USD to ARS for business payments
When you pay an Argentine supplier, the conversion from US dollars to Argentine pesos (ARS) usually happens in Argentina: you send dollars, and the supplier settles them for pesos in the official exchange market under BCRA rules. The peso moves inside a band the central bank publishes and updates for inflation. This page covers the band regime, the settlement rules your supplier works under, the details to collect, published bank charges and how to choose the payment currency.
- The BCRA, Argentina's central bank, started its exchange rate band system on 11 April 2025 with a range of 1,000 to 1,400 pesos per dollar, inside which the rate moves with supply and demand.
- Since 1 January 2026 the BCRA adjusts the band limits each month by the latest monthly inflation figure published by INDEC, and it may also intervene inside the band to avoid excessive volatility.
- An Argentine company that sells services abroad must bring in and settle the proceeds for pesos within 20 business days of receipt, under BCRA Communication A 8481.
- For most goods sold to an unrelated buyer, the deadline to bring in export proceeds is 180 calendar days from shipment, with 30, 60 and 365 day deadlines for specific products and buyers.
- Banco Provincia charges 0.20% (minimum USD 30) to pay an incoming transfer, plus a USD 30 correspondent commission and USD 20 for SWIFT, in its tariff in force from 1 June 2026.
The Argentine peso and the BCRA band
The Argentine peso (code ARS) is issued by the Banco Central de la República Argentina (BCRA). Its page on the exchange rate band regime explains that the system started on 11 April 2025 with a band of 1,000 to 1,400 pesos per dollar, inside which the rate moves with supply and demand. Until 31 December 2025 the floor fell 1% and the ceiling rose 1% each month. Since 1 January 2026, the monthly pace is set by the latest monthly inflation figure published by INDEC, the national statistics institute.
At the floor, the BCRA buys dollars; at the ceiling, it sells them; inside the band it may intervene occasionally to avoid excessive volatility. The BCRA publishes the projected band limits on that page and updates them with each consumer price release. The official market where banks and exchange houses buy and sell foreign currency for clients is the Mercado Libre de Cambios (MLC).
| Item | Argentina |
|---|---|
| Currency and code | Argentine peso, ARS |
| Issuer | Banco Central de la República Argentina (BCRA) |
| Exchange rate | Band regime since 11 April 2025; limits adjusted monthly by INDEC inflation since 1 January 2026 |
| Official market | Mercado Libre de Cambios (MLC) |
| Rulebook | BCRA consolidated text Exterior y Cambios, updated by Communications A 8417 and A 8481 |
| Domestic account code | CBU, used for transfers inside Argentina |
Sources: BCRA, Régimen de bandas cambiarias; BCRA Communication A 8481; Communication A 8417. As published on 29 October 2026.
The settlement rules your supplier works under
Argentina controls what a company does with the foreign currency it earns. An Argentine company that exports must bring the proceeds in and sell them for pesos in the MLC within a deadline, with limited exceptions. This is why paying a supplier in dollars still ends, on its side, as pesos at the market rate within the band.
| What is sold abroad | Deadline to bring in proceeds |
|---|---|
| Services, by a company | Settle within 20 business days of receipt or crediting abroad |
| Grains, oilseeds and fuels | 30 calendar days from shipment |
| Ores and precious stones and metals; other goods sold to a related buyer | 60 calendar days from shipment |
| Leather goods, clothing, footwear and headwear to an unrelated buyer; Exporta Simple shipments | 365 calendar days from shipment |
| All other goods, unrelated buyer | 180 calendar days from shipment |
Sources: BCRA Communication A 8481 (14 September 2026), as summarized by Allende & Brea. Once goods proceeds are collected, the exporter has 20 business days to bring them in and settle. As published on 29 October 2026.
A related buyer is a company in the same group. Individuals are treated differently: Communication A 8417 exempted them from settling export proceeds credited to a dollar account in their own name at a local bank, if the transaction is tax neutral. On the import side, Communication A 8226 gives Argentine companies access to the official market to pay for imported goods from customs entry registration, and small and medium firms from shipment, which matters if your Argentine counterparty also buys from you.
Details you need to pay an Argentine supplier
The CBU (Clave Bancaria Uniforme) identifies an Argentine bank account for domestic transfers, but a payer abroad cannot use the CBU alone. A SWIFT wire needs the bank's international inbound instructions for its dollar accounts, which the supplier's bank provides. When the money arrives, it waits as an orden de pago (payment order) until the supplier instructs the bank. BBVA Argentina's guide shows the supplier selecting the payment order, entering the concept code that classifies the operation, completing sworn statements, choosing an exchange rate quotation and attaching documents such as shipping permits.
| Field | What to use | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficiary name | Registered name exactly as on the account | Trade name or abbreviation |
| Beneficiary account | The dollar account number in the format the bank gives for inbound wires | The peso account, or the CBU alone |
| Bank and SWIFT code | Full bank name, address and 8 or 11 character code | Branch name only |
| Intermediary bank | The US correspondent the supplier's bank names | Left out |
| Reference | Invoice number and, for goods, the export declaration number | No reference, so matching is delayed |
Sources: BBVA Argentina, Liquidación de Órdenes de Pago; standard SWIFT practice. As published on 29 October 2026.
