How to receive USD in Argentina
To receive US dollars in Argentina, give the payer the SWIFT details of a dollar account at an Argentine bank, or US account details from a provider that accepts Argentine customers. Companies must then bring the proceeds into Argentina and sell them for pesos within the Banco Central de la República Argentina (BCRA) deadlines: 20 business days for services, while individuals can keep dollars credited to their own local account. This guide covers the rules, what to give the payer, how settlement works, published bank fees and platforms.
- Under the BCRA Exterior y Cambios rules, as updated by Communication A 8481 with effect from 15 September 2026, companies must bring in and settle proceeds of services sold abroad within 20 business days of receipt or crediting abroad.
- For goods sold to unrelated buyers, the general deadline to bring in export proceeds is 180 calendar days from shipment, with 365 days for leather goods, clothing, footwear and headwear and 30 days for grains and fuels.
- BCRA Communication A 8417 exempts individuals from settling service and goods export proceeds for pesos when the money is credited to a foreign currency account in their own name at a local bank, and Communication A 8481 removed the earlier US$36,000 annual cap on the service exemption.
- Banco Galicia publishes retail fees for transfers received from abroad of USD 5 up to USD 250, rising to 0.20% with a USD 50 minimum above USD 1,000, plus 0.10% on collections into a dollar account and VAT on each fee.
- Banco Provincia's foreign trade tariff, in force from 1 June 2026, lists 0.20% with a USD 30 minimum for payment of transfers, USD 15 under the Exporta Simple regime, and USD 20 for SWIFT.
- Airwallex does not list Argentina as an eligible registration country, while Wise lists Argentina among countries where customers can hold money and Payoneer publishes withdrawal fees of 1.2% to 4% to a local bank.
How to receive USD in Argentina: the short answer
Many Argentine businesses are paid in US dollars from abroad: software and IT firms, design and marketing agencies, film and audio studios, consultancies and freelancers with clients in the United States and Europe, alongside exporters of food, wine, leather, machinery and minerals. Receiving the money is the easy part. What happens next is set by the BCRA.
For a company, the core rule is that export proceeds must be brought into Argentina and sold for pesos in the official exchange market within a deadline, with limited exceptions. The official exchange market, the Mercado Libre de Cambios (MLC), is the regulated market where banks and exchange houses buy and sell foreign currency for clients. For an individual, including a freelancer, the rules changed in 2026: service and goods export proceeds credited to a dollar account in the person's own name at an Argentine bank do not have to be sold for pesos.
So the first question is not which provider to use, but who is being paid: a company or an individual. The sections below cover the BCRA rules for each, the routes for receiving dollars, the details to give a payer, how a bank settles an incoming payment, published fees and platform options. For the account side of the same question, see our guide to a USD business account in Argentina.
BCRA rules for money received from abroad
The rules sit in the BCRA's consolidated text called Exterior y Cambios (foreign trade and exchange). The obligation to bring export proceeds into Argentina and sell them in the official market comes from Decree 609/2019. Communication A 8417 of 9 April 2026 and Communication A 8481 of 14 September 2026 updated the text, the latter with effect from 15 September 2026.
Services sold abroad
A company that sells services to non-residents must bring in and settle the proceeds within 20 business days of receipt or of the funds being credited abroad, under point 2.2.1 of the text as updated by A 8481. Companies registered under the knowledge economy promotion regime of Decree 679/22, such as qualifying software and professional services firms, may keep part of their service export proceeds in a special foreign currency account, subject to a certificate, listed service codes and a cap linked to growth in exports since 2021.
Goods sold abroad
The deadline to bring in goods export proceeds runs from shipment and depends on the product and on whether the buyer is related to the exporter. Once collected, the exporter has 20 business days to bring the money in and settle it.
| Who is paid, for what | Deadline | Must it be sold for pesos? |
|---|---|---|
| Company, services sold to non-residents | 20 business days from receipt or crediting abroad | Yes, unless an exception applies |
| Company, most goods, unrelated buyer | 180 calendar days from shipment | Yes |
| Company, leather goods, clothing, footwear, headwear, or Exporta Simple shipments | 365 calendar days from shipment | Yes |
| Company, goods sold to a related buyer, and ores and precious metals | 60 calendar days from shipment | Yes |
| Company, grains, oilseeds and fuels | 30 calendar days from shipment | Yes |
| Knowledge economy company, services | As above | Part may be kept in a special account, subject to conditions |
| Individual, services or goods, credited to own dollar account at a local bank | Not applicable | No, if tax neutral and not acting for a company |
Sources: BCRA Communications A 8417 (9 April 2026) and A 8481 (14 September 2026); Allende & Brea summary of A 8481 (15 September 2026). As published on 29 October 2026.
A related buyer is a company in the same group, for example a subsidiary abroad. Exporta Simple is a simplified regime for small export shipments. Settling, in this context, means the bank buys the dollars from you for pesos at the official rate and records the operation.
Individuals and freelancers
Communication A 8417 exempted individuals from settling service export proceeds, across all service types, and goods export proceeds, provided the money is credited to a foreign currency account in their own name at a local bank and the transaction is tax neutral. The exemption does not cover individuals acting on behalf of a company. Communication A 8481 removed the closed list of eligible services and the earlier annual cap of US$36,000, together with its sworn statement. Banks record these receipts with a registration that moves no pesos, under concept code A22, and may not charge a commission for that registration.
The ways to receive US dollars in Argentina
The table compares the routes. It is not a ranking, and the right one depends on who is paid.
| Route | How the payer pays | What happens to the dollars | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dollar account at an Argentine bank | SWIFT wire through the bank's correspondent | Company: settled for pesos within the deadline. Individual: can stay in dollars | Exporters of goods, service companies, freelancers |
| US account details from a provider abroad, in the company's name | ACH or Fedwire, as a US domestic payment | Company: deadline still runs; transfer to the Argentine bank to settle | Service firms with US clients that want faster collection |
| Payment platform balance | Through the platform, a marketplace or a payment link | Withdrawn to a local account under the same rules | Freelancers and marketplace sellers |
| US company with a US account | ACH or Fedwire | Held by the US company, which is a separate entity | Groups with US operations and US contracts |
| Stablecoins through a CNV-registered provider | USDC or USDT on a blockchain | Held with the provider; not a bank deposit | Take advice before using for export income |
Sources: BCRA Communications A 8417 and A 8481; CNV General Resolution 1058, as published on 29 October 2026.
SWIFT is the international network banks use to send cross-border payments. ACH is the low-cost US domestic bank transfer system, and Fedwire is the Federal Reserve's real-time system for large or urgent US dollar payments. The CNV, the Comisión Nacional de Valores, is Argentina's securities regulator, and under Law 27,739 and General Resolution 1058 the platforms that exchange or hold crypto assets for clients must register with it as virtual asset service providers (PSAV).
An account abroad changes how fast a US client can pay, not the Argentine obligation. For a company, the 20 business day clock for services starts when the money is credited abroad, so plan the transfer to the Argentine bank at the same time as the invoice is paid.
What to give the payer, and how the bank settles it
A foreign payer cannot use the CBU alone, the code that identifies Argentine bank accounts for domestic transfers. It needs your bank's international inbound instructions, which the bank provides for its dollar accounts.
| Field | What to write | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficiary name | Registered name exactly as on the account | Trade name or abbreviation |
| Beneficiary account | The US dollar account number in the format your bank gives for inbound wires | The peso account or the CBU alone |
| Beneficiary bank and SWIFT code | Bank's full name, address and 8 or 11 character code | Branch name only |
| Intermediary bank | The US correspondent your bank names, with its SWIFT code and the bank's account there | Left out |
| Charges | OUR, if the payer agreed to pay all fees | SHA by default, so the amount arrives short |
| Reference | Invoice number, and for goods the export declaration number | No reference, so matching is delayed |
Field list reflects standard SWIFT practice; confirm your bank's exact inbound instructions. As published on 29 October 2026.
A correspondent bank is a bank that holds an account for another bank and settles payments in its currency. OUR, SHA and BEN are SWIFT charge codes: OUR means the sender pays all fees, SHA shares them so intermediaries can deduct theirs in transit, and BEN puts them all on the receiver.
How the bank settles an incoming payment
When a payment from abroad arrives, it waits as an orden de pago, a payment order, until you instruct the bank. BBVA Argentina's published guide for its corporate online banking sets out the steps: select the pending payment order, enter the amount to settle, the concept and the account to credit, complete the sworn statements that match the concept, choose an automatic or requested exchange rate quotation, attach any documents the system asks for, and sign. For goods exports, the guide shows that shipping permits or courier guides, with FOB, freight and insurance amounts, can be loaded against the concept. FOB, free on board, is the value of goods loaded for shipment before freight and insurance.
The concept is the BCRA code that classifies the operation, for example a goods export or a type of service. Choose it carefully, because it drives the sworn statements and the documents the bank requests.
