Stop Losing 10-25% on Every Payment in Argentina and Brazil
You moved to Buenos Aires or Sao Paulo to stretch your dollars further. But every time you pay with a foreign card or convert through a transfer service, you lose 10-25% to exchange rate markups and fees. There is a better way.
Stop Losing 10-25% on Every Payment in Argentina and Brazil
You moved to Buenos Aires or Sao Paulo to stretch your dollars further. But every time you pay with a foreign card or convert through a transfer service, you lose 10-25% to exchange rate markups and fees. Without a local ID, you cannot open a bank account, get a Mercado Pago wallet, or access Pix. You earn in dollars or euros, yet you are stuck paying like a tourist.
There is a better way.
The Problem: Traditional Options Eat Your Savings
Digital nomads in Latin America face a frustrating gap between earning power and spending power. You earn in strong currencies but every option for spending locally eats into your income.
Credit and Debit Cards
Cards give you the worst deal. In Argentina, cards convert at the MEP rate, which routes your dollars through a regulated conversion path. The result: you get 10-25% fewer pesos than the market rate. On $2,000/month of spending, that means $170-$500 lost every single month, or up to $6,000 a year.
In Brazil, cards are subject to the Tax on Financial Operations (IOF) and often carry additional foreign transaction fees, costing you up to 3.5% before any exchange rate markup.
Wise and Revolut
Wise and Revolut are better than cards, but they still use the MEP-equivalent rate in Argentina, which is approximately 5-8% worse than the real market rate (estimate, as of 2026). Neither service can scan a Mercado Pago QR code or send a Pix payment without a local ID. They give you a multi-currency account but they do not plug you into local payment systems.
Cash Exchange (Blue Dollar)
In Argentina, the informal "blue dollar" market offers competitive rates, but it comes with real risks: counterfeit bills, safety concerns when carrying large amounts of cash, and no receipts. It is impractical for daily life. You cannot scan a QR code with a stack of pesos.
The Core Problem
Without a DNI in Argentina or a CPF in Brazil, you are shut out of the payment systems that everyone around you uses every day. You live here, but your money does not work here.
How Peanut Solves This
Peanut gives you access to local payment systems — Mercado Pago in Argentina and Pix in Brazil — without a local ID, a local bank account, or any paperwork beyond your passport.
Here is what that means in practice:
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Better exchange rate. Peanut uses the cripto dolar rate, converting your digital dollars directly to local currency at the market rate. In Argentina, that is approximately 5-8% better than what Wise offers (estimate, as of 2026) and far better than cards. In Brazil, you save up to 3.5% because IOF does not apply to Peanut's conversion.
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Full local payment access. Scan Mercado Pago QR codes at over 1,000,000 merchants in Argentina. Send Pix to anyone in Brazil — restaurants, online stores, ride-hailing, even street vendors. You pay the same way locals pay.
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No local ID required. Verify with your passport from any nationality. No DNI in Argentina or CPF in Brazil needed. No local bank account. Verification takes under 2 minutes.
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No fees. Deposits free. Payments free. Withdrawals free. The rate you see is the rate you get.
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Instant payments. Mercado Pago QR payments confirm instantly. Pix is instant 24/7/365. No waiting, no pending transactions.
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Dollar-denominated balance. Your balance stays in digital dollars until you spend it. You are not holding depreciating local currency between deposits and payments.
Where It Works
Argentina
Argentina is where the savings are most dramatic. The gap between the MEP rate (used by cards and services like Wise) and the cripto dolar rate means you save approximately 5-8% on every payment compared to the best alternative (estimate, as of 2026), and up to 20-25% compared to card rates.
What you can do:
- Pay at over 1,000,000 Mercado Pago merchants — supermarkets (Carrefour, Dia, Coto, Jumbo), restaurants, cafes, kiosks, clothing stores, pharmacies
- Withdraw pesos from Red ATMs in Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Mendoza, Rosario, Bariloche, Salta, and Ushuaia using a QR code
Savings at a glance:
| Monthly Spending | Savings vs. Credit Card |
|---|---|
| $1,000/month | $85-$250/month |
| $2,000/month | $170-$500/month |
| $3,000/month | $255-$750/month |
Over a year at $2,000/month, that is $2,040-$6,000 kept in your pocket instead of lost to markups.
Everything about Peanut in Argentina
Brazil
Brazil's Pix system is universal — over 150 million users, accepted at virtually every merchant in the country. The challenge for foreigners: Pix normally requires a CPF (Brazilian tax ID) and a local bank account. Peanut lets you skip both.
What you can do:
- Send Pix payments to restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, online stores, ride-hailing (Uber, 99), hotels, and street vendors
- Pay via QR code scanning at any Pix-enabled merchant
Rate advantage: Save up to 3.5% — IOF does not apply to Peanut's conversion. Traditional cross-border transfers and credit card transactions in Brazil are subject to IOF.
Your single Peanut balance works in both countries. Pay via Mercado Pago in Buenos Aires on Monday and Pix in Sao Paulo on Friday — no additional setup needed.
Everything about Peanut in Brazil
How to Get Started
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Sign up for Peanut. Skip the waitlist to get access.
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Verify with your passport. Any nationality accepted. Upload a photo of your passport or national ID card and take a selfie. Takes under 2 minutes. Your documents are handled securely by a certified third-party provider — Peanut never sees or stores them.
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Deposit funds. European nomads: send a SEPA bank transfer — free, arrives quickly. US-based nomads: use ACH or wire transfer. You can also deposit USDC or USDT from any wallet or exchange on Solana, Arbitrum, Base, Tron, or Ethereum. All deposits are free.
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Start paying locally. Open the app, tap "Pay," and scan a Mercado Pago QR in Argentina or a Pix QR in Brazil. Your balance converts at the market rate at the moment of payment.
FAQ
How much will I save compared to using my credit card?
In Argentina, savings range from approximately 5-8% compared to the best alternatives like Wise (which uses the MEP rate) (estimate, as of 2026), and up to 20-25% compared to card rates. At $2,000/month spending, that is $170-$500/month. In Brazil, you save up to 3.5% because IOF does not apply. The exact percentage depends on current market conditions.
Do I need a local bank account or local ID?
No. You do not need a DNI in Argentina or a CPF in Brazil. You do not need a local bank account, a CBU, or any other local financial credential. Your foreign passport is sufficient. Verify once with your passport and start paying immediately.
How do I deposit funds?
European users can send a SEPA bank transfer — free. US users can deposit via ACH or wire. You can also deposit USDC or USDT from any wallet or exchange on supported networks including Solana, Arbitrum, Base, Tron, and Ethereum. All deposits to Peanut are free.
Can I pay my rent with Peanut?
If your landlord accepts Mercado Pago in Argentina or Pix in Brazil, yes. Many landlords in both countries accept these local payment methods. You can also use Peanut to pay utility bills that accept QR payments.
Can I use Peanut in both Argentina and Brazil?
Yes. One account, one balance, both countries. Pay via Mercado Pago QR in Argentina and Pix in Brazil. There is no additional setup when crossing between the two countries.
Is Peanut available in other countries?
For spending, Peanut currently works in Argentina (Mercado Pago and ATM cash) and Brazil (Pix). Local spending is expanding to Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and many more countries. For deposits and withdrawals, Peanut supports 40+ countries via SEPA, ACH, wire, and digital dollar transfers.
Disclaimer
The information on this page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. Tax treatment of digital asset transactions varies by jurisdiction and may change. Consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation.