Table of Contents
Short answer: you can fund the “Dólares” section of your Mercado Pago (Argentina) wallet in three ways—(1) incoming USD bank transfer to your “cuenta comitente” in the app, (2) buying dollars inside the app (official or MEP) using pesos you already have in MP, or (3) receiving USD from another Mercado Pago user. You can’t walk in cash (billetes) directly into MP; if you have cash, first deposit it in a bank and then transfer it to MP. (LA NACION)
1) Transfer USD from a bank to Mercado Pago
Mercado Pago now lets you ingresar dólares desde cuentas propias o de terceros (local bank USD accounts). In the app go to Inicio → Dólares → Ingresar, copy the alias/CBU comitente shown there, and make a local USD transfer from the bank (or share it with whoever will pay you). The funds post to your MP dollars balance (and you’ll see the movement in “Dólares”). (LA NACION)
Notes: Outbound bank transfers from MP in USD are generally to your own USD bank account (and wallet‑to‑wallet to MP contacts). That’s by design in MP’s help. (Mercado Pago)
2) Convert pesos to dollars inside Mercado Pago
You can add dollars by converting ARS you already hold in MP:
- Dólar oficial (nuevo): In Inicio → Dólares → Comprar, choose the amount; purchases run on business days with extended hours (04:00–20:00) and credit immediately (with specific same‑day/next‑day cutoffs the app shows). (LA NACION)
- Dólar MEP: Also in Dólares → Comprar, but settlement follows the usual parking (wait) of about 24 hours hábiles before the USD show up; MP charges around 1% commission for the MEP flow. (LA NACION)
First‑time setup typically asks you to accept T&Cs and complete KYC (scan DNI + facial recognition) before enabling the Dólares feature. (Mercado Pago, nuevacaba.com)
3) Receive USD from another Mercado Pago user
Someone can send you dollars wallet‑to‑wallet inside MP (they go to Dólares → Transferir → Contactos de Mercado Pago and pick you). You’ll see the dollars land instantly under Dólares. (Mercado Pago)
About yields and cash
- MP now offers remunerated USD at sight via a money‑market–style fund (Industrial Asset Management; custodian BIND). You can keep dollars liquid and choose to earn a variable daily yield; the app shows the current rate (recent coverage mentioned ~2.4% annual as an example, but this moves). (MDZ Online, LA NACION)
- There’s no physical cash handling within MP’s dollars: you can’t deposit or withdraw billetes directly; to get cash, transfer to your own bank USD account and withdraw at the bank. (LA NACION, Mercado Pago)
Quick checklist
- Have cash dollars? Deposit them in your bank’s USD savings account, then use Inicio → Dólares → Ingresar to transfer them into MP. (LA NACION)
- Have pesos in MP? Buy Oficial (instant, 04–20h) or MEP (T+1 with parking, ~1% fee). (LA NACION)
- Getting paid by someone else? Share your alias/CBU comitente from Dólares → Ingresar (bank transfer), or have them send USD wallet‑to‑wallet. (LA NACION, Mercado Pago)
If you tell me which scenario fits you (cash in hand, pesos in MP, USD in a bank, or someone paying you), I’ll write the exact tap‑by‑tap steps and flag any eligibility/limits the app may show in your case.