How long a USD payment takes
There are two clocks: how long the money takes to arrive, and the BCRA deadline to settle it once it has.
| Step | Published timing | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ACH to US account details | About 80% of ACH volume settles in one banking day or less | Nacha, 28 August 2023 |
| Fedwire to US account details | Real-time gross settlement, final and irrevocable once processed; business day 9:00 p.m. ET the previous day to 7:00 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday | Federal Reserve |
| SWIFT wire to an Argentine bank | Depends on the correspondent chain and complete details | Bank processing |
| Company: settle service proceeds | Within 20 business days of receipt or crediting abroad | BCRA A 8481 |
| Company: settle goods proceeds once collected | Within 20 business days of collection, inside the deadline from shipment | BCRA A 8481 |
Sources: Nacha; Federal Reserve, About the Fedwire Funds Service; BCRA Communication A 8481. As published on 29 October 2026.
Real-time gross settlement means each payment settles individually as it is processed, rather than in batches.
What it costs: published bank and platform fees
Argentine banks publish their foreign trade commissions. The table shows published charges from two banks and from platforms. Other banks set their own.
| Provider and item | Published charge |
|---|---|
| Banco Provincia: payment of transfers (pago de giros y/o transferencias) | 0.20%, minimum USD 30 |
| Banco Provincia: payment of transfers under Exporta Simple | USD 15 |
| Banco Provincia: correspondent commission | USD 30 |
| Banco Provincia: SWIFT on transfers | USD 20 |
| Banco Provincia: release of funds on export collections | 0.125%, minimum USD 60 |
| Banco Galicia, individuals: transfer received from abroad | USD 5 up to USD 250; USD 10 from USD 251 to 500; USD 25 from USD 501 to 1,000; 0.20%, minimum USD 50, above USD 1,000 |
| Banco Galicia, individuals: collection into a dollar account | Additional 0.10% |
| Payoneer: receiving into a non-local-currency receiving account | 1%, minimum $1 |
| Payoneer: withdrawal to a local bank account | 1.2% to 4% |
| Grey: withdrawal in pesos to an Argentine bank | $2 plus 0.20% |
Sources: Banco Provincia, Cuadro Tarifario de Comisiones y cargos de Comercio Exterior, in force from 1 June 2026; Banco Galicia, international transfer commissions for individuals (VAT applies to each fee); Payoneer fees page (updated 1 January 2026); Grey, "Grey charges explained" (fees stated as at March 2026). As published on 29 October 2026.
On a USD 20,000 transfer to an individual at Galicia, 0.20% is USD 40, below the USD 50 minimum, so the fee is USD 50 plus 0.10% on the collection into a dollar account and VAT. Banco Macro announced on 7 July 2025, as reported by Bloomberg Línea, that individuals would pay no commission to receive dollar transfers from abroad, with the report citing a limit of US$10,000. Ask your bank for its current company tariff, because retail and corporate charges differ.
For a company, the largest cost is usually not the fee but the rate at which the bank buys the dollars when proceeds are settled. Ask for the quotation before you confirm, or choose the requested quotation option where your bank offers it.
Payoneer, Wise and other platforms
Platforms are widely used by Argentine freelancers. Each provider sets its own country list. The table records what each provider's own page states, as published on 29 October 2026.
| Provider | What its own page states for Argentina | Point to check |
|---|---|---|
| Airwallex | Argentina is not on its list of eligible registration countries | Not available to Argentine companies |
| Wise | Argentina is on the list of countries where customers can hold money | Business features and USD account details for your profile |
| Payoneer | Fees published globally; fees depend on sender and recipient locations | Withdrawal options and fees shown in the account |
| Grey | Lists peso withdrawals to Argentine banks | Setup written for individuals |
Sources: Airwallex eligible countries; Wise country list; Payoneer fees page; Grey fees. As published on 29 October 2026.
For an individual, the 2026 exemption only covers proceeds credited to a foreign currency account in the person's own name at a local bank. Money withdrawn from a platform in pesos has already been converted at the platform's rate. A freelancer who wants to keep dollars should check whether the platform can pay out in dollars to the local account.
Stablecoins
Argentina regulates the providers that exchange or hold crypto assets, including stablecoins such as USDC and USDT, rather than the assets themselves. Under Law 27,739 and CNV General Resolution 1058, those providers must register with the CNV, and providers that do not meet the requirements cannot operate in Argentina. A stablecoin balance is not a bank deposit, and for a company the BCRA settlement obligation attaches to the export, whatever the payment method. Take advice before accepting stablecoins for goods or services sold abroad.
Where a Helm account fits
Helm serves companies registered in Argentina. Helm is a financial technology company, not a bank, and accounts are held with regulated partner institutions. A Helm account gives the company USD account details in its own name, with a US routing and account number that receives ACH, Fedwire and SWIFT, so a US client pays the invoice as it pays a domestic supplier.
