Adam Smith

Hi everyone,

I'm doing a whirlwind trip to Australia/New Zealand starting next week, which will be my first time down there.

I'm only in NZ for less than 4 days. I'm trying to figure out how much cash I need to get. My preference is generally to put everything on my credit card and use cash only where it's necessary.

Are there many places where I definitely won't be able to use a credit card? For example (and I'm making these up), taxis in Auckland don't take credit cards, or bars in Queenstown are cash only, etc. The bottom line is, for a handful of days in Auckland and Queenstown, how much cash do I realistically need to cover things where I won't be able to use a credit card? $100? $500? I've tried to do some Googling and looking through this forum, but not a lot of guidance.

Any insight would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Adam

SpannerSpinner

99% of Bars and Taxis take credit cards, as will all hotels, gas stations etc. All the touristy things in Queenstown will happily take credit cards from what I saw last month.

I would plan on using cash for thing like some smaller cafes and corner stores, bus, trains and ferries.

You probably wont need a lot of cash for 4 days, and ATMs aren't hard to find if you are getting a little low.

number_6

It depends which credit card; often the links to overseas card authorizations are down so whether a charge is approved depends on your specific card. I have a dozen different cards for travel because of this problem, and there are some that fail 90% of the time. Other work 100%. NZ was one of the first countries to roll out a nationwide EFTPOS network so it is found in very small and isolated towns -- much more so than in the US or Canada, but your problem might be in credit/debit card acceptance presuming you don't have a NZ issued card.

Adam Smith

Thanks for the feedback.

sokolov

I took out NZD 800 in cash for three weeks - two of which I spent touring the South Island. In the end, I struggled to spend the cash. I gave 250 to a friend, and paid several things cash on the final three days. Still, I left with some cash in hand.

I encountered few places that would not take credit cards (one of them was a yummy Chinese restaurant in Highbury in Auckland), and I don't remember any declined transactions.

Christopher

As above, cards are very widely accepted in New Zealand, and I've never had any problems with either UK or Australian credit cards. Cash will be useful for small incidental expenses, things such as newspapers, one-off bus fares or ferry fares, coffee/tea/snacks in small cafes (although even these are likely to take cards), odd purchases from a street stall, and so on.

AdMEL

It is quite possible to get by without any cash - as has already been mentioned, NZ has the most extensive EFTPoS network I've experienced and small transactions aren't a problem. It might be worth having NZ$100 in cash for emergencies - I usually do this, but also usually end up with cash left over! You might not need cash in Auckland or Queenstown (except for things like bus fares), but if you venture into the country, it might be useful for things like wine tasting fees (usually about $5, though you could probably pay with card) or a snack at a small shop.

Efrem

Many FTers will be gathering in the Bay of Islands area next month for the annual OzFest. (The definition of "Oz" was extended a bit this year; see this thread in CommunityBuzz for more information.) Any thoughts on credit card acceptance in that area in particular? Does it follow the general pattern of widespread credit card acceptance, but occasional hiccups with foreign cards?

SeriouslyLost

Doesn't matter where you are in NZ, EFTPOS (electronic) transactions will almost certainly be accepted. If you have problems it's almost always your card issuer, not the retailer. Personally, I don't bother taking cash, arrive and get ~$100 in cash from an ATM for incidentals, and then everything else goes on cards. Only thing to be aware of is that touristy places have started "offering" to convert into home currency - and as always, the rate is horrible. Just charge in NZ$ IMO.

Kiwi Flyer

As stated above very little need for cash in NZ, although good to have some for public transport (buses/trains), small shops, etc.

Visa & mastercard are accepted everywhere. Amex most places.

sokolov

BTW: Note that businesses are allowed to charge extra for the use of a credit card. And many do. For example, a car rental company charged me 4.8%, an airline charged me, etc.

An airport shuttle service in Auckland charges a credit card fee if you book online. No fee if you book by telephone, but then you must pay cash. And their 800-number does not work, if you call from a cellphone, so you may pay for the call on top.

SpannerSpinner

4.8%? Which rental company was that, i'll avoid them on principle. And it is possibly illegal, the charge is not supposed to be used to generate a profit, only to cover the costs of accepting CC payments.

The larger rental car companies don't charge a CC fee at all, and the two lower end of the market companies I've used charged 1.9% and 2%.

For most hotels, cafes and retail outlets that charge a CC fee its in the range of 1.5 - 3% for Visa and Mastercard, Amex usually charged a bit higher since the merchant fees are apparently higher.

The highest CC fee i've seen was 10% in a taxi, some taxi companies charge a $2.50 flat fee for paying with a card (including debit cards) regardless of fare. Obviously the flat fee is better on more expensive taxi rides, but a complete rip off on shorter journeys. Just pay cash for taxis, or avoid them entirely.

robi3

To give you an idea, A cup of good coffee costs NZD4-5, a sandwich costs NZD4-5, a light lunch at café or fast food restaurant (eg. KFC, MacDonald, Burger King, Subway, etc.) costs around NZD10, a humble dinner at a small restaurant could cost NZD15-30 per person, but a nice 5 course dinner at a fine dining restaurant could cost NZD80 per person without counting in the drinks. http://www.nz-tourism.com/

sokolov

Scotties at CHC. I was surprised, because it wasn't disclosed until pickup. However, they were by far the cheapest.

Is there a government body that invites reports about what seems to be a high fee?

SpannerSpinner

The commerce commission would be the govt department that would deal with breaches of the fair trading act.

I also think that their practice of not including gst in their quoted prices (according to the FAQ) is pushing it, they really aren't operating a wholesale business if they are targetting the backpacker market.