How to Pay Someone in Argentina Without a Local Account (2026)

To pay someone in Argentina without a local account, ask for their alias (or CVU or CBU) and send pesos from an app that works with a passport, such as CacaoCash. You enter the amount in pesos, see the dollar cost with the 2.5% fee before confirming, and they get a normal transfer. Cash only? Use an ATM or Western Union.

It happens in the first week. The tour guide finishes the walk and says "te paso mi alias". Your Spanish teacher wants the month paid by transfer. The cleaner, the landlord, the freelancer, the person selling you a used bike on Marketplace: almost everyone in Argentina expects a peso transfer, and you have no Argentine account to send it from. This guide walks through each case, with the full flow and real October 2026 numbers. For the bigger picture of paying in shops, restaurants and taxis, see how to pay in Argentina as a foreigner.

How to pay someone in Argentina, step by step

The flow is the same whether you are paying a guide ARS 20,000 or a landlord a month of rent:

1. Ask for their alias. It is a short nickname like juan.cafe.bsas that points to their bank or wallet account. A CVU or CBU (22 digits) works too. If you are not sure which is which, read CBU vs CVU vs alias.
2. Enter the amount in pesos. Type exactly what they asked for, in ARS. That is the amount that lands in their account.
3. Check the dollar cost before confirming. CacaoCash converts your USD balance at the crypto dollar rate and shows the total in dollars, including the 2.5% fee, before you tap confirm. Fee details are on the fees page.
4. Confirm and share the proof. Send them a screenshot of the confirmation screen. In Argentina this is called the comprobante, and people expect it, especially sellers who will not hand over an item until they see it.

The person receiving does not need CacaoCash or anything new. To them it looks like any other peso transfer arriving in their Mercado Pago, Ualá or bank account, and they pay nothing to receive it.

What each person usually asks for

Based on how payments usually work in Buenos Aires in 2026. Every person is different, so ask before you meet.

Worked example: paying ARS 80,000 (October 2026)

Say your Spanish teacher charges ARS 80,000 for the month. Here is roughly what it costs you in dollars, compared with paying the same amount by foreign card where a card is accepted:

Assumptions: October 2026 references. CacaoCash ≈1,598 ARS per USD before the 2.5% fee (≈1,559 per dollar charged); foreign card at the non-resident rate ≈1,465 (Fiserv/Posnet). Rates move daily; check today's Argentina dollar rate.

Even with the fee, you get ≈6% to 10% more pesos than with a foreign card. Seen the other way: US$50 becomes ≈77,900 pesos with CacaoCash, ≈73,250 with a card with no fee, and ≈71,100 with a card that charges 3%.

Paying different people in Argentina: what changes in each case

Tour guides and tips

Free walking tours run on tips, and most guides now give out an alias or show a Mercado Pago QR at the end. If they show a QR, you can scan it with CacaoCash instead of typing the alias. Small amounts are normal, so decide yours in pesos before the tour ends.

Spanish teachers and tutors

Usually a monthly or per-class payment to an alias. Agree the price in pesos, since prices in Argentina are often adjusted, and send the comprobante after each payment so you both have the history.

Cleaners and other weekly help

Many prefer a transfer, some still prefer cash. A transfer on the same day each week, with a screenshot by WhatsApp, avoids any misunderstanding about what was paid.

Landlords

Rent is the biggest payment most foreigners make. Long-term landlords often give a bank CBU; temporary rentals sometimes ask for US dollars in cash. Before sending, confirm the account belongs to the landlord or the agency on your contract, and keep every comprobante until you get your deposit back.

Freelancers and tradespeople

Designers, developers, plumbers and electricians usually take an alias or CBU. Put the agreed amount in pesos in a message first, then pay and share the comprobante.

Buying something used

On Marketplace or similar, the seller will usually ask for a transfer at pickup and check their phone before handing over the item. Only pay when you are there and the item is what you expected. Never send money in advance to someone you have not met.

When the person only takes cash

Some people, especially older landlords and some cleaners, still want cash. Your options as a foreigner:

• Withdraw pesos at an ATM with your foreign card. It works, but the conversion is set by your card and bank, not at the crypto dollar, and local ATMs and your own bank usually charge per withdrawal, with low limits per withdrawal.
• Send yourself a Western Union transfer and pick up the pesos with your passport at a branch. Expect a line and the provider's own rate.
• Bring US dollars in cash. Some landlords accept dollars directly, which avoids the conversion altogether.
• Ask whether a transfer would work after all. Many people who say "cash" just assume a foreigner cannot transfer. Offering their alias is often enough.

Why you can't just use Mercado Pago or a local bank

Argentina runs on instant transfers between banks and wallets (Transferencias 3.0), and every account has a CBU or CVU plus an alias. To send from that system you need an account of your own, and Mercado Pago, Ualá and local banks ask for a DNI, Argentina's national ID. Most visitors and recent arrivals do not have one.

CacaoCash fills that gap from the sending side. You sign up with your passport (no DNI, no Argentine bank account, no Argentine phone number), load dollars by ACH, SEPA, SWIFT or crypto, and send pesos to any alias, CVU or CBU. Loading by bank transfer or crypto has no CacaoCash fee. It does not work the other way: foreigners cannot receive pesos, because the app does not give you your own alias or CVU. If someone needs to pay you, see how to receive pesos in Argentina as a foreigner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I pay someone in Argentina without a DNI or local bank account?

Yes. With CacaoCash you send pesos to their alias, CVU or CBU from a USD balance, verified with your passport. They receive a normal peso transfer and pay nothing to receive it.

Does the person I am paying need CacaoCash?

No. The pesos land in their existing Mercado Pago, Ualá or bank account like any local transfer.

How much does it cost to pay someone this way?

CacaoCash charges 2.5% per peso transfer, shown before you confirm. In October 2026 that worked out to ≈1,559 pesos per dollar charged, ≈6% to 10% more pesos than a foreign card at the non-resident rate. See fees.

Can someone pay me back to my alias?

Not with CacaoCash. Foreigners cannot receive pesos in the app, since it does not give you your own alias or CVU. Ask to be paid back in cash or to your foreign account.

Can I pay someone in Argentina while I'm still abroad?

Yes, you do not need to be in the country, which is useful for a rental deposit or a booking. See sending money to Argentina from abroad.