How to Book
(at the most convenient exchange rate)
Our groups are very small, and we happily receive reservation requests from all over the world, so some of our tours -and resources- are often fully booked a year in advance.
We only take reservations that are paid in full. But we have good news!
We share the following information in the hope of that it will be useful for your travel all around our country, as it is valid not just for your reservation with us, but it also applies to all purchases made in pesos in local companies in Argentina:
By using MasterCard or Visa credit cards issued by banks, you can now book at an exchange rate (not shown by online currency converters) which is in close proximity to the black-market "blue" rate, so you won't lose 50%, as it happened in the past.
What is the exchange rate that Visa and Mastercard are applying nowadays?
Since December 2022, Visa and MasterCard are officially allowed by the government to apply a more convenient exchange rate ("dólar MEP") instead of the "dólar oficial" rate (the one shown by the online currency converters) for purchases made in pesos in Argentina with credit cards issued by banks from all over the world.
What is the “MEP” rate?
The "MEP" acronym translates into "Electronic Means of Payment" and its value is linked to the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange Market trading transactions, unlike the "official" exchange rate, determined by Argentina's Central Bank.
The "dólar MEP" exchange rate fluctuates independently but in close proximity to the black-market "blue" rate, but it is not shown by online currency converters, that only consider the "dólar oficial" rate.
The gap between the "blue" and "MEP" exchange rates varies daily as shown below:
How is this more convenient exchange rate applied to my booking with Canal?
Our prices -and our charges to any credit card- are in pesos, so neither you nor us have to do anything in particular to get this "dólar MEP" exchange rate; it applies by law to all charges made in pesos by companies based in Argentina and paid with Visa and MasterCard credit cards issued by foreign banks.
Visa applies the “MEP” rate immediately. In very specific cases, Visa applies first the official rate, and then compensates for the difference in exchange rates within 2 business days. We found this to be the case with some prepaid cards, debit cards, and credit cards issued by non-banking financial institutions.
MasterCard initially charges you at the official rate, and within 7 business days they apply an automated, partial refund to compensate for the difference between the official rate and the MEP rate. This partial refund is not made by us, and has to do with how MasterCard operates, so it will not change the status of your reservation with us.
We found that the "dólar MEP" exchange rate does not apply to many prepaid cards, or cards that have not been issued by banks.
In any case, you can count on a 100% refund according to our cancellation policy: We do not ask any questions nor apply charges if you cancel at least 7 days before the tour. But, if you cancel between 7 and 2 days before the tour, we will refund only 50% of the reservation. We will not make any refunds if you cancel within 48 hours previous to the tour’s departure.
Information on the official pages on the topic of the exchange rates:
Booking in advance with us is in your best interest: While you save time, and you book safely at the best price, not only you can ensure your seats in our tours, but you can also avoid scams and the inconvenience of carrying bulky bundles of cash that tend to get quite cumbersome when converted to pesos!