Reading Menus and Bills in Argentina (2026): Translate, See USD

Menus and bills in Argentina are written in Spanish and priced in pesos: a plain "$" means Argentine pesos, not dollars. Many restaurants add a cubierto (a per-person table charge), and the tip is usually not included, so about 10% on top is customary. The fastest way to make sense of it all: open CacaoCash, tap Scan and point your camera at the menu or the bill. You get the translation drawn over the photo in your language, and every price converted to USD at the rate you would actually pay with the app.

How to use Scan in CacaoCash, step by step

1. On the Home screen, tap Scan. The hint reads "Point at a menu, receipt or price tag."
2. Tap Take photo (the first time, allow camera access) or Choose from gallery to use a photo you already have.
3. Wait a few seconds while it shows Reading prices…. Scan uses AI to read and translate the text.
4. The translation appears on top of the photo, line by line, right where the original text was. Tap Show original or Show translation to switch between them.
5. Tap See transcription for a clean list of every item: original name, translated name, peso price and the ≈ US$ price. The rate used appears as "1 USD = X ARS".
6. On a bill, you also see the Subtotal, Service / tip and Total when they are printed on the paper, plus short notes on charges a visitor might miss: a per-person cubierto, service already included, or a cash-only discount.
7. Tap Scan another for the next page or the next place.

Translations go by meaning, not word by word. "Bife de chorizo" comes out as a steak cut (sirloin or strip), not sausage. Dishes with no real equivalent keep their Spanish name with a short description in parentheses, and brand and place names stay as they are.

Scan works in the app's language: English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Russian or Ukrainian. You can do up to 30 scans per day, and there is no charge for scanning. It also reads screenshots and photos from your gallery, so you can check a menu someone shared on WhatsApp or Instagram before you even sit down.

Tips for a clean scan

• Lay the menu or bill flat and avoid folds and glare.
• Use good light; move closer to a window or turn on the table lamp.
• Get close enough that the prices are sharp, one page at a time.
• If you see "We couldn't read any prices", try a closer, sharper photo.

Why the USD number matters

Scan converts pesos at the same live rate CacaoCash uses when you pay: the crypto dollar, ≈1,603 ARS per USD in October 2026. A foreign Visa or Mastercard gets the non-resident card rate, ≈1,465 ARS per USD. Fewer pesos per dollar means each peso costs you more, so the same dinner is about 9% more expensive on a card, before any foreign transaction fee your bank adds. The dollar figure Scan shows is roughly what that line costs if you pay it from CacaoCash.

Assumptions: rates as of October 2026 (crypto dollar ≈1,603, Fiserv non-resident card rate ≈1,465); card column excludes your bank's foreign transaction fee. Rates move daily; see the live Argentina dollar rate and card dollar vs crypto dollar for the full comparison.

How to read an Argentine bill

Ask for la cuenta ("la cuenta, por favor"); in Argentina the waiter rarely brings it until you ask. Here is what you will find on it:

• Cubierto: a per-person charge for the table setting and bread basket. It is common in Buenos Aires and other cities. In the City of Buenos Aires, restaurants that charge it must show its price and what it includes, and cannot charge it for children under 12, so check the menu before you order. It goes to the restaurant, not the waiter.
• Servicio de mesa: another name for a table or service charge. Usually it is the same idea as the cubierto, not a tip.
• Propina (tip): usually not included. About 10% is customary in sit-down restaurants, a bit more for great service or big groups. Cafés and bars are more relaxed; rounding up is fine. Some bills print a propina sugerida (suggested tip) line: that is a suggestion, not part of the total unless it is added in.
• Descuento en efectivo / pago en efectivo: a cash discount. Some places take a percentage off if you pay in cash or by transfer instead of card.
• Factura / ticket: the official receipt. The paper brought to the table may be a "pre-cuenta" (a draft) and the factura comes after you pay.

Card terminals in Argentina often have no tip line, so the tip usually goes in cash or, increasingly, by transfer to the waiter's or the restaurant's alias. If you have no cash, just ask: "¿Puedo dejar la propina por transferencia?"

Common menu words, decoded

Meanings are the usual ones in Buenos Aires; cuts and fillings vary a little by region. For everyday words outside the menu, see our Argentine slang guide.

Paying the bill

Scan reads the bill; it does not pay it. Once the numbers check out, pay from the same app: scan the restaurant's QR code (Mercado Pago or bank QR) with CacaoCash, or send pesos to the restaurant's alias. The money comes from your USD balance at the crypto dollar, and you do not need a DNI or an Argentine bank account. See how to pay QR in Argentina without a DNI and CBU vs CVU vs alias if transfers are new to you. You can send the tip the same way to the waiter's alias.

Before you confirm, check that the name shown for the QR or alias matches the restaurant. A swapped QR sticker is one of the tricks covered in our money scams in Argentina guide. For every other way to pay, start with how to pay in Argentina as a foreigner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does "$" mean dollars in Argentina?

No. A plain "$" means Argentine pesos. Dollar prices are written "US$", "U$S" or "USD". Scan follows the same rule, so a "$12.000" empanada line is read as 12,000 pesos.

Is tipping expected in Argentina?

Yes, in sit-down restaurants. The tip is usually not on the bill, and about 10% is customary. The cubierto is not a tip; it goes to the restaurant.

What is the cubierto?

A per-person charge for the table setting and bread. Many restaurants charge it; in the City of Buenos Aires they must show its price and what it includes, and children under 12 do not pay it. Scan flags it in its notes when it appears on the bill.

Can I scan a menu photo from Instagram or WhatsApp?

Yes. Tap Choose from gallery and pick the screenshot or photo. It works the same as a live photo.

Which languages does Scan translate into?

The app's language: English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Russian or Ukrainian.

Does Scan pay or split the bill?

No. It reads, translates and converts the prices. You pay separately in the app by scanning the restaurant's QR or sending pesos to its alias.

Order without guessing

Next time a Spanish menu lands on your table, point, read it in your language and see every price in dollars at the rate you will actually pay. Get CacaoCash.

Checked October 2026.

Sources

• City of Buenos Aires: who can charge the table service (servicio de mesa).
• Landing Pad BA: tipping and gratuities in Argentina (≈10% tip, cubierto is separate).
• Flight Centre: tipping in Buenos Aires (tipping customs).