Paying foreign suppliers and software from Argentina as the cepo unwinds

A Córdoba electronics assembler buys components from Shenzhen, software from the US and consulting from Madrid. Two years ago it waited months for access to the exchange market to pay the Chinese supplier, and paid a premium to suppliers willing to wait. In 2026 it pays most invoices within days, after its bank checks the documents against the current rules.

What eased

From late 2024 and through 2025, the BCRA removed many of the restrictions that had governed import payments: staggered payment timelines for new imports, limits on access to the official exchange market and the blend scheme for exporters. The April 2025 shift to a floating band for the peso accelerated the change.

What remains

Argentine rules still need attention in a few places:

• Related-party payments. Payments to foreign companies in the same group have had specific deadlines, which the BCRA has kept in place while easing other rules.
• Documentation. Banks process import payments against customs records and invoices; services against contracts and invoices.
• Taxes on foreign purchases. Card payments abroad and some service imports have carried specific taxes and withholdings that changed frequently. Ask your accountant what applies this year.

Planning supplier payments

With access easier, Argentine companies can plan supplier payments more like companies elsewhere:

1. Agree currency and terms with each supplier.
2. Prepare the documents the bank will ask for before the payment date.
3. Pay from dollars you hold where the rules allow, or buy them at a rate you see first.

Software and cards

SaaS and advertising are often paid by card. One card per tool, with a limit and an owner, makes spend visible and lets you cancel one subscription without breaking the others.

Fraud

Supplier payment fraud is a global problem. A changed bank account announced by email should always be confirmed by phone with a known contact, and the first payment to new details approved by a second person.

Paying into Argentina: the local rail

Source: BCRA: Transferencias 3.0. Checked when this guide was last updated; the scheme's own page has the current figures.

Where Rivet fits

Rivet opens business accounts for registered companies after verification. A company registered in Argentina should confirm with its bank how BCRA rules apply to holding and paying from funds abroad. Companies that qualify, and companies registered abroad run by Argentine founders, can pay suppliers in 120+ countries from dollar balances, issue Visa company cards with per-card limits, and from the Growth plan require second approvals. Rivet is not a bank; regulated partner institutions hold the funds.