Send Money to Argentina from the UK: Cheapest Ways Compared (2026)

You live in the UK and someone in Argentina needs pesos from you: a parent in Córdoba, a landlord in Palermo asking for a deposit, a developer in Rosario you hired on Upwork, a tour operator in Mendoza. Every option you already know (Wise, Remitly, Western Union, PayPal, a Barclays wire) reaches Argentina, but each one converts your pounds at a different rate and takes a different cut, and the difference between the best and the worst is not small. This guide puts the numbers side by side for a £400 transfer in September 2026. For the general picture across all countries, read our main guide on sending money to Argentina from abroad.

The short answer: on £400, CacaoCash delivers the most pesos (approx. 854,000 ARS) because it converts at the crypto dollar rate instead of the official one, and it is the only option that lands instantly, 24/7, as a normal local transfer to an alias, CVU or CBU. Remitly comes second on pesos, Wise is fine but pays at the official rate, and a SWIFT wire is the worst on both money and time. Rates move every day, so treat every figure here as a snapshot, not a promise.

What it costs to send £400 to Argentina from the UK (September 2026)

Assumptions: Wise deducts its fee from the £400; Remitly and PayPal charge their fee on top, so the full £400 converts; SWIFT and Western Union fees are deducted along the way. Where a provider quotes in dollars, £400 is converted at the implied mid-market of approx. 1.34 US$ per £ (US$536); the exact US$ you get for your pounds depends on your bank or card. Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000 ARS and are a mid-September 2026 snapshot.

Wise is honest about its fee and shows a "mid-market" rate, but for Argentina mid-market means the official/wholesale peso, around 1,514.5 ARS per US$ at the time of the check. Your £400 minus £8.68 lands as approx. 794,000 pesos in a CBU. Wise pays out to bank accounts only, not to Mercado Pago. Details in does Wise work in Argentina. If you use Revolut instead, the same logic applies: see does Revolut work in Argentina.

Remitly was, at the time of the check, showing a rate above Wise's mid-market (2,048.57 vs 2,028.75 ARS per £) with a fee of £0.99 to £1.99 when funded from a bank. That puts it ahead of Wise on pesos delivered (approx. 819,000). Remitly's base rate normally sits below mid-market, so compare the final peso figure on the day, not the fee.

Western Union waives the fee on your first online transfer, but the money is made on the exchange rate, typically 3-6% below mid-market. Our estimate uses a rate equivalent to 1,470 ARS per US$, which gives roughly 788,000 pesos; the standard fee after the promo depends on payout and funding method, so treat this row as an estimate. Full comparison in Western Union vs crypto for Argentina. MoneyGram also reaches Argentina, but only as a bank or wallet deposit (no cash pickup).

PayPal is the wrong tool: the recipient needs an Argentine PayPal account, can only withdraw to a bank in pesos at PayPal's rate (official minus a 3-4% spread), pays ARS 75 to receive, and waits days for the withdrawal. About 764,000 pesos, estimated.

A SWIFT wire is the worst option on every axis. Barclays charges nothing online (£25 in branch), but an intermediary bank takes US$15-35 out of the amount, the Argentine bank charges to receive (Banco Nación US$70 flat, Banco Galicia US$10 in the US$251-500 tier), the conversion happens at the bank's buying rate of about 1,485 ARS per US$, it takes 2-5 business days, and the recipient often has to justify the origin of the funds before they can touch them. Depending on the banks involved, £400 becomes anywhere from approx. 640,000 to 759,000 pesos.

How the crypto dollar changes the math

Argentina has several dollar prices at once. Banks, Wise and remittance apps convert at the official or wholesale rate, between about 1,485 and 1,535 ARS per US$ in September 2026. Inside the country, dollars change hands at the crypto or blue rate, around 1,594 ARS per US$. That gap is about 4%, and it comes on top of whatever fee or spread each provider charges. So a provider that says "no fee" at the official rate is still paying you 4% less than your money is worth locally.

CacaoCash converts at the crypto dollar rate, which is why the same £400 ends up as approx. 854,000 pesos instead of 794,000. The rate is shown in the app before you confirm. If you want the full explanation of why the card dollar, the official dollar and the crypto dollar are different numbers, read card dollar vs crypto dollar, and check today's Argentina dollar rate before you send.

