Converting between currencies within the app can happen seamlessly without you noticing (when paying or transferring) or explicitly when you choose to do so. Here, we explain how the exchange rate works in each case and when it makes sense to convert instead of waiting.

Download the belo app and try currency exchange based on your account and current conditions.

What you see before confirming defines everything

When a freelancer receives 500 dollars for a project and wants to convert them to pesos, the question that matters isn't what the dollar is worth today.

The question is how much they will receive exactly after confirming the transaction, and whether that number can change between seeing it and tapping the button.

For those who get paid from abroad as freelancers, currency exchange within the belo app eliminates that uncertainty at a specific point in the process: the confirmation screen.

When initiating a conversion, the app displays the current exchange rate and the exact amount you will receive in the target currency. The number you see is the number that gets credited.

The rate is locked the moment the confirmation screen appears, and you have a limited time to accept before the quote updates.

If you let that time expire, the app recalculates with the new rate and shows you the updated result before you can confirm, so you never transact without knowing exactly what you will receive.

The effect on your balance is immediate. If you convert 200 USDT to pesos, the USDT balance decreases and the peso balance increases in the very same instant, with no processing periods or delays that leave you without visibility into what you have available.

Automatic conversion in transfers and payments

The mechanics change when the conversion isn't explicitly initiated by you, but is instead triggered by an action like making a payment or a transfer. In those cases, the app handles the currency exchange automatically, without compromising the transparency of the final amount.

When you make an international transfer (for example, sending Colombian pesos to Colombia from your dollar balance), the app automatically converts at the current exchange rate and shows you how much the recipient will get before you confirm.

This automatic currency exchange works the same way for domestic transfers in Argentina, where you can send pesos even if your balance is in crypto, because the system converts instantly.

For payments in foreign currency, belo LUX is the virtual Visa card designed for dollar purchases, international subscriptions, and travel.

With belo LUX, you see the amount before confirming from the app, whereas with a conventional card, the final cost in pesos only becomes clear when the statement arrives.

That difference can be significant during a multi-day trip with multiple expenses—something that travelers looking to pay in foreign currency while traveling often discover too late with conventional cards.

The belo Mastercard is intended for everyday use in pesos in Argentina. Foreign currency transactions made with this card are converted according to Banco Nación's official selling exchange rate on the posting date, plus additional fees, making it less convenient for those types of transactions.

Comparison of belo cards for foreign currency payments

Money pots and deposits in another currency

belo money pots allow you to set aside funds for specific goals, and one of the most important decisions is which currency to set them in. If you have a money pot in USDC and your available balance is in pesos, depositing involves a conversion.

That conversion occurs at the time of the deposit, with the exchange rate visible on screen before you confirm, just like in any other currency exchange transaction in the digital wallet.

The same principle applies when you set up automated savings. When you choose the frequency, amount, and currency, each automated deposit converts at the exchange rate in effect at the moment it runs.

If you schedule weekly savings in dollars from a peso balance, the exchange rate may be different each week, creating an averaging effect that dilutes exposure to a single exchange rate moment.

Frequencies available for automated savings

• Daily savings, which converts at each day's exchange rate and distributes exposure across multiple rates throughout the month.

• Weekly savings, which executes the conversion once a week and creates a more spaced-out entry average.

• Monthly savings, which concentrates the deposit into a single moment each month and depends on that specific day's rate.

When you receive an international transfer in a currency different from your main balance, the funds are credited in the currency corresponding to the transaction, and from there you decide whether to convert or hold. There is no forced conversion when receiving funds from abroad.

When it pays to convert and when to wait

The decision depends on what you need the money for and when you will need it.

If you have a large payment in pesos coming up next week (rent, a service bill, a purchase), converting when the rate looks reasonable to you reduces the risk of the exchange rate moving against you before you need the money.

Waiting for a better exchange rate also means exposing yourself to the possibility of it getting worse.

If your goal is to save in dollars or stablecoins like USDT or USDC, holding your balance in hard currency without converting makes sense as long as you don't need to spend those funds in pesos.

Premature conversion takes you out of your hard currency position without a concrete need to justify it.

For those who regularly get paid from abroad, a practical strategy is to convert only what is necessary to cover monthly expenses and keep the rest in the original currency.

This combines liquidity in pesos for everyday spending with foreign currency preservation for the medium term, without trying to time the market for every conversion.

Criteria to decide whether to convert now or wait

• If you have a large upcoming expense in pesos, converting in advance when the rate looks reasonable reduces exposure to unfavorable exchange rate shifts.

• If your balance is in dollars or stablecoins and you have no immediate expenses in pesos, holding the foreign currency position preserves value without sacrificing anything concrete.

• If you get paid from abroad regularly, converting only what you need for the month and leaving the rest in the original currency strikes a balance between daily liquidity and hard currency savings.

• If the decision is based on predicting where the exchange rate will go, acting on the rate shown on the app's confirmation screen is more reliable than speculating on future rates.

What you should avoid is converting large amounts based on expectations of which way the exchange rate might move.

Exchange rates can fluctuate due to factors that are hard to predict, and making decisions based on the information the app shows you at confirmation—evaluating whether that number works for your needs—is far more useful than any prediction.

Download the belo app and check the current terms and conditions for your account.

Frequently asked questions about how currency exchange works in the app and when it is best to do it

Is the conversion rate shown in the app the same one applied upon confirmation?

Yes. The rate is locked when the confirmation screen appears, and the amount you see there is exactly what gets credited.

If you let that time expire without confirming, the app recalculates with the updated quote and shows you the new result before executing.

What happens if I receive an international transfer in a currency I don't normally use?

The funds are credited in the currency corresponding to the transaction. From there, you can decide whether to convert or hold that balance.

At belo, we do not force any automatic conversion upon receiving funds, so the choice is always yours.

Does automated savings always convert at the same exchange rate?

No. Each automated deposit converts at the exchange rate at the moment it runs, which can vary from one week to the next.

This creates an averaging effect that spreads out exposure across different rate moments, which can be helpful if you want to avoid relying on a single day.

Which card is best for paying abroad to avoid surprises in the final amount?

belo LUX, the virtual Visa card, is designed for this use case because it shows you the amount before you confirm.

With the belo Mastercard, foreign currency transactions are converted according to Banco Nación's official exchange rate plus additional fees, making it hard to know the exact cost in advance.

Does it make sense to convert everything I earn from abroad all at once?

It depends on your upcoming expenses. Converting only what you need to cover monthly expenses and keeping the rest in the original currency combines liquidity in pesos with value preservation in foreign currency.

That strategy avoids leaving you exposed to a single exchange rate and gives you more room to make decisions under better conditions.