- Collecting from US clients. The client pays the Helm account by ACH or Fedwire. The company then transfers the proceeds to its Argentine bank to bring them in and settle within the BCRA deadline for that export: 20 business days for services.
- Exporters that also import. Helm sends international payments by SWIFT and by local rails in the supplier's currency where available, with the rate, fee and expected arrival shown before sending, within the rules on access to the official market.
- Stablecoins. The account can receive, send and convert USDC and USDT to USD inside the account; the settlement obligation on export proceeds still applies.
- Trade finance. Receivables finance, supplier finance and working capital are arranged case by case.
Each company has a named account manager, and review questions are answered in writing within one business day. Helm agrees pricing with each business in writing before the account opens. Before routing export proceeds through any account outside Argentina, confirm the settlement steps and documents with your Argentine bank.
Checklist for receiving USD in Argentina
- Decide who is paid: the company, or an individual in their own name.
- Give payers your bank's full inbound SWIFT instructions, not only the CBU.
- Agree OUR charges for large invoices.
- For a company, diary 20 business days from each service receipt, and the deadline from shipment for each export.
- Choose the right concept code and keep invoices, contracts and export declarations together.
- Ask for the exchange rate quotation before settling.
- Use only CNV-registered providers for any crypto asset activity.
Open a Helm account
USD, EUR and GBP accounts in your company's name, with a named account manager.
Open accountQuestions
How can a company in Argentina receive US dollars from abroad?
The payer sends a SWIFT wire to the company's dollar account at an Argentine bank, or pays US account details the company holds with a provider abroad. The company must then bring the proceeds into Argentina and settle them for pesos within the BCRA deadline: 20 business days for services, and a period from shipment for goods.
Do Argentine companies have to sell export dollars for pesos?
Yes, in most cases. Decree 609/2019 and the BCRA Exterior y Cambios rules require companies to bring export proceeds into Argentina and settle them in the official exchange market within set deadlines. Exceptions include part of the service proceeds of qualifying knowledge economy firms under Decree 679/22.
Can Argentine freelancers keep the dollars they earn from foreign clients?
Yes. BCRA Communication A 8417 exempts individuals from selling service and goods export proceeds for pesos when the money is credited to a foreign currency account in their own name at a local bank and the transaction is tax neutral. Communication A 8481 removed the earlier US$36,000 annual cap on the service exemption.
How many days does an Argentine company have to settle service export income?
Under the consolidated text updated by BCRA Communication A 8481, effective 15 September 2026, proceeds of services sold to non-residents must be brought in and settled within 20 business days of receipt or of being credited abroad.
What details does a foreign client need to pay an Argentine bank account in USD?
The client needs the registered account name, the dollar account number in the format the bank gives for inbound wires, the bank's full name and SWIFT code, and the US correspondent bank with the bank's account there. The CBU alone is not enough for an international payment.
How much do Argentine banks charge to receive a transfer from abroad?
Each bank publishes its own commissions. Banco Galicia's retail tariff charges USD 5 up to USD 250, rising to 0.20% with a USD 50 minimum above USD 1,000, plus 0.10% on collections into a dollar account and VAT. Banco Provincia's foreign trade tariff lists 0.20% with a USD 30 minimum for payment of transfers, plus USD 20 for SWIFT.
Can I use Wise or Payoneer to receive USD in Argentina?
Wise lists Argentina among countries where customers can hold money, and Payoneer publishes fees of 1% to receive into a non-local-currency receiving account and 1.2% to 4% to withdraw to a local bank. Airwallex does not list Argentina as an eligible registration country. Company export proceeds remain subject to the BCRA settlement rules whichever platform is used.
Can an Argentine company receive dollars into an account abroad?
A payer can pay an account abroad in the company's name, but the BCRA deadline still applies. For services, the 20 business days run from the date the money is credited abroad, so the company must transfer it to its Argentine bank and settle it within that period.
Is it legal to receive USDT or USDC in Argentina?
Argentina regulates the providers that exchange or hold crypto assets rather than the assets themselves. Under Law 27,739 and CNV General Resolution 1058, providers must register with the CNV. For a company, the BCRA settlement obligation attaches to the export whatever the payment method, so take advice before accepting stablecoins for exports.
References
- 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)
- 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)
- Banco Galicia: International transfer commissions for individuals
- BBVA Argentina: Liquidación de Órdenes de Pago, Net Cash guide
- Payoneer: Fees
- Government of Argentina: Regulation of virtual asset service providers (CNV General Resolution 1058)
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.