What converting USD to ARS costs
The conversion itself happens at the supplier's bank, at a quotation inside the BCRA band, and the supplier pays the bank's foreign trade charges. Banco Provincia's tariff, in force from 1 June 2026, shows how those charges stack up on an incoming transfer: 0.20% to pay the transfer (minimum USD 30), a USD 30 correspondent commission and USD 20 for SWIFT, or USD 15 for a transfer under Exporta Simple, the simplified regime for small export shipments. Other banks set their own figures.
On your side, the cost is your bank's wire fee plus any intermediary deductions if the wire is sent with shared charges. Because the supplier receives the dollars and converts them itself, you do not pay a peso conversion margin when you pay in dollars.
Helm agrees pricing with each business in writing before the account opens, and shows the rate, the fee and the expected arrival before you confirm each payment. See how Helm pricing works.
Helm sends USD by SWIFT with the fee and expected arrival shown before you confirm, and pays by local rails in the supplier's currency where available, confirmed by your account manager. If any provider offers to pay pesos directly to a CBU, ask how the payment is classified under BCRA rules, because the supplier's bank will need to record it. See Helm pricing.
Pay in USD or in ARS?
| Point | USD to the supplier's dollar account | ARS paid locally |
|---|---|---|
| Who converts | The supplier's bank, in the MLC, at a quotation inside the band | The provider that pays pesos |
| Exchange risk between invoice and payment | The supplier, for a dollar invoice | You, for a peso invoice |
| Supplier's obligations | Settle within the BCRA deadline with the right concept code | Depends on how the payment is classified; ask first |
| Documents the supplier needs | Invoice, export declaration, your payment reference | Invoice and the provider's payment record |
Sources: BCRA Communication A 8481; BCRA band regime; BBVA Argentina. As published on 29 October 2026.
For goods exports, the BCRA framework is built around foreign currency proceeds that the exporter settles, so a USD invoice paid by SWIFT to the supplier's dollar account is the route Argentine banks process every day. Send with OUR charges if the full invoice amount must arrive. Argentine companies collecting dollars from abroad can read our guides on how to receive USD in Argentina and to a USD business account in Argentina.
Open a Helm account
USD, EUR and GBP accounts in your company's name, with a named account manager.
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Is the Argentine peso floating?
It moves within a band. The BCRA started the band system on 11 April 2025 at 1,000 to 1,400 pesos per dollar, and since 1 January 2026 adjusts the limits monthly by the latest INDEC inflation figure. Inside the band the rate follows supply and demand.
Must an Argentine supplier convert my dollars to pesos?
A company that exports generally must bring the proceeds in and sell them for pesos in the official market within the BCRA deadline: 20 business days for services, and from 30 to 365 calendar days from shipment for goods, depending on the product and buyer.
Can I pay an Argentine supplier using its CBU?
Not by itself from abroad. The CBU identifies accounts for domestic transfers; a SWIFT wire needs the bank's international inbound instructions for its dollar account, including the SWIFT code and any US correspondent.
What does an Argentine bank charge to receive a transfer from abroad?
Each bank sets its own tariff. Banco Provincia's tariff from 1 June 2026 lists 0.20% (minimum USD 30) to pay the transfer, a USD 30 correspondent commission and USD 20 for SWIFT.
Do the settlement rules apply to Argentine freelancers?
Not in the same way. BCRA Communication A 8417 exempted individuals from settling export proceeds credited to a dollar account in their own name at a local bank, if the transaction is tax neutral.
Where can I see the current BCRA band limits?
The BCRA publishes the projected floor and ceiling of the band on its band regime page and updates them with each consumer price release from INDEC.
References
- Banco Central de la República Argentina: Régimen de bandas cambiarias
- Banco Central de la República Argentina: Communication A 8481, Exterior y Cambios (14 September 2026)
- Banco Central de la República Argentina: Communication A 8417 (9 April 2026)
- Banco Hipotecario: BCRA Communication A 8226, new exchange conditions from 14 April 2025
- Allende & Brea: BCRA eases collection of service exports and adjusts market access rules (A 8481)
- Banco Provincia: Cuadro Tarifario de Comisiones y cargos de Comercio Exterior (in force from 1 June 2026)
- BBVA Argentina: Liquidación de Órdenes de Pago, Net Cash guide
This guide is general information for businesses, not financial, legal or tax advice. Rules, fees and timings were checked against the sources listed on the review date and may change.