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Travel money card, start saving for your next holiday with a cash passport.

Lock in rates for 10 currencies

Lock in exchange rates each time you load. Load your card with NZD, AUD, EUR, USD, GBP, JPY, CAD, HKD, SGD and AED.

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Manage and track your card on the go via the Cash Passport app and stay in control of your travel money, from wherever you are.

Accepted worldwide

Use it like a bank card, expect with your own prepaid funds. In-store, online or to withdraw local currency at ATMs.

How do I order a card?

Getting a card is so easy - you can order online and have it delivered to your door within 5 business days, no need to leave the house.

Once your card arrives, you will need to activate it ready to use. You can then continue to load funds onto your card each month; it's like an online piggy bank for your next holiday. 

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Login to your account to check your balance, view your transaction history, reload your card and manage your travel money.

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There’s a lot you get from a Cash Passport that you don’t get from an average old credit card. View the additional features of the Cash Passport card, and information on using the card while overseas .

For all the information you need on pricing and fee structures, check out the fees and limits.

The Cash Passport customer service team is available 24/7 to answer your questions or assist if your currency card has been lost or stolen.

Simply call the number dedicated to the country you’re in:

• New Zealand – 0800 444 691
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• South Korea – 00798 4434 1279
• Other countries – +44 207 694 9404

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The Best Travel Cards And Bank Accounts For Kiwi Travellers

published by Bren

Last updated: May 23, 2023

QUICK SUMMARY

The best travel card for Kiwis right now is the Wise debit card.

To be frank, it's in a league of its own right now and there is nothing close to it.

It allows you to load NZD and exchange it to all other major currencies at a fair rate (better than any NZ bank rate).

It also allows you to get bank account numbers (!) in other currencies, so you can receive payments in those currencies.

Finally, it's all manageable within a very modern and easy-to-use app.

If you do not wish to sign up for a Wise card and want to just use your NZ bank, the best option right now is ASB. 

Their fees for ATM withdrawals are the lowest, so you can get yourself cash in practically any country in the world without losing too much in fees.

This article is a part of my travel tips series for New Zealand travellers. If you're not from NZ, this post won't apply to you. You can see the rest of the Kiwi traveller guides by clicking  here .

As a New Zealander, trying to find the best travel cards and banking options has been a frustrating affair. Why? There's just not that much to choose from.

Banks in larger countries are faced with higher competition and are forced to give their customers bundles of perks, while in NZ the banks enjoy a nice oligopoly which leaves us at the mercy of a few big players.

What that means is we never enjoy double and triple frequent flyer point deals, large signup bonuses, zero foreign transaction fees and ATM fee refunds. We don't have great travel credit cards or reward schemes. Very unlikely that you'll be getting free lounge passes or New Year bonus points.

However, there are still a few good options for us Kiwi travellers. And of course, it's still important that you don't lose money. With the wrong setup, you can end up paying hundreds in fees for currency conversions, overseas ATMs, interest, monthly and annual fees and more.

That's what I'm gonna help you with today.

In this post I'll break down the best travel cards, bank accounts, and some other lesser known options, and show you how over ten years of full time travel, I've managed to keep my bank fees down, gain several free flights on Airpoints, all while enjoying affordable and easy access to all my money, in various currencies, anywhere in the world.

Note: This is a long post with a lot of numbers. If you don't care for the analysis and just want to know what cards/accounts to get, you can skip straight to the bottom.

Part 1: Getting rid of ATM fees

The main way I access money while travelling is via ATM.

Not everyone knows this, but you can use ATM's overseas exactly the same way you use them in New Zealand. You get cash in the local currency, usually get a very good rate, and it comes straight out of your normal NZ bank account. It's very safe and easy.

In many countries, I never use a credit card or travel card at all. I just visit the ATM once or twice during my trip, and use cash for everything.

However! If you don't set up your bank accounts right, this can end up costing you a lot in fees.

Here's an example of when it doesn't work out so well for you:

I wanted to withdraw 10,000 Philippine pesos, which is around $265 NZD. At the time of this withdrawal, the interbank exchange rate (the 'real' rate that banks use) was around 38, and I was given 38.34.

So instead of paying $265, I paid $266.04.

That's a pretty good rate. At one of those currency exchanger booths, you'd lose 2-3% off that at least.

However, let's look at the fees here:

Offshore service margins: This is a fee they charge for withdrawing foreign currency, and will usually be between 1-2%. In my case, the fee is 1.1%, or $2.93 (that's actually low for a NZ bank).

Overseas ATM Fee: This is a fee charged for using an ATM outside your banking network. It usually ranges between $5-$10. In this case it's $7.50 (quite high).

Local ATM Fee: This is a fee the local bank will charge for using their ATM (everyone takes a cut!) As you can see, I wanted 10,000 pesos, but got charged 10,200. That extra 200 is the usage fee (around $5.50).

So for one $265 withdrawal I've been charged $3 in service margins, $7.50 by my NZ bank and $5.50 by the local bank whose ATM I'm using.

That's a total of $16 for one withdrawal. If I do that once a week it's going to add up to around $700 a year - not cool.

