall being charged a fee on the Argentina ATM side. Is this only certain systems or Argentina banks? Or is this something that started since mid-March?

I've used 2 banks already the past couple days and no fees mentioned.

AR$600 @ Banco Itaú. No problem. (I needed more money unexpectedly because I went to a store yesterday called "Cheap Wine To Get Drunk By" and it was complete false advertising, the negociant locked me up and made me spend all my AR$ before unlocking the exit. :p

I really think that a lot of the atm issues have calmed down. I haven't had any big problems... .In the past...( months and years ago) there were times when atms often didnt have money or had tough limits.. Right now the only problem is that some banks are limiting 600 pesos (aprox 200usd) per however you can easiliy just do it twice for 1200... I use a wamu account which still reimburses me for any fees..

Last week I got 1500peso on first try at a LINK bank not BANELCO on Guido/montevideo...

Type of card used?
Bank account located where?

I'm sorry if I incorrectly listed this. I have certainly been charged fees at foreign ATMs, but I'm not specifically sure that it occurred in Argentina. I think I've been charged fees at out-of-the-way ATMs in Argentina, but my memory isn't as sharp as it used to be. If so, they were dwarfed by the US$5 fee my own bank charged me each time I used one.

u.s. issued washington mutual debit card (wamu) ,,,, not sure if all their accounts reimburse you for fees but mine does....

Mastercard/Maestro, Visa/Electron/Plus, which one?

wamu debit mastercard.... logo.... used as debit not as credit card.


Important advice,,,, You MUST notify your bank before going International especially to Argentina.. I had trouble once in BsAs when I forgot to do this and card was declined until i called and told them where I was. Took two days to clear up.. In Europe didnt have same problem but I dont take that chance anymore.

Low withdrawal limits also reported in other countries in Latin America
 

According to my German Bank (Sparkasse) today, they have received further reports besides mine in Argentina from other customers also with low withdrawal limits from Chile and Uruguay within the last weeks, at least...
The guy I've talked to knew about other countries in the region also but did not remember which.
He offered me a Visa/Electron debit card but I've rejected it, stating that I would run into the same problems as with my Maestro debit card
They're still working on it...:confused: :(

Sounds like you need to change your Wine Merchant.... :p :D

Yes . . .go to that one in Palermo that will get you to spend all of your USD before unlocking the door. :p

You mean the terroirista on Buschiazzo? I think that was Eastbay1K's problema :D

Well, as we sit here right now, it looks like soon, I'll be one of your temporary neighbo(u)rs and can hire my own peoples to take care of any prior terrorisms.

I have had no ATM problems, except for kicks, I tried to extract US$ one time, and the machine told me to go FOAD.

I hear the terrorist mentioned is on the Argentine Wine Authorities most wanted list.... he is accused of selling 3rd rate quality Spoof Juice.... :eek: :eek: :eek:

I assume recently (I mean after April 1st 2008).
Type of card (Credit or debit)? For what ATM network? Bank? Account located where?

Hence the appellation terroirista terrorista

Eastbay1K's probably left for EZE already, but if you look upthread he notes that his debit card is from The Mechanics Bank (California) with MasterCard cobranding. He's been here in BsAs this last week.

John

What he said. And not only have I left for EZE, I am here right now.

600 pesos limit/withdrawal now?
 

:)

Up-date:
We have been able last week to withdraw :D 600,- pesos/withdrawal on several withdrawals/day up to our daily limit of 500,- EUR.
At least something.
Nevertheless, my Bank still has no clue on how to solve this...:td: :rolleyes:

Same in here. Up to 600 pesos/withdrawal
It's a temporary rule for all foreigns accounts. Last month was 320 pesos.
Hopefully will increase the amount soon.

Do you have any further informations as to if it really is temporary?
For how long?
Why only for foreign accounts?
Source of that information?
Important to know for my Bank "negotiation"...

You can make all the withdrawals that you want up to your bank daily limit but just up to 600 pesos/withdrawal.
It was on the news and newspapers (began in April). It's a governemnt federal rule for all ATM's around the country. They say that is mainly for security reasons (protect tourist for possible robbery) but in my opinion just want extra bank fees.
You can't predict what's going to happen...changes week by week
I love my country but we have these things...or these politics...
Good luck!

Well, that's news; nobody before in this forum wrote that this is an Argentina government federal rule for all ATM's around the country...

And I strongly doubt that it was published like that in the news and newspapers as nobody really knows the background to this, besides wild speculations.
The only media that I know about that has written something and or informed their email news subscribers about this is www.seprin.com

Besides the fact that the same is happening also in Uruguay and Chile.

So, locals are not subject to security issues...:rolleyes:...

