In January, the use of personal dollars to pay for foreign currency consumption increased significantly, reaching 70%. This represents a growth of 111% compared to the previous month, marking a growing trend in people's preference to pay directly with their dollars. There was also an increase in the net outflow of dollars by individuals, reaching $917 million in January, mainly related to travel expenses and consumption with foreign suppliers.
The Central Bank, in its Report on the Evolution of the Exchange Market and Exchange Balance, pointed out that around 70% of the foreign currency consumption made with cards is subsequently paid directly by customers with their own foreign currency funds. This helps reduce the deficit impact of such consumption in the exchange market and in international reserves.
During the first month of 2025, the total amount consumed by individuals in dollar expenses with cards grew by $483 million compared to December, reaching $434 million. These consumptions, which experienced an increase of 100% in January, occurred during the summer vacation period, in a context of exchange stability and improvement in salaries measured in dollars.
The exchange rate known as 'card dollar', composed of the official exchange rate plus a surcharge of 30% for income tax, stood at around $1410, while the blue dollar and the MEP dollar were at $1230 and $1220 respectively. There is an observed increase in preference for this type of transaction, as in December the proportion of using personal dollars was 60%, while in previous months it remained at 50%.