So, how do we avoid this?

Choose a bank with no foreign ATM fees

When I first wrote this article a few years ago, the only bank that offered free foreign ATM withdrawals was Westpac, through their membership with the Global ATM Alliance .

Things have changed since then.

In early 2018, ANZ announced they were waiving ATM fees both in NZ and overseas, and ASB followed suit later in the year and BNZ not long after that. Meaning most banks in New Zealand now waive all foreign ATM withdrawal fees.

However, if you really want to see who gives the best deal, we need to add up all the fees involved:

Overseas ATM fee summary (updated May 2020)

As you can see, ASB is easily the front runner here. But what we really care about are actual dollar amounts.

Here's what your fees will look like when making the following withdrawals at an overseas ATM:

This picture was a lot more complicated just one or two years ago, but now there's no contest when it comes to the best bank for NZ travellers: ASB .

The bank account I use is their Streamline account , which is managed entirely online, has a free EFTPOS card, and no fees.

How do you use a NZ EFTPOS card at an ATM overseas?

To use your NZ EFTPOS card at overseas ATMs, it works exactly the same as it does back home.

As long as your Eftpos card has a PLUS, Cirrus or Maestro symbol on the back, you can use it at almost any ATM in the world.

Check the back of your card and you should see one of those symbols, most NZ cards are either PLUS or Cirrus. 

For example, here's the back of my ASB card with the PLUS symbol:

Then when you visit an ATM, you'll see a sticker that shows what cards they accept, it will look like this:

Since those symbols are displayed there, it means your EFTPOS card will work just fine.

Just put it in, enter your PIN and away you go.

It's also really important to remember not to choose "credit" when you make your withdrawal. Choose check or savings or whichever your bank account is connected to.

If you choose credit, it will not be an EFTPOS withdrawal but a cash advance on your credit card. That incurs interest, a worse fx rate and maybe some other fees as well.

Part 2: Prepaid debit cards/travel cards

These types of cards the best travel cards available today when it comes to fees/usability.

They allow you to pre load different currencies (around 9 different ones) onto a prepaid Visa or Mastercard, meaning you can make purchases/ATM withdrawals in those currencies without paying the foreign exchange fees.

Some also offer free ATM withdrawals.

The 3 main ones available to New Zealanders are the Air NZ Onesmart, The Travelex Cash Passport, The Wise Debit Card and the Loaded for Travel card.

First off, Loaded For Travel has been phased out. You might still see people using them, but they're no longer being issued as of 2020. So that one is out. 

Let's compare the other three. We'll look at the foreign exchange rate, the fees, and the overall ease of use for each card.

As a benchmark, right now the NZD/USD rate is 0.6185, so we'll base our analysis below on this:

The  Air NZ Onesmart card is a Mastercard debit card by Air New Zealand. It is managed via your Airpoints account and is pretty easy to use.

When looking at the rate, here's what you'll get when loading $1,000 NZD into USD.

$1,000 NZD gives us $595 USD.

That's not very good.

With an interbank rate of 0.6185, that means they're taking a cut of   3.7% (that's a lot).

There is also a load fee of 1.5%, a currency conversion fee when you use the card of 2.5%, and a $1 monthly fee. 

However the Onesmart does give you other perks, such as earning Air NZ Airpoints on your purchases and 3 free ATM withdrawals a month.

Getting the card is free.

Travelex Cash Passport

The Cash Passport is a travel debit card available from Travelex. You may have seen their currency exchange booths and ATMs in the airports. 

Here's their current rate when loading $1,000 NZD to USD:

$1,000 NZD gives us $605 USD.

That's better than the Onesmart (which gave us $595).

The rate is 0.6055, compared to the interbank rate of 0.6185, so they're taking a cut of 2.1%. Not extravagant, but not great either.

Travelex also has a bunch of other fees:

•  $10 initial load fee
•  1% subsequent load fee
• $4 monthly inactivity fee
•  $10 closure fee).

Looking at that you're already guaranteed $20 in fees to simply open and close an account. ATM withdrawals are free.

Could still be better than a Onesmart, depending how often you plan on using it.

Wise Debit Card

Wise is a European money transfer service, but started offering debit cards and "borderless" bank accounts a few years later. 

Their debit card came out around 2018 for Kiwis.

I've been using it and it's been pretty great. 

Here's what rate you get for loading $1,000 NZD to USD.

At a rate of 0.6186, that almost exactly matches the interbank rate to four decimal places (actually slightly better).

So the currency exchange fee they are taking is zero. That's amazing.

Of course they also have a fee like the previous cards, which here works out to $7.83, or 0.7%. That's really low!

Ordering a card is not free; it costs $14 NZD. 

After that there are no monthly fees, and you get free ATM withdrawals of $350 per month (2% thereafter).

There are also many other perks to owning a Wise card - you can open bank accounts in various currencies, get an IBAN number, and receive money in foreign currencies too.

So which prepaid travel card is the best?

Let's put all that info together and see if we can get a winner:

First, the Onesmart exchange rate is so crap that I would disregard it altogether - there is no way you would save money with it when you're losing 3.7% every time you load money.

