Travel money guide: New Zealand

Since the Lord of the Rings, the land of the long white cloud has been growing in popularity as a destination for tourists. But you should know the best way to access New Zealand dollars — called the kiwi — when you’re there. Credit cards, debit cards, and cash are all accepted without issue.

A credit card will serve you best during your Tasman travels, particularly one that doesn’t come with foreign transaction fees, like the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card. But debit cards and cash can still work perfectly well.

Our picks for traveling to New Zealand

Travel card with no annual fee

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

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Wise Multi-currency

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Travel card, credit card or debit cards?

Visa and Mastercard are accepted almost everywhere — nearly 75% of all transactions in New Zealand are done with cards. Get cash over the counter with your debit cards or find a ATM.

Whether you’re doing a quick business trip or taking a long vacation, it’s smart to have a couple of ways to access your money. Travel-friendly debit cards will let you spend in New Zealand dollars, but most travel cards apply an international ATM withdrawal fee.

A credit card gives you access to an emergency line of credit and can be used for interest free purchases, and some cards offer extras like insurance as well. Choose a mix that suits your needs.

These are your options for spending money in New Zealand

Compare travel credit cards

Narrow down top travel credit cards by welcome offers, rewards and annual fees to find the best for your budget and financial goals. Select Compare for up to four products to see their benefits side by side.

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Name	Product	Welcome Offer	Rewards	Annual fee	Filter values
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card		Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel	2x miles on every purchase, every day, 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5x miles when you book on Turo, the world’s largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023	$95		Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months ​from account opening.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card		Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel	Earn unlimited 1.25x miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel	$0		Earn 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card		70,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ from $121 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $22) after you make $4,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.	3 miles per $1 on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases and 1 miles per $1 on all other purchases	$50		Get 70,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ from $121 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $22) after you make $4,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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Prepaid travel money cards

Using a prepaid travel card

**Unfortunately, right now there are no travel cards in the US that allow you to load NZY.

Travel cards can lock in conversion rates once you load USD. Use it for purchases without worrying about rates each time you spend — debit and credit cards often charge 3% for each transaction.

Pros

• Ability to lock in the exchange rate
• Secured by PIN and chip technology
• Emergency card replacement and backup cards
• Easily reloadable via a secure online platform

Cons

• International ATM withdrawal fees, card issue fees and initial load fees may apply
• Reload fees could be high
• Some charge for inactivity fee

Compare cash pickup options in New Zealand

Paying with cash in New Zealand

Currency exchange offices charge a commission to do the exchange, and they also make money off a margin applied to the exchange rate.

You can always send your money to New Zealand ahead of time with a money transfer service and have it waiting to be picked up when you arrive.

Pros

• Greater payment flexibility
• Convenience

Cons

• Difficult to manage expenses
• Higher risk of theft

Traveler’s checks guide

Using traveler’s checks

Traveler’s checks have been replaced by debit, credit and travel money cards. A cheaper way to get cash in New Zealand is to make an ATM withdrawal, especially if your card provider has a relationship with the bank of the ATM you use.

The main advantage of traveler’s checks is they can be replaced if lost or stolen.

Pros

• Security: You must present ID to cash them
• Availability to cash at banks
• Secure and can be easily replaced if lost or stolen
• Money back guarantee if you’re a victim of card fraud

Cons

• Cashing checks is subject to a commission
• Currency exchange rate varies over time

Buying currency in the US

If you want to exchange your currency, have a look at these companies that can sell you foreign cash. Travelex has outlets at major airports and you can make an order online and collect the New Zealand cash before you get on the plane.

You can bring the US dollar equivalent of $10,000 New Zealand dollars with you. If you take any more than this, you have to declare your cash when you pass through customs. You’ll get a better deal if you wait to get your money changed in New Zealand, even better if you make a withdrawal from an ATM rather than use a money exchange service.

Here are what some of the banknotes look like:

The main banks in New Zealand are:

ATMs in New Zealand

You should have little issue finding a convenient ATM location during your New Zealand travels. Remember to use a card that doesn’t charge foreign ATM fees, like a debit card from Betterment Checking.

What should I budget for my trip to New Zealand?

The opportunities for exploration and adventure opens up the possibility of blowing your budget. If you want to get around the country, you’ll need to rent a car — and it can be pricey. If you rely on busses or staying in one place, you can budget less than $50 a day. But for a more adventurous vacation, a realistic budget ranges from $130 to $350 a day. All prices are in US dollars.

_{Prices are for example purposes only.}

Case study: Mike's experience

Mike

Mike goes skiing in Queenstown: The adventure capital of the world

Mike says Queenstown has the best skiing experience in New Zealand. The snow, the nightlife, the food and atmosphere are all top notch.

What are your travel money tips?

Mike says if you’re traveling by shuttle bus to the peaks, purchase the tickets in bulk. A single ticket costs $15, but there’s discounts for purchasing packs of 10 or 15 tickets at a time.

Find travel insurance for your trip to New Zealand

New Zealand offers travelers a wondrous land to explore, from ski fields to volcanic hot springs, there are plenty of things for the family to enjoy.

But with every journey comes and element of risk, which is why there is travel insurance to protects against far more than just health issues. Travel insurance covers the following:

Don’t let your vacation turn into a nightmare, compare travel insurance policies today.