The SUBE card is the reloadable transport card you need to ride buses (colectivos), trains and the subte in Buenos Aires; it costs ARS 1,500 and a registered card pays half the bus fare of an unregistered one on national lines.
This guide covers where to buy the card, how to register it, every way to top it up, the negative balance, Red SUBE transfer discounts and the official fare table in force from October 2026. All figures come from the official Red SUBE fare page and the SUBE FAQ of the Argentine government, checked on 8 October 2026. Amounts are in Argentine pesos (ARS).
Where to buy a SUBE card and what it costs
A SUBE card costs ARS 1,500 and is sold at Puntos SUBE (kiosks and shops that display the SUBE sign), at SUBE customer service centres and online with home delivery, according to the official SUBE site.
The customer service centres in the Buenos Aires metro area (AMBA) open Monday to Friday: Constitución 8:00-18:00, Ezeiza 8:00-13:00, La Plata 7:00-17:00, Moreno 8:00-18:00 and San Miguel 7:00-16:00. The nearest Punto SUBE is shown on the official map and in the SUBE app.
The same card works on buses, trains and metro systems in the 62 Argentine localities that use the system, so it is useful beyond Buenos Aires. If you land at Ezeiza airport, get one before your first bus ride.
Why register your SUBE card
Registering the card gets you the lower fare, lets you recover your balance if the card is lost or stolen, and is required for discounts such as the Tarifa Social Federal.
The price gap is large. On national and provincial bus lines in the AMBA an unregistered card pays exactly double; on City of Buenos Aires lines it pays about 1.59 times the registered fare. A 0-3 km ride on a national line costs ARS 742.81 with a registered card and ARS 1,485.62 without registration.
If a registered card is lost, broken or stolen, you cancel it in Mi SUBE and within 72 business hours you receive an email saying whether it had a balance and how to recover it. Each person can register only one SUBE card.
How to register the card step by step
To register online you need an Argentine DNI (national ID), an email address, a phone number and the 16-digit number on the front of the card. Registration is free and takes a few minutes.
- Go to argentina.gob.ar/SUBE and choose “Registrala”.
- Fill in the account form: DNI, gender, email (twice) and the 16-digit card number.
- Add contact details: the DNI procedure number (11 digits) and at least one phone number. Benefit holders also enter the 6-digit SUBE PIN generated in Mi ANSES.
- Choose a 4-digit numeric SUBE password, repeat it and accept the terms and conditions.
- Confirm the account with the link sent to your email within 24 hours.
- Update the card by holding it on a Terminal Automática, or on the back of an Android phone with NFC using the SUBE app (“Acreditá o consultá”, then “Ver saldo”).
You can also register through the SUBE app for Android (version 6 or later), by calling 0800-777-7823 Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 20:00, or in person at a customer service centre with your DNI. The official site’s “Consultá titularidad” option tells you whether a card is already registered.
Buenos Aires bus fares from October 2026
From October 2026 the minimum fare on a national bus line in the AMBA is ARS 742.81 with a registered card, according to the official Red SUBE table. The fare depends on the line’s jurisdiction and on the distance, which you tell the driver when you board.
| Distance | National line, registered card | National line, unregistered card |
|---|---|---|
| 0-3 km | ARS 742.81 | ARS 1,485.62 |
| 3-6 km | ARS 861.66 | ARS 1,723.32 |
| 6-12 km | ARS 1,002.80 | ARS 2,005.60 |
| 12-27 km | ARS 1,151.36 | ARS 2,302.72 |
| Over 27 km | ARS 1,337.06 | ARS 2,674.12 |
City of Buenos Aires lines start at ARS 920.48 (0-3 km, registered) and Province of Buenos Aires lines at ARS 1,215.09. A subte ride costs ARS 1,817 with a registered card for the first 20 trips of the month and gets cheaper with frequent use; trains start at ARS 450 for the first section.
Diariko’s line pages, such as bus 60 or bus 8, which runs to Ezeiza airport, show the fare for each route. Fares change every month; the breakdown by jurisdiction is in our Buenos Aires bus fare guide.
How to top up a SUBE card and the negative balance
You can top up the card in cash at a Punto SUBE or customer service centre, or digitally through the SUBE app, online banking or a digital wallet. Digital top-ups then have to be credited to the card.