That leaves Travelex and Wise.

Because the exchange rate is also rather terrible for Travelex (and literally perfect for Wise), that would be enough for me to recommend Wise outright.

Add in the fact that Wise has no closure fee, no inactivity fee, no monthly fee, and the cheapest load fee by far, and it's a no brainer.

The $14 set up fee is the one downside, but it is a one-off, and over the long run is easily worth it. In fact, you will make that back in savings the first time you load money.

Travelex also ran into financial problems in early 2020 , and it seems risky to have money stored on one of their travel cards right now. Them disappearing is not impossible.

So easy decision here: Best prepaid travel card for Kiwis is the Wise Debit Card.

You can sign up for yours here .

Part 3: The best travel credit card for Kiwis

Let's move onto travel credit cards.

The trick with credit cards is to minimise your fees, never pay interest, and try and earn some reward points along the way.

We'll start with fees. What are some of the fees you typically pay with credit cards?

Here's an example:

For this particular transaction, I purchased a $111 USD air ticket on Cambodia Angkor Air.

On that date the interbank rate was 0.875, and they gave me 0.873. That's good. 

But you'll also see I got charged fees of $3.18; around 2.5%.

I personally do not want to add 2.5% to everything I buy, just because I'm using plastic.

Unfortunately there is currently no bank in New Zealand that offers a credit card without foreign transaction fees , so this is unavoidable.

However, having a credit card is very handy during your travels, so I think it's a good idea to always have one on you, even if our options aren't great in NZ.

Since there are literally hundreds of different cards available in New Zealand, I'm not going to compare them all. What I will do is compare a few "free" credit cards to see which gives us the best deal.

The following credits cards all have no annual fee and are reasonably easy to get approved for:

All are pretty similar across the board.

The main differentiator is the ASB Visa Light has no cash advance fee, meaning any ATM withdrawals are free. They should be free anyway on your EFTPOS account, but have this as a safety net is great as well.

The other thing is the AMEX Airpoints card is free and gives you a chance to earn Airpoints, plus you get a $50 signup bonus - that's also important and I'll address that more later.

Let's take a look out how these fees actually translate into numbers. These are the fees you would pay if you made the corresponding purchases or ATM withdrawals:

The ASB credit card is best if you'll need to make ATM withdrawals.

The Kiwibank card is best if you'll want to make actual purchases.

This is under the assumption you pay the bill on time and don't incur any interest.

Either way, credit cards should be a backup only , and you should use your ASB EFTPOS for ATM withdrawals and Wise debit card for purchases on the road wherever possible.

Don't forget about Airpoints!

This is more a tip for while you're in New Zealand, but make sure you're taking advantage of Airpoints!!

If the average New Zealander uses an Airpoints credit card in their day-to-day life, they should easily get a free air ticket to Aussie or Bali each year.

If you're after a good, cheap, fast-earning Airpoints card to use, the American Express Airpoints card is the easy winner.

It's the only zero-fee Airpoints card there is , plus the Airpoints earn rate is even better than some of the more expensive cards from the NZ banks. I'd highly, highly recommend applying for it today while it's around. Often they also have a $50 signup bonus, which makes it an absolute no brainer. Check here if the bonus is on offer and to get your free card .

For a more thorough breakdown of Airpoints cards in New Zealand - I've got an entire guide which analyses every single Airpoints card available in New Zealand. You can check it out here.

Another credit card tip: Paying in NZD (if it's a good deal!)

Sometimes shops and websites will ask if you want to pay in NZD instead of local currency.

This can be a good idea sometimes. 

Whenever the shopkeeper asks if you'd like to pay in NZD, always ask what the amount will be. Then pull out your phone and do a quick conversion (I use the Oanda app) and check if it's a fair amount.

Nine times out of ten they will be taking a big commission on the exchange rate. That means even though you'll avoid FX fees on your credit card, you'll end up paying more to the shop and it will probably end up costing you more overall.

There are good opportunities to do this though. Take a look at this example.

This is a hotel booking form from one of my favourite booking sites,  Agoda . It's for a hotel in Bangkok:

Their prices are USD listed ($88.55), however they also give me the option to pay in NZD ($102.25).

If I choose to pay in NZD, I'll be getting a conversion rate of 0.866, compared to the current interbank rate of 0.867.

That's very good, and much better than what AMEX will give me if I pay in USD and let them convert it (it was around 2.5%, remember?)

Therefore I often make online bookings in NZD (assuming the rate is good), which eliminates foreign transaction fees, and also lets me earn some Airpoints along the way.

In the case that it's better to pay with USD, just use your Wise debit card.

Summary for the best travel credit card:

There is no 'good' travel credit card in NZ (that I know of).

However, it's always good to have one anyway. My recommendations are:

• An ASB VISA Light as a backup.
• An  AMEX Airpoints card to earn the $50 signup bonus, and earn Airpoints on all NZD purchases.
• For everything else, use the Wise Debit Card .

So which travel cards/bank accounts do I use?

