Paying bills (and more) in Uruguay

Oct 25, 2026

By Sam • 6 min read

When we first arrived in Uruguay, we were a little less prepared than other immigrants who had visited the country once or more to scout. We didn’t have an Uruguayan bank account, which meant we couldn’t pay for many things online or via bank transfer without incurring extra fees - or sometimes at all.

Some online searches and local friends helped us find that we could pay just about anything at one of the many branches of Abitab or Redpagos.

Paying in Person at Abitab or Redpagos

Abitab and Redpagos are financial service kiosks that at first glance appear to offer only money changing and lottery sales, but also offer many other bill-paying services. For those of us that remeber, it's remenicent of paying your bills at the grocery store courtsey desk to save a stamp. 

“Tengo que pagar mis facturas, por favor.”

I have my utility accounts written down in my wallet, so I don’t have to recite each number. I’ll say “I have to pay my bills, please” and hand the slip under the glass, and the clerk will look each one up. As they are added up, the total will come up on a screen next to the window. This is especially helpful because I have trouble with numbers… I promise I’m practicing at home.

What can I pay there?

I was surprised to find out all the things I could pay. We didn't find out all at once, we learned each service based on what we needed. In the first week and months, we started visiting Abitab for money wires and to pay our bills in person. Later, when we bought a car and had travel plans, we paid our taxes and tolls there. 

Utilities
Like UTE, OSE, and Antel can all be paid—and in the same transaction! I use this most frequently.

Vehicle taxes and tolls
Registration, taxes, insurance, and even tolls are accessible for payment through Abitab or Redpagos.

Customs fees
We even paid our Customs Guarantee at Redpagos. You can be sure I was very careful with this receipt, as people who obtain permanent residency receive this guarantee back. Our moving company requested a copy of the receipt in order to release our items.

Prex
You can load money on your Prex card—which is like a prepaid bank card that’s easier to get than a bank account if you’re still gathering your documents.

Where can I find Abitab and Redpagos?

Folks that have spent a day or two in Urugauy would likely recognize the logos for both Abitab and Redpagos, as there are free-standing locations all over most populated areas. We live in a small beach community and have both with a few minutes of our house. 

You can use the Abitab location finder or the Redpagos location finder to find a location ahead of time. Both websites are only in Spanish as of writing. 

Banking should be a priority

If we had to do it again, I would make setting up an Uruguayan bank account a priority—we spent A LOT of money paying for ATM transactions, transfers, and wires for different things like daily life, service fees, renting our house, and purchasing a vehicle.

*Bank transfers are a very popular option for paying at small restaurants that prefer cash. We have trained ourselves to always have some pesos on hand so we can grab empanadas or café when we’re out

I'd love to hear from you!

Do you have a question about daily life in Uruguay? Ask me here!

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