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

You are in the United States and someone in Argentina needs pesos in their account: a parent in Córdoba, a landlord in Palermo waiting for a deposit, a developer in Rosario who just sent you an invoice. This guide compares what US$500 actually turns into by each method available from the US in September 2026 (Wise, Remitly, Western Union, PayPal, a SWIFT wire and CacaoCash), and then walks through the one that lands the most pesos.

The short version: from the US, the most pesos per dollar on a recurring basis come from converting at the crypto dollar rate and sending straight to an alias, CVU or CBU, which is what CacaoCash does, instantly and with no transfer fee. Remitly's first-transfer promo can beat it once, then drops. Wise does not serve this corridor yet. For the general picture across all countries, read the main guide to sending money to Argentina from abroad; this one is only about the US.

What it costs to send US$500 to Argentina from the USA (September 2026)

Assumption: Remitly, PayPal and the SWIFT sending fee are charged on top of the US$500 (you pay US$500 plus the fee), while intermediary and Argentine receiving fees on a wire are deducted from the amount before conversion. Pesos are rounded to the nearest 1,000. All rates are a mid-September 2026 snapshot and move daily; check today's Argentine dollar rate before you send.

Wise is the option most people in the US reach for first, and it is simply not open for USD to ARS yet: the corridor sits on a waitlist. Even where Wise does pay out pesos (from the UK or the eurozone), its "mid-market" rate for the peso is effectively the official or wholesale rate, not what dollars are worth inside Argentina. Details in does Wise work in Argentina, and the same applies to Revolut.

Remitly is the strongest of the remittance apps from the US. The bank-funded fee is US$4.99 and its base rate of 1,556 ARS per US$ is above the official rate, though still below the crypto dollar. The 1,603 promo rate applies to your first transfer only, which is why the table shows two numbers: approx. 802,000 pesos the first time, 778,000 after that. Funding with a card costs more than the US$4.99 shown.

Western Union waives its fee on the first online transfer, but the cost is in the exchange rate, which WU sets itself and which typically sits 3-6% below mid-market. The 735,000 figure is an estimate at an assumed 1,470 ARS per US$; standard fees after the promo depend on payout and funding method and change often. More in Western Union vs crypto for Argentina. MoneyGram also reaches Argentina, bank or wallet deposit only, no cash pickup.

PayPal looks cheap on the fee line (5%, capped at US$4.99 for this amount) and loses on everything else: a 3-4% conversion spread over the official rate, ARS 75 to receive, and the recipient needs an Argentine PayPal account and can only withdraw to a bank in pesos, which is another step and another wait.

A SWIFT wire is the worst way to move US$500. Chase charges US$40 online or US$50 in branch to send, an intermediary bank deducts US$15-35 in transit, and the Argentine bank charges to receive (Banco Galicia US$10 for amounts between US$251 and US$500, Banco Nación US$70 flat). What is left converts at the bank's buying rate of about 1,485, it takes 2-5 business days, and the recipient often has to justify the origin of the funds before the pesos are released.

How the crypto dollar changes the math

Argentina has more than one exchange rate for the same dollar. Banks, Wise and the remittance apps convert at (or below) the official or wholesale rate, about 1,485 to 1,535 ARS per US$ in September 2026. Inside the country, dollars change hands at the crypto dollar rate, around 1,594 ARS per US$ (the blue is close, at 1,530 to 1,550). That gap is roughly 4%, and it comes before any provider fee or spread. On US$500 it is about 30,000 to 55,000 pesos that a bank or an app keeps, and the recipient never sees.

CacaoCash converts at the crypto dollar rate (reference 1,594 ARS per US$ in September 2026; the exact rate is shown in the app before you confirm), so the recipient gets pesos at what the money is actually worth locally. For the full explanation of why the same dollar has different prices in Argentina, read card dollar vs crypto dollar, and check today's rate for the current numbers.

How to send pesos from the USA with CacaoCash

1. Download the app, CacaoCash is available for iOS and 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.
4. Fund your balance. From the US the usual route is ACH from your bank account, which has no CacaoCash fee. You can also use a debit or credit card (card processing fee applies), a SWIFT wire, or crypto (USDC and other major assets, no CacaoCash fee). If your money sits in Venmo or Cash App, see how to deposit with Cash App and how to deposit with Venmo or PayPal.
5. Enter the recipient's alias, CVU or CBU. A text message from them is enough. If those three words are new to you, the alias, CVU and CBU explainer covers it in two minutes.
6. Check the rate and the peso amount, both shown on screen before anything moves.
7. Confirm. The pesos settle through Transferencias 3.0 in seconds, 24/7, as a normal local transfer. The recipient needs nothing but their existing bank or Mercado Pago account.

USA-specific things to know

• The 1% remittance tax. Since January 2026 the US applies a 1% federal excise tax on international money transfers funded with cash, money orders or cashier's checks. Transfers funded from a bank account or a card are exempt. Funding CacaoCash by ACH or card keeps you on the exempt side.
• Wise is not an option yet. USD to ARS is on a waitlist. If you have a Wise account, its USD balance can still fund CacaoCash by SWIFT, but there is no direct peso payout.
• Bank wire fees are high. Chase charges US$40 online and US$50 in branch for an international wire; other large US banks are similar. On US$500 that is 8-10% before the intermediary and receiving fees.
• ACH is free but not instant. Load your CacaoCash balance ahead of the day you need to send. Once the balance is there, every peso transfer is instant, including nights and weekends. Card funding is faster but carries a card processing fee.
• Remitly's promo is one-time. The 1,603 rate is for the first transfer. From the second transfer on, compare against the 1,556 base rate.

Who uses this from the USA

• Argentines in the US supporting family, a fixed peso amount every month to a parent's alias, arriving the moment it is sent.
• Americans moving to Buenos Aires, paying a rent deposit or the first month before landing. See how to pay rent in Buenos Aires as a foreigner.
• US companies and founders paying Argentine freelancers, developers, designers, accountants, who invoice in dollars and want pesos in their account, not a PayPal balance.
• Travelers and part-time residents, paying a tour operator, an estancia, a Spanish teacher or an Airbnb host who asks for a transfer to an alias. More in sending pesos in Argentina as a foreigner.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

On a recurring basis, converting at the crypto dollar rate and sending directly to an alias, CVU or CBU. In September 2026 that puts approx. 797,000 pesos on the other end for US$500 with CacaoCash, against 778,000 with Remitly after its first-transfer promo and 587,000 to 705,000 with a SWIFT wire. The main guide compares every route in more detail.

Can I use Wise to send dollars to Argentina from the US?

Not yet. The USD to ARS corridor is on a waitlist. From the UK or the eurozone Wise does pay out pesos, but at its mid-market rate, which for the peso is effectively the official rate.

Does the 1% US remittance tax apply?

Only to transfers funded with cash, money orders or cashier's checks. Bank-funded (ACH) and card-funded transfers are exempt, so funding CacaoCash from your bank account or card is not taxed.

Does the person in Argentina need CacaoCash or a dollar account?

No. They receive a normal peso transfer into their existing bank, Mercado Pago or wallet account. They do not need to download anything, and there is no receiving fee.

How long does the money take to arrive?

The peso transfer itself is instant, 24/7, through Argentina's real-time interbank system. The only wait is loading your balance: ACH takes longer than a card, so fund ahead of time if the transfer is date-sensitive.