Can someone who has been to Argentina recently please spell out the money changing situation like I'm five. I feel like everything I read online contradicts itself. I understand that certain exchange houses offer much better rates than the official rate? Also, what's the deal with using credit cards? Some info says you won't get a good rate using a card and others says that you will. Any advice would be helpful.

I'll be in Buenos Aires and Mendoza for a couple of weeks.

I was in BA about a year ago and Cordoba about a year ago bird hunting. Take American dollars and transfer at the Cambio for ~2X the official exchange rate.

Credit card will be official exchange rate

There is supposedly a way where you can send yourself money via western union and claim it in country and get a similar rate without having to bringing cash, but there are supposedly times where western union runs out of money or the line is super long

I had to bring US$ for my hunt so I just brought extra cash for my spending money

I changed $500 in BA and we ate and drank like kinds and I still had money to spare

Florida street in BA is known as Cambio street

My uncle was able to change pesos back to dollars on Florida street at ~2X when we were leaving

5 adults were able to eat and drink a ton at a fancy steak house for the equivalent of $80 including tip

My $500 was about a 6" stack of pesos

I checked the western union option on the website before I went and it proved that you get the favorable exchange rate

They also got a new conservative president recently, so I am not sure if that has changed anything

The regular/official exchange rate is what will be used at most typical currency exchange places (plus fees) as well as in credit card transactions. Maybe slight differences in the official rate depending on location, but your credit card company is likely to get the most optimal official rate.

The blue rate is a better/unofficial currency exchange rate that you can get if you know where to go to get it. It's kind of an underground/black market thing (no government or banks involved), but most locals that I know use these places regularly.

Credit card transactions are easy and safe, so I prefer to use them whenever possible.

I think the Cambio I used to get the blue rate is this one

Berlin Cambio

Av. Sta. Fe 850, C1059 CABA, Argentina