Send Money from the USA to Argentina

There is no single cheapest provider on this corridor — it depends on how much you send and how your recipient is paid. Compare the total amount received in Argentine pesos rather than the advertised fee, since the exchange rate margin is usually the larger cost. Bank deposit is typically cheaper than cash pickup.

Most transfers on this corridor arrive within one to three business days. Paying by debit card is generally faster than a bank transfer, and transfers initiated outside banking hours may not begin processing until the next working day.

Across the providers we compare, the available payout methods are Mercado Pago, bank deposit and cash pickup. The most widely used options in Argentina are bank deposit, Mercado Pago and a wide cash pickup network. Argentina's currency controls were largely dismantled in April 2025, and the gap between the official and informal rates has since narrowed to near nothing — a major change from how this corridor worked for years. Not every provider supports every method, so check the table above before you commit.

No. Remitly, Western Union, Xoom, WorldRemit, Ria Money Transfer and MoneyGram offer cash pickup in Argentina, so your recipient can collect the funds with valid photo ID and the transfer reference number. That said, bank deposit, Mercado Pago and a wide cash pickup network generally cost less than cash collection.

Providers rarely give you the mid-market rate — the reference rate you see on Google or Reuters. Instead they add a margin, typically between 0.4% and 4%, and keep the difference. That margin is often larger than the visible transfer fee, which is why a "no fee" service can still be more expensive overall. For USD to ARS, compare the quoted rate against the mid-market rate to see the real spread you are paying.

Yes, provided you use a licensed provider. Every service listed on this page is regulated in the USA under FinCEN and state money-transmitter licences, which requires safeguarding of customer funds and identity verification. Send only to people you know personally, keep your transfer reference private, and be sceptical of anyone pressuring you to send money urgently to someone you have not met.

Yes. Each provider sets its own transfer limits, which vary by how much identity verification you have completed and how you pay. Larger transfers may require additional documentation such as proof of source of funds. For transfers above roughly $10,000, a specialist foreign-exchange broker will often beat an app on rate.

Wise's own Argentina page says it cannot send ARS from the US: "We're working hard to allow customers to send ARS to Argentina from the US - but we're not quite there yet." It offers a waiting list rather than a transfer. If you already use that service, you will need an alternative from the comparison table above for this corridor.

Argentina's exchange controls — the 'cepo cambiario' in place since 2019 — were largely dismantled in April 2025, and the peso now floats within a band. The gap between the official rate and the informal 'blue dollar' rate, historically 30% to 50%, had narrowed to roughly 1.3% by August 2026. In practice this means the question of which rate your provider uses, once the single biggest cost factor on this corridor, now matters far less than it did. That said, the band is a policy choice and rates remain politically sensitive. Check the live quote before sending rather than assuming the gap has stayed closed. A 1% US federal excise tax applies to remittance transfers funded with cash, a money order or a cashier's check, effective January 2026. Transfers funded from a bank account, debit card or credit card are not subject to it — so how you pay can change the total cost. Wise appears on its own destination list for Argentina but cannot actually send ARS here from the US - its corridor page offers a waiting list instead. Treat Wise's destination list as marketing rather than availability.