Here's the summary of what I use currently to keep my fees as low as possible and money as easily accessible on the road.

The main card I use while travelling is my Wise Card . Nothing else is anywhere near as good. 

However, as backups:

• I have an ASB Streamline Account (no fees), which I use to withdraw larger amounts of money from ATMs. I have never visited a country where I could not do this.
• I have an  Airpoints American Express (no annual fee), which also has no fees and earns me Airpoints. I barely use this while travelling, but I use it for pretty much everything I buy while in New Zealand . If you're not already, I'd highly recommend signing up for one today and start stacking Airpoints! I also recommend you read my guide on travel hacking for Kiwis .
• Lastly, I carry a small amount of USD in cash for emergencies. 

Between these options I manage to keep my bank fees almost non existent - in fact you might have noticed every single card has no annual fee.

I also get to earn a few frequent flyer points along the way. Pretty good, no?

What should you use?

If you're on a shorter trip (say 2 weeks - 1 month), it becomes much less important what card you will use.

If you're just going to Australia, you can simply use your NZ Eftpos card to get money from ATMs. You can even use your ANZ and Westpac cards and their equivalent ATM in Australia.

If you're going on a longer trip, or travelling around the world, you absolutely need a Wise card . That option can hold you down in almost every country. Keep an ASB Eftpos card handy, and possibly one other bank account too as a backup.

Best of luck in your travels and as always, if you have any questions, drop them in the comments below. 

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Another great usuful post Bren! I have done some researched on it myself and thought that the best option for me is ANZ (i have been a custumer for a long time anyway) and a Loaded for travel, which I manage to use a lot as an EFTPOS card to avoid withdrawn fees, also the exchange rate was much better than cash passaport everytime time I looked and I really like the fact that the maximum load fee is NZ$ 10, depending on how much you want to load that can really make a difference. I avoid inactitve fees using my card now and then in NZ and plan on using it for the 2 years the card is valid for so wont pay to cancel it. I heard, but have not verified, that if you put money into your normal credit card, as in paying it more that you owe, you dont pay international transaction fees, It would be pretty good if it is true but I am still very jealous of canadians and americans with their awsome deals and rewards!!!

I also heard that you don’t pay fees if you credit card is loaded with cash, but I double checked this with ASB and they said it doesn’t work like that. Otherwise I would definitely be doing that. I haven’t checked with the other banks though. Doesn’t Loaded for Travel cost $6 per ATM withdrawal? At least that’s what their website says.

I feel like I remember reading in your elance post that you worked in finance or something before.. not surprising looking at all these graphs and charts lol!

Yes, I can obsess about dollars and cents sometimes… 🙂

Great post – thanks for doing all that research and sharing it with everyone. I’m on ASB and whenever I travelled I would just withdraw and didn’t give those fees much thought but next time I travel I’ll think about getting a Westpac card. Although bank fees are a pain – a better way to think of it is at least we have banks and don’t have to carry suitcases of cash everywhere we go! So you can look at those fees as payment for their services such as keeping our money safe 🙂

That’ true, and I don’t mind paying bank fees at all, however, $13 just to get my own money out of an ATM – that’s a bit much for me. I know it doesn’t cost the bank that much, because if ANZ and Westpac can let you do it for free and still stay in business, I’m sure the other banks too 🙂 I’m also with ASB, however I’ll be winding down my accounts with them soon and shifting to ANZ (and I’m already with Westpac). Glad you found this helpful, and happy travels 🙂

Yes, they do charge $6, I didn’t express myself very well. What I meant is that I tried to pay with my card as much as I can instead of getting cash from an ATM. For the amount of money I loaded for my Italy trip I would have to withdraw cash many times for Loaded for travel to be more expensive than Cash passport because of the loading fee and exchange rate difference. So I guess it depends on the trip, I had a spreadsheet with all the fess and some scenario testing to help me chose 🙂

Ahh I get you, yes the exchange was quite a bit better on the LFT card. All depends on how you plan on using it I guess.

Thanks for that info Bren. I emailed you through a question in regards to the money situation about a month ago and wanted to thank you for your reply. My partner and I decided to go with the westpac credit card and the Air NZ Onesmart card as we already had both of these. Thanks for all the other informative blogs. Off to Indonesia next week to start our backpacking adventure around asia!

Hi Alan, you’re welcome, enjoy Indonesia and all the rest Asia has to offer!

Hey Bren – this post couldn’t have come at a better time for me, so thank you! I’m an ANZ customer and will be travelling through Asia. I was going to go with a Loaded for Travel card (so at least I could have baht for Thailand and USD for Cambodia) but the $6 ATM withdrawal fee is ludicrous! I’m looking into just taking my debit card and sticking to ANZ ATMs, as per your suggestion – do you know if they still charge the currency conversion fees?

