How to buy from the US and ship to Argentina in 2026

Short answer: you have three practical options. (1) Buy from a US store and send the order to a US package forwarder, which ships it to Argentina as a courier "pequeño envío" (small shipment): up to USD 3,000 FOB per shipment, up to 3 units of the same kind, used at most 5 times per calendar year per person, with the first USD 400 FOB free of import duty and the statistics fee (VAT still applies). (2) Use the postal "puerta a puerta" (door-to-door) option through Correo Argentino, which has the same USD 3,000 / USD 400 / 5-per-year limits. (3) Have a traveler flying from the US buy the item and hand it to you in Argentina. On Qrrier, a $100 item costs you $126 delivered and the traveler receives $120, with your payment held in escrow until you share a 4-digit delivery code.

Below we explain each option, the current ARCA (Argentina's customs and tax agency) rules, and how travelers flying from the US to Argentina can earn money by carrying items in spare luggage space.

Option 1: a US package forwarder (courier)

A package forwarder gives you a US address. You shop at any US store, ship the order to that address, and the forwarder sends it on to Argentina by international courier. This is the most common route for online shoppers.

What to know before you use one:

• ARCA's small-shipment regime ("Pequeños envíos"). Courier shipments for personal use can be worth up to USD 3,000 FOB per shipment, with a maximum of 3 units of the same kind, 50 kg per package, and no commercial purpose.
• 5 uses per year. The regime can be used only 5 times per calendar year per person.
• The USD 400 franchise. Shipments worth up to USD 400 FOB are exempt from import duty and the statistics fee, but you still pay VAT (IVA) and any internal taxes that apply. If a shipment is worth more than USD 400, you pay the waived taxes on the amount above USD 400.
• Forwarder costs are separate. Forwarders charge for shipping, handling and sometimes consolidation or storage. Prices vary a lot by weight and size, so get a quote for your real package before you buy.
• Prohibited and restricted items. Lithium batteries, liquids, aerosols and some cosmetics can be refused or charged extra by forwarders and airlines. Check the forwarder's list first.

Since July 2026, ARCA's updated rules (General Resolution 5883) keep these limits for small shipments and simplify the paperwork for duty-exempt purchases.

Forwarders work well for: frequent online orders, bulky or heavy items you can't fit in a suitcase, and orders you don't need urgently.

Option 2: "Puerta a puerta" through Correo Argentino

Some US stores and marketplaces ship directly to Argentina by post. These packages enter through Correo Argentino under the "puerta a puerta" regime. The limits match the courier regime:

• Personal-use purchases up to USD 3,000 FOB.
• Your first 5 shipments per year worth up to USD 400 FOB each are exempt from import duty and the statistics fee; you pay only VAT and internal taxes where they apply.
• Above USD 400, you pay the general-regime taxes on the excess.
• If you have already used your 5 shipments for the year, a shipment under USD 400 pays full taxes on its whole value, with no franchise.
• Correo Argentino also charges its service and storage fee.

This option is convenient when a store ships to Argentina, but not every store does, and you depend on the store's carrier.

Option 3: a traveler brings it to you (Qrrier)

People regularly fly from Miami, New York, Houston and other US cities to Buenos Aires and other Argentine cities, often with space left in their checked bag. Qrrier is a marketplace that connects shoppers in Argentina with those travelers.

How it works for shoppers:

1. Post a shopping request with the product link, price and your city in Argentina.
2. A traveler heading from the US to Argentina sends you an offer.
3. You pay by card (or USDC). Your payment goes into escrow, not to the traveler.
4. The traveler buys the item new in the US, carries it in their luggage and meets you in Argentina.
5. You check the item and share your 4-digit delivery code. Only then is the traveler paid.

What it costs: you pay the item price + a 20% traveler reward + a 5% Qrrier fee on that subtotal (plus any drop-off fee you agree on).

There's no separate international shipping fee, because the item travels in the traveler's luggage. It's a good fit for phones, laptops, tablets, sneakers, clothes, baby items, cosmetics and other personal items that are hard to find or more expensive in Argentina.

Customs when a traveler carries it. Travelers arriving in Argentina by air have an ARCA franchise of USD 500, usable monthly and not cumulative, plus USD 500 in the arrival duty-free shop. Above the franchise, a 50% charge applies on the excess (example from ARCA: a USD 600 item minus the USD 500 franchise leaves USD 100, so USD 50 is due). Children under 16 get 50% of the franchise. The allowance belongs to the traveler, covers personal, non-commercial quantities and can change, so agree with your traveler how anything above it will be declared and who covers duties, and check ARCA's official page before you travel.

See our Argentina shopping guide (in Spanish), the Miami to Buenos Aires route and how shopping requests work.

For travelers: earn money flying from the US to Argentina

If you are flying from the US to Argentina, whether you're an Argentine heading home, a student, or a tourist, your spare luggage space can pay for part of your trip.

• Shopping requests: on a $300 request you are reimbursed $300 and earn a $60 reward, $360 in total. On a $100 request you receive $120.
• Package deliveries: you keep 95% of the agreed price ($95 on a $100 delivery).
• Getting paid: money sits in escrow before you buy anything, and it is released in USDC to your connected wallet when the recipient shares the 4-digit delivery code.

Stay safe and legal: buy items new or inspect them before packing, never carry sealed packages from strangers, follow airline rules (especially for lithium batteries), and declare goods above your allowance. You can inspect contents at hand-off and refuse anything you're not comfortable with.

Learn more on Get paid to fly or, in Spanish, Ganar dinero viajando.

For senders: shipping a package from the US to Argentina

If you are sending gifts, clothes or documents to family or friends in Argentina, you can also ask a traveler to carry them. For an agreed price of $100 you pay $115 (a 15% fee) and the traveler receives $95. Your payment stays in escrow until the recipient shares the 4-digit delivery code. See send a package from the USA to Argentina.

Which option should you choose?

• Many small orders, heavy items or no rush: a package forwarder, within the 5-per-year small-shipment limit.
• A store that already ships to Argentina: puerta a puerta through Correo Argentino.
• A single valuable personal item (phone, laptop, sneakers) and you want it hand-delivered: a traveler through Qrrier, with escrow protection and no separate shipping fee.

Many people combine them: a forwarder for regular orders and a traveler for the high-value item they want quickly and safely in hand.

Sources: ARCA, "Pequeños envíos – Courier", "Puerta a Puerta" and "Franquicia para viajeros" (arca.gob.ar), checked 27 October 2026. Rules can change; always check ARCA before you buy or travel.