Banking in New Zealand

Banks in New Zealand have plenty of experience in dealing with migrants, so you’ll be in good hands when setting up your new accounts. In fact, each of the six major banks in New Zealand have dedicated migrant banking specialists to help you with the process, so you should be able to set up your New Zealand bank accounts even before you arrive in the country.

The most common form of payment in New Zealand is with an EFTPOS card – they’re accepted almost everywhere and almost everyone with a bank account in New Zealand has one. EFTPOS stands for Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale, and it is different from a credit card in that it automatically – electronically – takes money out of your account when you use it. You’ll find more about this and other forms of payment in New Zealand below.

Set up your bank accounts before you leave.

Before you hop on the plane, check with your current bank to see if they have any banking associates in New Zealand and can help you to open New Zealand bank accounts.

If not, don’t worry – just do some research and choose one of the main New Zealand banks. One of their migrant banking specialists will help you to set up your accounts via phone or email, or you may even be able to fill out an online application. That’s one less thing to worry about when you get here.

The largest banks in New Zealand are:

ANZ
National Bank
ASB
BNZ
Kiwibank
Westpac

All of these banks - except for Kiwibank - are Australian-owned.

A simple checklist for setting up your accounts:

• Step 1: Apply
  Contact a migrant-banking specialist from the New Zealand bank of your choice. They can help you set up both New Zealand dollar and Foreign Currency Accounts before you leave.
   
• Step 2: Transfer money into your new account
  Once your accounts are set up you can start moving money into them. Currency is usually exchanged into New Zealand dollars using the market rate at the time. You may be charged a fee on both ends of the transaction – check with your individual banks to find out more.
   
• Step 3: Activate your account when you arrive
  When you get here, go into a branch of your new bank to activate your account. If you haven’t already, you’ll need to show them proof of identity and proof of your address. Then you can access your money and set up internet or phone banking, a credit card or whatever else you need.
   

Forms of payment

EFTPOS

While it never hurts to have some cash in your pocket for small items or bus fare, EFTPOS is the most commonly used form of payment in New Zealand.

You’ll get an EFTPOS card with any electronic bank account (which includes most basic bank accounts in New Zealand). When you use your card to pay for goods and services the money is automatically taken out of your account at that time.

Debit cards

A recent addition to New Zealand is the debit card. It’s like an EFTPOS card because it takes money out of your account automatically when you use it, and it’s accepted wherever an EFTPOS card is. But it’s also like a credit card in that you can use it to make online purchases, so you get the best of both worlds. The debit card is growing in popularity here.

Credit cards

Many people also have a credit card, which can be used online and around the world. However credit cards aren’t accepted everywhere in New Zealand, such as in some cafés, dairies (that’s our word for a convenience store) or with smaller purchases.

Direct On-line Payment

It’s common for people to set up direct debit to transfer money to someone else through your on-line banking services. It’s an agreement with your bank to automatically transfer money to another person or entity. Their details can be saved to your account to ensure ease and efficiency when automatically transferring money, paying bills or purchasing goods and services. A high percentage of Kiwis now pay their bills via on-line payment transfers.

Cheques

To make payments to a specific person or organisation, you can still write out a cheque. People often use cheques to make one-off payments.