Paying bills in Argentina

There are 18 replies in this Thread which has previously been viewed 3,851 times. The latest Post () was by Splinter.

1st Official Post
    • Official Post

    Paying bills in Argentina is still a big mystery to me. I don't understand why some things you can pay it at PagoFacil, some in RapiPago and some in both.


    In 2019 I remember a RapiPago charging $1-2 more if you didn't go with the paper bill (factura). I guess it was illegal as the SUBE top-up charge, but it was made to make up for the longer time spent typing the number as opposite to reading the barcode on the bill, which is understandable.


    Then almost every service switched to e-bills, but it turns out that barcode readers cannot read mobile phone screen, so they have to type everything by hand. Innovation from one side, de-innovation from the other.


    With some services, you can simply provide your DNI number or account number or mobile phone number and service name and it shows up in the system. With others, you have to provide a very long bill code, the number below the barcode itself.


    I believe more can be done this time and age. They took away the paper (good!) but they made it harder to pay (you have to dictate the number and the cashier has to type it, instead of scanning a barcode). Seems counterproductive.


    The times to pay at a physical location are also odd. Most location open at 10 AM like banks... and it's not because of the lazy kiosko owners, but because the payment system (RapiPago or PagoFacil network) is not open before then. So where's the convenience? Is it really so hard to make the service available from 7AM or to 10PM, so that people have more time to pay, instead of having all to tuck in the 10AM to 7PM slot?


    Can you pay the bills at the Loteria, instead? They seem to be open longer hours and are everywhere...

    Isn’t it about time the customers should be able to pay online instead of going somewhere to stand in line and pay? My great-grandmother had to go to the various utility departments each month to pay the bills; decentralizing the location to kioscos makes the wait a little shorter, but it is still very 19th century.

    Quote from Rice

    Isn’t it about time the customers should be able to pay online instead of going somewhere to stand in line and pay? My great-grandmother had to go to the various utility departments each month to pay the bills; decentralizing the location to kioscos makes the wait a little shorter, but it is still very 19th century.

    Rice .. you shouldn't forget that many people here dint want to pay online with a c/c as they are earning a pile of cash in the black

    • Official Post

    There is the option to pay by direct debit or also online on pagomiscuentas for most service.

    At the official exchange rate. ?(



    Rapipago now let's you collect points as you spend. You can also get a series of discounts in affiliated businesses. It is called RapiCard and it's free. You can get it at RapiPago and then associate the card to your online Rapipago account.

    • Official Post
    Quote from Rice

    A lot of effort. Are the discounts decent!?

    They just launched the card, so I am not sure. By experience, loyalty cards never allowed me to accrue enough points/credits to get something in return so I am only interested in direct discounts. I won’t walk to a Rapipago if there is a PagoFacil closer



    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    I'm with Rice on this one....I haven't the foggiest how to pay bills here so the wife does it just in case I make a hash of it.


    Another example of how time has stood still here. Probably because someone is making money from many of the archaic systems operated here.

    Morelia has a M-F lunch discount of 15% off total check. A grande with a bottle of Malbec is under US$20 (translating to dollars because the peso rate at restaurants seems to change with the exchange rate). And they keep bringing around hot pan de pizza.

    • Official Post

    There are plenty of mobile apps that let you pay your bills online, the only drawback being that if you only have cash you need to somehow convert that over the counter at a kiosko.

    Also bear in mind that the commission that Rapipago and Pagofacil pay to the kiosks is minuscule, so they don't really have the customers' best interests at heart - see opening times.