Yes I believe they do, I know Westpac does anyway. I don’t think any bank in NZ lets you off those, but the rate can differ (ASB is only 1.1%, compared to Westpac’s 2.5%

Hey, thanks so much for this post! With the Global Alliance/Westpac account – do you know if there are fees if you use the eftpos card like an eftpos card overseas, or would it just be the offshore service margin charged? And the same question in regards to the prepaid credit cards – if you used them like an eftpos/credit card, are there any fees? I presume there is not offshore service charge because the money has already been changed to the local currency…

As far as I know the Westpac card can only be used for ATM withdrawals. As for the prepaid cards, there will be no fees if you have money loaded in the correct currency. Hope that helps!

Hi Bren – I’m off to the States for a month and was planning on using my Westpac eftpos card at bank of America ATMs (global alliance bank) to withdraw cash, and then was tossing up between using my Westpac debit plus card or a Onesmart card for any credit card transactions. What would you recommend? Would hotels, car rentals etc accept the Onesmart card? Also, do you know (from your experience) whether the States is a cash friendly place to visit or do merchants prefer credit cards? Thanks!

Yes I was also using my Westpac card in the States, there are no ATM withdrawal fees but they do charge a currency conversion fee when you make a withdrawal which was quite hefty at 2.5%. Sometimes it was cheaper to use my ASB card if withdrawing a large amount, which charges $7.50 + 1.1%.

If you’re only going for a month it will probably be cheaper to use your debit plus instead of activating a Onesmart. The Onesmart doesn’t give as good exchange rates, and plus, it’s biggest advantages are the free ATM withdrawals which you can get on your Westpac anyway.

To answer your other questions, the Onesmart should be accepted anywhere that accepts Mastercard. Most of the states should be card friendly – depends on the city I guess. It’s a big place!

Hope that helps, Bren

Have you done any research on opening up accounts with international banks? I know a lot of my American friends use Charles Schwab. They offer great interest rates and no fees for overseas ATM withdrawals.

I’ve been meaning to check into it for some time now but haven’t gotten around to it.

I haven’t looked into it but I think you need a US residency to open a Charles Schwab. Most American travellers I know use them also, they’re very good.

Hey Bren! Thanks for sharing this 🙂 We are also from NZ and last years atm fees in Vietnam were such a bum for 5 months! so now were more prepared 🙂 keep sharing, good stuff!

Hey Kate, no worries! I think there’s an ANZ in Vietnam if you’re heading back. As a side note I’m moving to Cash Passport over Onesmart because the exchange rate is better, in case you’re going that route.

This post was exactly what I have been looking for. Joining ANZ however does not seem very helpful as to get to the ATM locations would cost me more than the fees required normally, the ATMS are too far and few. Thanks for this post however very helpful and informative.

I am planning on using the westpac card in most of my journey through Europe and USA but I will be doing a bit of travel in Asia first so I have just done a bit of research, and looking at Westpac, BNZ, ANZ and Kiwibank they all charge 2.5% plus the ATM withdrawal fee Which varies from $5.00 to $7.50. In this case would the AirNZ onesmart card not be the best option as they charge minimal fees and includes 3 free withdrawals per month potentially saving you $22.50 a month. As stated above I would not really be willing to go with the ANZ card as it seems to be a bit awkward to get to the ATM locations.

Are there other hidden transaction costs that I am not seeing here with the onesmart card? Would like to know your thought.

Regards, Stevo

Gday Stevo, the thing with the Onesmart is it doesn’t give a very good exchange rate, so this adds up over time. On a big withdrawal the difference can be up to $20 or $30. Last I checked ASB only charges 1.1% plus $7.50 – in USA and Europe, where you can make quite big withdrawals, this can work out better than Westpac’s 2.5% even after the $8 fee is waived for alliance ATM’s. I have an ASB, a Westpac and a Onesmart and I cycle them, depending on the situation. Annoying, I know.

Hi Bren, thanks for your post!! I’ve been searching online for days trying to find info about NZ travel/credit cards. My eyes hurt. Real bad! My problem is that I’m travelling to South America, where the currencies aren’t an option on any of the travel cards … and if I had NZD on the Travel Cards, the huge 5.75% conversion will likely wipe out any benefit of no ATM fees in the long run.

After my own research comparing foreign curency conversion rates, atm withdrawl fees and card fees, I’m leaning towards opening a westpac debit account, simply to avoid the ATM fees. My question to you, is whether you have travelled SA and whether you had any trouble finding the global banks aligned with Westpac to avoid fees???

I will also keep my ASB cards as the give a marginally better conversation rate than westpac. (2.1% so I’m interested how you get 1.1%!!)

Thanks in advance. Megan 🙂

I’ve been to SA a few times but the global alliance doesn’t have great reach throughout the continent. I’d say it’s best to use a cash passport or an ASB. As for the service margin – this is from ASB Fastnet – ** The Offshore Service Margin is 1.10% for a FastCash overseas withdrawal and 2.10% for a Visa Debit overseas transaction. 

In other words, withdraw from your ASB checking account rather than your credit account.

Hi Bren, heres a scenario… i am in Spain and log onto Google NZ and book accommodation with my NZ credit/or debit card buying in NZD (obviously) and paying no foriegn currency changes. (Because the bank see’s a NZ transaction being processed in NZ even though i am in Spain)…. hows that sound? And is it possible?

