Not sure if I should carry coins for public transport in Argentina or if card payments are common. Advice?
Used buses throughout Argentina and ended up carrying cash for everything except BA subway. Transit card acceptance is still limited - buses in Córdoba, Salta, Bariloche all wanted pesos. Upon arrival, I stocked small bills and occasionally topped up my SUBE with a Visa at the kiosk, but cash was faster. Bring enough local currency to cover seven days of transport, mixing bills with a loaded SUBE card. Keeps trips smooth and avoids sudden stalls boarding in remote areas.
I relied on colectivos in Mendoza and found that drivers expect ARS in cash - no POS machines. A few newer buses in Buenos Aires let me tap credit cards at entry, especially on the Metrobus, but that was the exception. Argentine public transport is still mostly a cash affair, except where SUBE cards are mandated. I carried a wad of pesos in denominations of ARS 100 and ARS 50 to cover reloads and occasional cash-only routes. It’s not glamorous, but it works.
In Rosario and Córdoba, neither city offers transit card support - buses charge cash upfront. Card payments for public transport in Argentina outside Buenos Aires are virtually nonexistent. If you plan to explore cities beyond BA, bring enough pesos for daily transport (ARS 100-200/day for buses). In BA itself, SUBE cards are essential - you can use VISA or Mastercard at kiosks to load them, but cash reloads remain quicker. I recommend keeping ARS 200 in small bills for bus travel and using SUBE for consistency in big cities.
In Buenos Aires, all metro rides and most colectivos require a SUBE card, which you load with pesos. You can top it up at kiosks using cash or debit. Some bus lines near tourist zones accept contactless payments, but that’s rare. Public transport in Argentina still leans on cash for SUBE top-ups, so I kept a small stash of pesos for reloads. Unless you're staying entirely within BA, carry cash - especially for long-distance buses, which accept only pesos. For peace of mind, I always kept ARS 500-1,000 in small bills.