Top up in person
At a Punto SUBE you hand over the card and the cash, and the balance is loaded immediately. The official map also lets you report a point that overcharges.
Digital top-up and crediting
A top-up made in the app, online banking or a wallet stays pending until you credit it in one of these ways:
- Terminal Automática: the card balance plus the top-up cannot exceed ARS 9,900; any excess is credited once you have spent some balance.
- SUBE app with NFC: hold the card against the back of the phone. Allows crediting up to ARS 40,000.
- Carga a Bordo: at the bus card reader when you pay a ride.
The maximum balance is ARS 40,000 and it does not expire. To check it, use Mi SUBE on the web (updated within 24 hours), the app with NFC, the readers at stations and top-up points, or 0800-777-7823.
Negative balance
SUBE lets you ride with a negative balance of up to ARS 1,200 on buses, trains and the subte, according to the official FAQ. The amount is deducted from your next top-up, and once the margin is used up the reader rejects the payment.
Red SUBE discounts, SUBE Digital and the social fare
Red SUBE automatically takes 50% off your second ride and 75% off the third and later rides when you combine transport in the AMBA within 2 hours of the first ride.
The rules: up to 5 discounted transfers in those 2 hours, at least 2 minutes between rides, and a maximum discount per ride equal to the minimum national bus fare. You must pay with the same method every time: a registered physical card, an active SUBE Digital or the QR code in the SUBE app. Province of Buenos Aires bus lines do not count as a second ride.
SUBE Digital is a virtual card inside the SUBE app that pays by NFC or QR code. It works on Android 8 or later and is not yet available on iPhone. You load it with a debit card or digital wallet, up to ARS 30,000 per top-up and ARS 40,000 in total.
The Tarifa Social Federal gives a 55% discount to retirees, pensioners, AUH recipients and other groups. To get it, the card must be registered with the Mi ANSES PIN or at a customer service centre with a DNI.
Checklist for first-time visitors
Before your first ride in Buenos Aires, these steps save money and hassle:
- Buy the card at a Punto SUBE and load balance at the same time.
- If you have a DNI, register the card the same day and update it at a Terminal Automática.
- Keep a note of the card number in case you lose it.
- Use the same card for every ride to collect Red SUBE discounts.
- Check your route in the Buenos Aires bus guide before you leave.
Travelling in summer? The guide to Buenos Aires in December and January covers holidays and what stays open.
Frequently asked questions
Can a tourist register a SUBE card?
The online registration form asks for an Argentine DNI and its procedure number, so a visitor without a DNI cannot complete it online. The official pages do not describe an alternative with a passport. Ask at a SUBE customer service centre or call 0800-777-7823 to confirm before your trip. An unregistered card still works, at the higher fare.
How much does a SUBE card cost?
The SUBE card costs ARS 1,500 according to the official SUBE FAQ. You can buy it at a Punto SUBE, at a customer service centre such as the ones in Constitución or Ezeiza, or online with home delivery. The balance you load on it does not expire, and registering the card is free.
How do I check my SUBE balance?
Log in to Mi SUBE on argentina.gob.ar/SUBE, where the balance updates within 24 hours, or hold the card against an Android phone with NFC in the SUBE app. Card readers at stations and top-up points also show the balance, and you can call 0800-777-7823.
What happens if I run out of balance on the bus?
You can ride with a negative balance of up to ARS 1,200 on buses, trains and the subte. That amount is deducted from your next top-up. Once you have used the whole margin, the reader rejects the payment and you need to top up at a Punto SUBE or in the app first.
Is an online SUBE top-up instant?
No, a top-up made in the app, online banking or a wallet stays pending until you credit it. You can do that at a Terminal Automática, by holding the card against an Android phone with NFC and the SUBE app, or at the bus reader with Carga a Bordo. A cash top-up at a Punto SUBE is credited immediately.
Can I pay the bus without a SUBE card?
Yes, SUBE Digital in the SUBE app lets you pay by NFC or QR code on buses in every locality that uses SUBE, on Android phones. A growing number of AMBA bus lines also accept contactless debit and credit cards, charging the same fare as a registered SUBE card.
Cover photo: Nestor Barbitta / Unsplash