Cheers Graham

Hi Graham. Usually the website is very clear on which currency you’re being charged in. It’s possible to book accommodation in NZD on international sites and I do it often (e.g. hotels.com, agoda). And yes, that will avoid the foreign currency rates. The only thing to look out for is to make sure you’re getting a fair exchange rate. Cross check the price you’re given with current rates and see if it’s a reasonable conversion.

Hi Bren, Just been reading your useful article. Regarding credit cards. I have a Warehouse Credit card and overseas transaction fees are only 1% ! This is easily the cheapest. Check it out! Cheers Paul

PS I am in the process of contacting Charles Swarb bank USA re opening a no fees chequeing ac in USA for a Kiwi resident. I will post on their reply.

Hi Paul. Nice find. I probably won’t be using my credit card too much overseas until they bring one out with 0% foreign transaction fees + Airpoints. Until then I pay with most things in cash. Do let me know what Charles Schwab say!

Hi Bren, Just had an online chat session with Charles Schwab. It is possible to open an account with them for free chequeing and them also providing a Visa card ! (don’t know limit though) BUT the catch is to open an International account the minimum deposit is US$10000!

Hey I’ve been booking in NZ dollars on the accommodation sites and I still get charged the 2.5%(WPac) charge every time. It has after all been converted from a currency that is not mine at some stage!! Westpac credit cards WERE free if your card was in credit but they axed that about 6-7 years ago!!

If the site charges you in NZD it shouldn’t incur a charge. I don’t have a Wpac credit card so can’t say if what is happening to you is normal, but on my Kiwibank and ASB I’m getting charged in NZD with no currency conversion.

Hi and thank you! I am going to Cambodia and so got myself a ANZ account for free ATM cash withdrawals but will have to pay 2.5% conversion. My Kiwibank Air NZ mastercard only charges 1.85% conversion but $6 for ATM use abroad PLUS it says possible extra charge from the overseas bank you withdraw from. Any experience of this double ATM charge in Cambodia please? Difficult to work out which option will cost less.

I’ve been using my Kiwibank Mastercard more and more just because the fee is relatively low and it’s convenient. I don’t remember if the local ATM charged fees in Cambodia. ANZ banks are there but I only saw one or two. They use USD there too. If you’re only there a short time take some USD and you may only need to make one withdrawal, so the cost should be negligible.

Awesome article. I didn’t know about the Westpac online account – this is really helpful, thank you!

Great article. We are getting slammed in Central and South America using our ANZ australia account, so have switched back to kiwibank (unfortunately not much cash on that side of the ditch). ANZ Australia and Westpac Australia both charge a 3% (!!!) foreign currency conversion fee for ATM withdrawals and CC purchases, plus the spread on the conversion (usually quite low) plus the ATM fees (not for CC obviously).

Kiwibank charges 1.7% which is pretty decent. I have an ASB account but left the card at home unfortunately, didn’t realise their rate was 1.1%.

To answer the global alliance questions, the only countries in Central and South America that are included are Mexico (apparently difficult to find but I never tried), Peru and Chile. We are only in Ecuador so can’t comment on the latter two but will hopefully chase them down when we are there.

We’ve found the best way to avoid getting screwed over was actually the cash we withdrew (AUD) and got changed to USD before leaving NZ at a little Chinese currency conversion place in Newmarket (spread was about 1.5% I think). Many places accept USD here and if you look, you can find good conversion rates in some countries and at most borders (be careful, a tired me got done at the Colombia/Ecuador border because I wasn’t paying attention, but the rate WOULD have been good!). Nicaragua for example was the best, they basically converted at the mid-market rate everywhere.

Also, had a look at the Charles Schwab thing. You can sign up as a non-US resident, but I believe you need a minimum $25k USD and also looks like there’s a tonne of paperwork, so not for us at current, but maybe kiwis planning on travelling can look into this if they have time. Our US friends are always rubbing it in our faces…

Thanks again JC

Yes, Ecuador is great because they use the USD. Westpac is only okay because you don’t get charged the $8 ATM fee, but they still charge currency conversion at 2.5%. ASB is still the best I know of for that region. Just try and take your money out in big chunks to keep the number of withdrawals as low as possible.

Hi Bren I live in the USA and I have a ASB card that I use! What is the best option for me to cut down on offshore fees?

If you live there you should open a US bank account!! They are far superior to anything we have.

Hi Bren, thank you for the article. Appreciate the work you have put in explaining these financial issues to a lay person like me. Can I ask if you know of the best travel card for Thai Baht? I will be heading to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos but most of my time will be in Thailand. I bank with ASB and have a Visa Debit Card. Thanks,

Hi Colm, Thailand is not great for Kiwis when it comes to currency. I would suggest just taking one big lump sum out on your ASB cheque account, it will cost you $7.50 + 1.1%. Alternatively you could do it in Cambodia, because the ATMs there give USD, then you can change that to local currency in the other countries.

