turismo ·
How to pay in Foz do Iguaçu: Pix, card or cash
Marco Três newsroom · edited by Annie Grellmann
Pix, card or cash: what works best on the Brazilian side
Crossing from Puerto Iguazú to Foz and unsure how to pay? Pix now works for Argentine visitors, cards got cheaper without Impuesto PAÍS, and US-dollar cash makes a handy reserve. Loose pesos are worth little. Here's what pays off in each case, plus the day's rate.
Direct answer: In Foz do Iguaçu (Brazilian side), the easiest way for an Argentine visitor to pay is Pix — scan the shop's QR code from an Argentine digital wallet like Mercado Pago — with a credit card as backup and some US-dollar cash for emergencies. Argentine pesos are worth little outside the border. Check the day's rate before you go.
Pix: the easiest way to pay
Since December 2025, Argentine tourists can pay with Pix in Brazil through wallets from their own country. Mercado Pago was among the first: open the app, tap 'Pay with Pix', scan the shop's QR, and the app shows the amount in reais plus its peso equivalent before you confirm; it debits your balance instantly. Ualá, Prex, Personal Pay and Brubank offer it too. Per the kamiPay Monitor (Dec 2025), 61% of Argentines visiting Brazil already use Pix, ahead of cash (49%) and cards (45.7%).
Cards: cheaper now that Impuesto PAÍS is gone
Good news for 2026: Argentina's Impuesto PAÍS expired at the end of 2025, so foreign card purchases no longer carry that extra 30%. Since January only the 30% income-tax prepayment remains (which you can later reclaim), charged on the official dollar — cutting the total surcharge roughly in half. Even so, in December's comparison the 'card real' cost about $354 versus $279–287 via Pix, so a card works better as backup. Credit beats debit.
Cash: bring dollars, skip loose pesos
Experts advise against travelling with Argentine pesos, which fetch a low rate outside the border. US-dollar cash is a fine reserve. As a market reference, the dollar sits around R$5 and each real is worth roughly 290–295 pesos (August 2026) — treat this as a ballpark, not a fixed number. Paying directly in pesos at a Foz shop usually gives a poor rate: better to pay in reais by Pix/card, or exchange first.
Where to exchange in Foz + the live rate
Downtown Foz has long-running exchange houses — Scappini, K2, Atlas (takes debit, about a 1.5% fee) and Iguassu Câmbio — dealing in dollars, Argentine pesos, guaraníes and euros (list from Foz's Tourism Secretariat). Compare rates at two or three before changing, and bring small bills. Before you cross, check Marco Três's live rate at /en/dados/cambio: we track the day's quote so you know what your peso is worth today.
Frequently asked questions
- Can an Argentine pay with Pix in Foz?
- Yes. Since December 2025, wallets like Mercado Pago, Ualá and Personal Pay let you scan the Brazilian shop's Pix QR and pay from your peso balance; the conversion to reais is automatic.
- Pix or card — which is better?
- Pix generally gives a better rate. In December the real via Pix was around $279–287 versus about $354 on the 'card real'. A credit card is a solid backup, especially now that Impuesto PAÍS is gone.
- Do shops in Foz take Argentine pesos?
- Some border shops do, but the rate is usually poor. It's better to pay in reais (Pix or card) or exchange at a downtown câmbio.
- What's the real worth in pesos today?
- As a reference, in August 2026 it's near 290–295 pesos per real, with the dollar around R$5, but it changes daily. Check the day's figure at /en/dados/cambio.
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Content verified by the newsroom based on an official source: Infobae / iProfesional / Secretaría de Turismo de Foz. Last checked: 8/2/2026. Found something inaccurate? We fix it fast. How we work.
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