Cards

Credit & Debit Cards

Cards

In Argentina there are seven different credit cards operating on national level. Five of these are owned by banks and function on an open system.

These are: Visa, MasterCard, Credencial, Carta Franca and Cabal. These cards can be issued by different institutions; there is no exclusive relationship with the issuing institution.

The other two credit cards are Diners and American Express. These two credit cards have an exclusive relationship with the issuing institutions and may be accepted in less retail outlets as a form of payment. At regional level there are several more credit cards available.

Debit Cards

Debit cards are generally issued by international brands such as Visa with Electron or MasterCard with Maestro. These cards function through the ATM networks of Banelco and Link in Argentina. There are no costs attached to applying for a debit card. When specifically applying for a debit card that allows making use of ATM’s and other expected operations, the financial institution where you open your account should give you this debit card. Other cards may be available with additional charges.

Debit cards in Argentina can be used to make payments at businesses such as supermarkets, pharmacies, restaurants, gas stations, clothing stores, etc. Businesses that allow payments by debit card can be recognized by the debit card logos on their establishments.

With ATM cards the following transactions can be made:

  • check balance
  • look at last transactions
  • cash withdrawals
  • payments through the electronic payment system and credit cards
  • cash and cheque deposits
  • Money transfers to own accounts or accounts of third parties, at the same or another financial entity.

Further reading

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