Hi Bren, Great information here about the charges on the cards and the best ones to use overseas, but the other side to this is the customer service backup when things go wrong. I am currently in Spain and have a Loadedfortravel card (for the second year running) and it’s has been great and cheap however it has been skimmed and all money gone. I have contacted Kiwibank many times over the last 10 days and they have been so unresponsive and I cannot believe the lack of response to this serious situation. There systems and customer support are obviously not sophisticated enough to deal with problems when things go wrong. People really need to check the support they will get before deciding on which card to use. They should definitely use one of the bigger banks and not Kiwibank and Loadedfortravel.

Hi Louise, thanks for the tip. I’ve never used that card so I’m not sure what your recourse could be. However, if you don’t have any luck with Kiwibank maybe your travel insurance will help you out.

Really good information thanks! Just wanted to let people know if they travel to Singapore and Malaysia, moneychangers are very heavily regulated by the respective governments. Rates only vary by a small amount OUTSIDE THE AIRPORT and are much better than anything you’ll get with a credit card, there are also no fees. But NEVER ever change your cash at the airport, the rates are terrible and nobody local would ever do that! There are moneychangers in most medium to large shopping centres/malls. In Singapore for example, just take the MRT train 10 minutes (at a cost of no more than $1.60) to Expo Station and use the moneychanger in the shopping centre next to the station entrance… You could also pick up some inexpensive but great local food in the food court at the same time!

This is so helpful, thank you so much! Unfortunately, I’m living long term in Indonesia but unable to open a local bank account. THere’s no option for any pre-loaded travel cards in Indonesian rupiah. I get charged about a total of $10NZD for every withdrawal (which I try and minimise but it is difficult). I don’t suppose you have come across any extra information about money saving tips for this region? I’m with ASB and generally use my ASB visa for all withdrawals etc. Love this blog post!

Try open an ANZ account. I believe they have branches in Indonesia.

Hi guys, I leave for Singapore coming Saturday and then 12 hours later leave for South Africa, Just wanted to know with about $3500 spending money, should I exchange some cash here in New Zealand and load some on a card? Which is best please? I would also lie to know whether I should just use a card in Singapore since I don’t plan to spend much there?

If it were me, I would just withdraw everything from ATMs in South Africa. You can either just use your eftpos card or if you prefer you can get a travel card. However, if you’re planning on spending all that money in SA and you prefer to use plastic, then you could get a travel card and load it all as South African Rand. Loaded for Travel is probably the best card for that amount of money as there is no load fee. If you’re only in Singapore for 12 hours you probably won’t even leave the airport, and you can use any major currency in the airport. If you do leave you could just change a little currency in the city, won’t be a big deal if it’s just a small amount. Have fun!

Hi Bren Wow what a lot of info, it’s all very overwhelming, but like you, I hate banks getting anymore money than necessary. We are off to the UK, Europe and Dubai and am just debating how much cash to carry vs loading my Onesmart. We can get an exemption of fees at the airport for buying currency but are the exchange rates worse than at the local branches, wondering if it’s worth our while? We also bank with ASB and hadn’t even considered just using an ATM card. Decisions decisions, any hot tips for Europe would be much appreciated. Regards

It really depends on so many things – Euro UK and Dubai probably means you can use plastic a lot and if you’re planning on loading a lot of money the Loaded For Travel card can work well because there is no load fee. There are Global Alliance ATMs in UK and Europe so you can use Westpac for free ATM withdrawals but they charge 2% conversion fee anyway which can add up to quite a lot. But try and figure out which one will work best based on your budget. ASB is fine too – they charge 1.1% but charge a flat $7.50 per withdrawal, so it can still work out cheaper than Westpac depending on how big your withdrawals are. Onesmart is probably not a good idea as the rates are usually really bad on that.

Great tips Bren My ASB Visa Platinum reward card has a 2.1% foreign currency fee but then that is offset by the accumulation of 1% true reward benefit so I’m thinking that using that card extensively where ever it is accepted is a better option at 1.1% net, than paying cash by using a Westpac Card at Alliance ATMs which has a 2.5% foreign currency fee. This assumes that the retailer/supplier has not applied an additional local credit card fee in the credit card transaction. What am I missing?

This is true as long as you account for your True Reward Fee and your Platinum card account fee and if the country you’re visiting accepts cards everywhere. The reason I like using cash is because a lot of the places I go to are cash only (markets, street food, cabs etc) and I don’t need to carry my card everywhere. Plus I often use my ASB cash card over my Westpac at ATMs these days, as the fee usually works out lower. Crunch some numbers and if it works out cheaper for you to go Visa then go for it!

The Gem onecard Visa now has a currency conversion fee of 1.9% and foreign ATM and cash advance fee of only $1.50! This means you have to get over $750NZD from an ATM before the ASB EFTPOS card wins. By simply prepaying your credit card you avoid the interest on the cash advance. It costs $65/yr but free for the first 12 months. I’m planning on travelling to Nepal with this card and then cancel it at a later date in preference to using my Air New Zealand American Express Card for Airpoints 🙂 What are your thoughts on that plan?

Sounds good! Also if you don’t mind micro-managing your cards (opening and cancelling constantly) you could keep this up for quite a while, as most credit cards in NZ have “special” signups where they’ll waive the annual fee for a year and give you all sorts of other bonuses (Airpoints etc). Just gotta keep an eye out!

