Summary: MEP, Blue, or CCL Dollar? Learn the key differences, their legal framework, monthly limits, and choose the best option to protect your savings.

In Argentina, in addition to the official dollar, there are several exchange rates that can often cause confusion: the MEP dollar, the blue dollar, and the CCL dollar (contado con liqui). Although all three provide a way to obtain dollars, they have very different origins, legal frameworks, and uses. In this article, we explain how they differ and when each option may be appropriate.

If you'd like a more detailed overview of the MEP dollar specifically, you can read What is the MEP Dollar and how does it work in Argentina?

The MEP dollar (Mercado Electrónico de Pagos) results from the purchase and sale of bonds or stocks that are traded simultaneously in pesos in Argentina and in dollars abroad. It is an operation carried out 100% within the regulated financial system, supervised by the National Securities Commission (CNV).

Key features:

• It is legal and leaves a formal record of the transaction.
• The resulting dollars are available in a local account in Argentina.
• It is the preferred option for those looking to dollarize their savings while remaining within the regulated financial system.

The contado con liqui (CCL) works through the same mechanism as the MEP—buying an asset in pesos and selling it in dollars—but with one key difference: it allows those dollars to be transferred to a bank account abroad. This is why it is usually quoted slightly higher than the MEP: it includes the “value” of being able to move the currency out of the country.

It is mainly used for:

• Legally transferring funds abroad.
• Companies that need to pay suppliers or maintain dollar accounts outside Argentina.
• Investors looking to diversify through international brokers.

The blue dollar is an exchange rate traded outside the regulated financial system, in the informal or “parallel” market, meaning it is illegal. It has no institutional backing, does not generate an official receipt, and its price moves according to supply and demand in the unregulated market, without intervention from the CNV or the BCRA.

Key considerations:

• It is not a legal, regulated, or supervised transaction.
• There is no formal record of the transaction.
• It can be more volatile in response to economic or political news.
• It involves risks that do not exist in the stock-market circuit, such as counterfeit bills, scams, and personal security risks.

Beyond the traditional bond-based process, there are now platforms that simplify the management and use of MEP dollars. One example is Nexo, which introduced MEP USD (USDMx), a feature developed for the Argentine market that allows verified users to deposit and withdraw MEP dollars directly from their local bank account (through Banco Industrial), with instant 1:1 crediting and no deposit fee.

Once credited, those dollars are available as a balance in the user's Nexo account, ready to be converted into stablecoins, used in savings products (Earn) with daily interest, or simply kept as a hard-currency reserve.

If you'd like to see the complete step-by-step process, we recommend reading our guide How to Buy MEP Dollars step by step: A simple guide.

The MEP, CCL, and blue dollar serve different purposes within Argentina's foreign exchange ecosystem. While the MEP and CCL are part of the legal and regulated system—with different uses for the resulting funds—the blue dollar operates outside that framework. Understanding these differences is key to choosing the option that best suits your financial goals.

Manage your MEP dollars instantly and with no deposit fee. Find out how MEP USD (USDM) works on Nexo.

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