Before you close your suitcase and start enjoying your summer vacation, you should be clear about how you will pay expenses if the destination is outside Argentina.
According to Youniversal’s Trend Lab study, “the desire for vacation is still very present, although associated with strong economic constraints,” emphasizes Ximena Díaz Alarcón, CEO and co-founder of Youniversal, a consultancy specializing in research and consumer trends.
“63% of Argentines say they plan to vacation in the next 12 months, while 37% already know they won’t be able to,” graphing and double-clicking on planned destinations: “The beaches concentrate the biggest appeal: Brazil, the Argentine coast and destinations in Central America and the Caribbean appear as recurring options.”
Just cross the border It’s important to remember that if you don’t strategically decide how you want to pay for your vacation, your vacation could end up being 30% more expensive.
It is worth remembering that when spending in dollars with a credit card, income and wealth taxes are levied, increasing the price of each dollar to almost $1,900, while the official dollar or MEP dollar is currently quoted at less than $1,500.
There are several options to avoid this additional charge. One is to pay with a debit card through a savings account in dollars and use virtual wallets accepted at the destination and pre-loaded with dollars or pesos. Both options can be used with physical cards or even better from your mobile phone. They are the most “efficient” alternatives from several points of view.
Using a credit card offers the advantage that payment can be postponed. It is important to be very careful here and make sure that consumption in dollars is paid for in this currency before the account statement expires. You need to stop the automatic debit (Stop debit) and pay the dollars between the end of the billing cycle and the due date. After this date, the dollars will be unified into the so-called “card dollar” and there will be no going back.
Of course you can do that too Use cashHowever This is the least recommended option: On the one hand, electronic payments are becoming increasingly important worldwide, but on the other hand, it is safer not to carry large amounts of cash with you and more practical not to have to look for where to exchange dollars for local currency.
Another big advantage of paying with credit, debit cards or virtual wallets is that you can control your spending much more thoroughly and strictly. and stay within a predetermined budget. You can even use two different accounts for different types of expenses: the fixed costs of the trip (hotels, food, etc.) and a separate budget for tastings, purchases, gifts.
Brazil is always among the destinations most chosen by Argentinians and the best way to pay in the neighboring country is PIX, the instant payment system developed by the Brazilian Central Bank that allows real-time transfers and payments either via QR code or the so-called “PIX key”, similar to our pseudonym.
Since last year, there are many Argentine fintech companies that allow their users to use this system and make it much easier to use: Belo, Cocos, Prex, DolarApp, Global66, Mercado Pago, Lemon and Astropay, among others.
The rate they use to convert the real into dollars or Argentine pesos is one of the key factors that must be taken into account when choosing the exchange rate. This information can be compared on websites such as comparapix.com and acuantoesta.com. The other and also important aspect is the speed of payment processing.
“Pix has established itself as one of the most efficient options: it is fast, secure and with a more convenient exchange rate compared to other applications or credit cards,” says Emiliano Bivachi, CTO of Cocos. “Since its integration into the platform in January 2025, Cocos has processed more than 5 million payments through Pix, with a volume of more than $166 million,” the executive highlights.
The digital Prex account is another means of payment abroad. It can be used worldwide via your mobile phone or with your physical Mastercard card. “Heading into the summer, Brazil is once again becoming one of the most exposed destinations, so we expect user participation to increase by 15% among Argentine travelers who choose this country and use Pix for their spending,” says Daniel Conte, country manager of Prex Argentina, adding: “Brazil saw an average of 13 transactions per person and an average cost of $35 per operation carried out by Pix.”
Conte also highlights payment alternatives in another destination frequently visited by Argentinians. “We aim to reach 10% of travelers crossing the mountain range towards Chile so that they can simplify their payment experience with the CLP Pocket, an alternative that allows them to pay directly in Chilean pesos, display the remaining balance in the local currency and make consumption more predictable during the trip.”
Sebastián Díaz de Valdés, Argentina country manager of the Latin American fintech Global66, also speaks categorically about the advantages of paying with Pix. “It has several advantages, it allows instant transfers around the clock and enjoys almost universal acceptance in Brazil. In addition, by direct debiting in Reais, it avoids additional exchange costs and offers a very good level of security as no card details are revealed.”
To pay through these apps, users must have previously deposited dollars into their account (it works like a debit card, but not like a bank card) or, in many cases, they can also operate with an account in pesos or cryptocurrencies. Under no circumstances should you pay the 30% take on consumption in dollars.
“At Prex we note that 90% of payments made by Argentinians through this system are debited in pesos, which confirms the preference for using the currency of origin when making payments abroad,” says Conte of Prex, analyzing the preferences of its users.
DólarApp is another fintech company that Argentinians often use to make payments abroad. It is a global account that allows you to manage digital dollars and euros in addition to pesos. According to fintech data, Brazil, the United States and Europe, especially Spain, are at the top of the destinations where Argentine users use DolarApp the most.
Where and what do Argentinians consume worldwide? The data also comes from a survey by DolarApp: In the U.S., travelers tend to focus their spending on technology and sportswear, with notable purchases made at stores like Apple and Best Buy, as well as brands like Nike and Adidas. In Europe, on the other hand, consumption is mainly directed at large stores and chains such as Zara, El Corte Inglés and Primark, which are valued for their wide range and competitive prices.
Cocos’ Emiliano Bivachi lists the top performers on his platform: “We have transacted more than $28 million with a Cocos card in 50 countries. Argentina, the United States, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Spain are the 5 countries with the most unique users. The top performers are Facebook Ads, Shein, Airbnb, Amazon, Alibaba and Booking.”
What are users looking for in an app or payment card? “In a market with more and more offers, people tend to prioritize two main aspects: ease of use and clear commissions. They are looking for accounts that are easy to open, intuitive from day one and do not require complex procedures,” describe DolarApp.
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