I'm as "local" as you are, born and raised in Baires... and know how unpredictable Argentina is.
I do not blame it on the government, 43% of the population in theory voted the actual one...

What's the latest on this matter?

My bank charges no transaction fees so don't mind the limit that much.

Ok, here was my experience today walking down Santa Fe in Palermo.

First bank wants (I think in the Banelco network) $11.44, which I guess is exactly USD 3.00 to withdraw cash. I decide to try the next one, which was a Link. Same fee, but I decide that I need the cash. Tells me that there is a $320 limit but also in increments of $50, so try $300 and it tells me that it is maximum $320. Leave in frustration. Third bank, another Link bank, same exact thing. Finally, a bank near the Subte at Piazza Italia (forget the name, the receipt just says Banelco). There I could take out $800 and paid the $11.44 fee.

So are there any (foreign owned?) banks downtown currently that have no fee and/or no limit?

I think the fees are set by your banks agreement with third party banks....

The foreign owned banks that have ATMs in EZE are...

HSBC
CitiBank
BNP Paribas
Santander Rio
BVBA Banco Frances

I subsequently found some detailed blogs with comments from upset expats. It is the local banks in concert with Banelco and Link that are doing this. The verdict is that Citibank is the only option to get unlimited withdrawals without a fee, maybe because they do not use Link or Banelco. When I passed a Santander at a shopping mall in Palermo, I checked and it is the same deal since it uses Banelco. I also walked by either a BVBA or a BNP and noticed the Link sign, so didn't bother. Link appears to have the $320 cap as reported in my earlier post.

(I'll report back if I pass a Citibank.)

When you get your receipt it lists $800 (pesos) or whatever you take out and then a separate line with the $11.44 fee (or whatever the exchange of the day is vs. USD 3). It's the same as when you take out money from an ATM in the US where they usually charge fees for other customers. I have not had an account with a bank in the US that charges "foreign" ATM fees for more than a decade but I recall that they only emerge on your monthly statement.

My bank has no fee on any ATM transactions and gives me the Interbank rate for foreign exchange. If I take out money in Europe and check vs. the interbank rate at www.oanda.com I match the exact amount to the final cent.

Citibank has both Banelco machines and their own machines with a much more modern looking interface. The latter dispenses large amounts of cash with no fee. This was in the ATM lobby of a branch on Alevar in Recoleta. It had one Banelco and two of the other machines.

The bank that dispensed $800 (with a fee) was a Galicia. So look for this bank if you are not near a Citibank. The Citibank machine also informed of my balance in pesos.

So my general advice is to go to Citibank. If you can't find one of these then look for a Banelco network ATM, especially Galicia. I think the Santander was also going to dispense a large amount but I cancelled when it notified of the $11.46 fee.

Paying $USD3 to withdraw a decent amount of cash is of course tolerable (I guess that's what travellers face in the US) but not when they cap it at $320.

Actually, I forgot to mention that I was rejected by an ATM of an obscure bank in the Banelco network, so it is possible that you need the right type of bank and not just Banelco. But the two Link network banks appeared to be a path to nowhere and were notifying of the $320 limit. (see above).

But the main thing you need cash for in BA is taxis and football tickets.:D

p.s. I remember walking by a small Citibank across from Galerias Pacifico, which was closed for remodeling. But it didn't quite look like it had the fancier machines.

Another vote for Citibank machines..... ^

It would appear thi8 problem (limit of ARS 320 withdrawal) depends on one's bank. My wife uses the bank card of a major Canadian bank and can't get around the liimit. I have no problem getting ARS 1000 (top daily limit) from the same ATMs using the card of another major Canadian bank.

Posting from Puerto Madryn.

This keeps coming up... There are many small banks in the U.S. ( I happen to use Mechanics Bank of California) that are not large enough to have their own ATM network. So they rebate ALL fees from ANY ATM. Anywhere in the world I use an ATM, Mechanics will rebate the local fees, so it never costs me anything to use any ATM. With that in mind, I don't care what the local ATM charges, because I know I wont be paying it.

Mechanics only requires something like $1000 in a checking account to get this benefit, so I keep an account there just for travel cash.

Note that they are having problems with the Chile rebates (something with the way they are processed - they have to do it manually) - but my AR$ rebates have been coming through without issue.

Are you folks using a Citibank ATM card keyed to a checking account, or a Citibank issued charge card? Might be worth adding one of these for our upcoming trip.

thanks....

As I understand it, it must be a Citi ATM card... dont think it will work with a credit/charge card.

I used my US based Cirrus networked ATM card at Citibank. On November 30th I withdrew pesos costing me 3.807, which is pretty much the interbank rate on that day.

My withdrawal on the same day of 800 pesos at Galicia was at an effective exchange rate of 3.754 due to the USD 3 fee.