How to send pesos from the UK with CacaoCash

1. Download the app for iOS or Android.
2. Sign up with your email, Google or Apple account.
3. Verify your identity with your passport or national ID through Persona. No Argentine DNI, CUIT or bank account is needed, and you do not need to be in Argentina.
4. Fund your balance. From the UK you can use a debit or credit card (a card processing fee applies), crypto such as USDC from any exchange (no CacaoCash fee), a SWIFT wire from your UK bank (no CacaoCash fee, your bank may charge), or a SEPA transfer in euros if you hold euros in Wise or Revolut, which many UK expats do (no CacaoCash fee). Your balance is held in US$.
5. Enter the recipient's alias, CVU or CBU. A text message from them is enough. If those words are new to you, read alias, CVU and CBU explained.
6. Check the rate and the peso amount shown on screen. It is the crypto dollar rate (reference 1,594 ARS per US$ in September 2026; the exact rate is shown in the app before you confirm).
7. Confirm. The pesos arrive in seconds through Transferencias 3.0, 24/7, as a normal local transfer. The recipient needs nothing beyond their existing bank or Mercado Pago account.

UK-specific things to know

• No remittance tax. The UK does not tax outbound personal transfers, unlike the 1% federal excise the US applies to some cash-funded remittances since 2026. What you pay is only the provider's fee and rate.
• Barclays and the other high-street banks let you send an international payment online for £0 (Barclays charges £25 in branch), but the fee at your end is the small part. The intermediary and Argentine receiving fees, plus the official-rate conversion, are what shrink the amount.
• Pounds vs euros. CacaoCash has no GBP-specific rail like ACH or SEPA. If you already keep a euro balance in Wise or Revolut, a SEPA transfer is the cheapest way to fund it; otherwise use a card for speed or crypto for zero CacaoCash fee.
• Timing. Argentina is 4 hours behind London in September (UK on BST, UTC+1, Argentina on UTC-3). Since a CacaoCash transfer settles instantly, including nights, weekends and Argentine bank holidays, the time difference only matters if you go through a bank.
• Amounts. The Argentine bank fee tiers (for example Galicia's US$10 for US$251-500) mean that small wires get hit proportionally harder. Under about US$1,000 a SWIFT wire rarely makes sense.

Who uses this from the UK

• Argentines in London supporting family. A fixed peso amount every month, landing the moment it is sent, with no one queuing at a Western Union counter.
• Brits moving to Buenos Aires who need to pay a rent deposit before they arrive. Landlords ask for a transfer to their alias; see paying rent in Buenos Aires as a foreigner.
• UK companies and founders paying Argentine freelancers (developers, designers, video editors, accountants). They get pesos in their account instead of a PayPal balance they have to sell at a discount.
• Travellers paying for trips in advance: estancias, Patagonia guides, language schools, anyone who sends you an alias and expects a local transfer. More in how to send pesos to Argentina as a foreigner.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest way to send money from the UK to Argentina?

On £400 in September 2026, CacaoCash delivered the most pesos (approx. 854,000) because it converts at the crypto dollar rate with no transfer fee, followed by Remitly (approx. 819,000) and Wise (approx. 794,000). A SWIFT wire delivered the least. Our main guide on sending money to Argentina from abroad covers the same comparison for other countries.

Does Wise send money to Argentina from the UK?

Yes, from the UK Wise pays out in pesos to a bank account (CBU) at its mid-market rate, which for Argentina is effectively the official rate, plus a fee of £8.68 on £400. It does not pay out to Mercado Pago or other wallets.

Can I pay in pounds, or do I need dollars?

You fund CacaoCash in pounds with a card, in euros by SEPA if you hold euros in Wise or Revolut, by SWIFT from your UK bank, or with crypto. The balance is held in US$ and converted to pesos at the crypto dollar rate when you send.

Does the person in Argentina need an app or a dollar account?

No. They receive a normal peso transfer into their existing bank, Mercado Pago or Ualá account. You only need their alias, CVU or CBU.

How long does a transfer from the UK take to arrive?

With CacaoCash the pesos land in seconds, any day and any hour, because the transfer settles on Argentina's real-time system. Wise and Remitly take from minutes to two business days, and a SWIFT wire takes 2-5 business days.