Also the Warehouse Purple Card has similar rates but has no annual fee – check that one out too 😉

Slightly different thread but the lounge benefits of the Amex card rocks! Recently had a 7 hour stop in Sydney and the lounge pass was worth it’s weight in gold. The free food and grog was spectacular,we were like kids in a candy store. Nearly worth flying to Sydney for lunch!

Which Amex card have you got?

Thanks for great info Bren. Used Westpac alliance to withdraw cash on last trip mainly in France and Italy. This time it is Croatia and Greece – seems no global alliance ATM options there and no ANZ branches. Any tips?

I usually just use an ASB eftpos card and will take the max withdrawal out of the ATM. Because Greece uses the euro it’s not a big deal if you have some leftover – you can just keep it for another trip or it’s easy enough to change back if you need to. Croatia uses the kuna so a little more tricky – depends on how long you’re staying there. If it’s just a few days, exchange a little euro at a currency exchange with a decent rate. Not perfect but will get the job done.

Hi Bren. What a can of worms this is. You’ve done a great job here of letting people communicate ideas and ask questions. I’m heading away shortly to Britain, Europe and the States for a total of 4 months. Fortunate to have a son in England who will get me Euros and Pounds, which has the disadvantage of carrying a lot of cash, but which avoids a lot of fees. I can load up my ASB Visa so that it is in credit and any overseas ATM withdrawals come out at Fastcash rates of 1.1% which is comparatively pretty good I think. I’m still trying to work out if ASB is the best option as credit card. Because we’re away for such a long time I’ll still be making a lot of CC purchases. I’ll get True Rewards points but I’d love to pick your brains to find out if you’re aware of a better solution. Thanks heaps

I had a friend who used the Loaded for Travel debit card. Because she was buying everything with plastic it worked out best for her – it has a low loading fee and she never did ATM withdrawals. Also look into the Warehouse purple cards – they’re pretty good!

Thanks so much for all your advice Bren on this site, it has really helped me a lot on my travels. Can I ask for your thoughts here…im going to North Cyprus for 8-10weeks. They use Turkish lira, but also evidently Euro and English Pounds are accepted. I have an ANZ debit card and a Onesmsrt Card. I’m in Finland at the moment. What should I do money wise.. I leave next week. I am not making money so am always using NZ dollars as my main source.

For that period of time I would probably avoid using your Onesmart. The exchange rate will catch up with you a lot. I you’re comfortable carrying around a large amount of cash, I would just take a big withdrawal in Finland and try and use cash. Although in Cyprus you could probably just use your card to pay for most things – I’m not sure though as I’ve never been there.

Thanks for the reply. Wish I had known about your site sooner! I am planning to try and be away for at least 12 months. Unfortunately I didn’t realize Onesmart had such high fees. Sorry to ask another two questions…so am I actually better off using my ANZ eftpos visa debit card in atm machines rather than converting NZ dollars to euros on my Onesmart card and then using that to withdraw money. Also is it worth it now or is it even possible to change to another travel wallet now or perhaps i shouldn’t bother. Thanks Been in advance for your suggestions..working out the money side of things when travelling is not my strong point! I’m hoping to do volunteer work through work away to keep me going

I actually haven’t checked the Onesmart exchange rate since a few years back so it might have improved. Maybe you can go and compare the rate you’re getting from Onesmart with the rate ANZ gives you. But with the data I have it looks like your ANZ card would be better for actually paying for things with your card. If you’re doing ATM withdrawals, you could probably use either card without much difference. ANZ would give you a better rate but Onesmart ATM withdrawals are free, so it will probably even out. Again it really depends on how much you withdraw and how often.

Thanks heaps for your article. I am travelling to Switzerland for 6 weeks shortly and I am wanting to know the best way to get money and pay for things while over there. Since swiss francs isn’t a currency used on travel cards, is it best just to use an eftpos card? I am wondering if it is better just to use my Westpac eftpos card at shops since doing this or using an ATM will have the 2.5% fee but if i use an ATM I will get charged an additional $3 per transaction?

Thanks for your help. Ben

You can’t use an EFTPOS card to buy things there, only to withdraw from an ATM. The best card to use at an ATM would be an ASB EFTPOS card. Westpac is expensive to use at ATMs. If you want to pay with plastic I’d get a Kiwibank Mastercard Zero. Otherwise it might even be worth getting Swiss Francs from the bank in New Zealand and taking them with you. You’ll need to check what rate you get though and see if it’s fair.

Thanks for your help Bren

Just finished my 3 year trip and boy this kinda info woulda been usefull. Had to make do with ANZ Eftpos (very useful in Asia overall most places for compatibility) ASB Debit visa (unfortunately has 2.1% fx, will be changing to mastercard which has lower), BNZ Credit classic (only for online), and the AIRNZ Onesmart, which I didn’t find that useful except in the key countries it had currencies for, I found it hard to find many atms which were compatible with this card compared to my other cards, but with the recent provider change for AIRNZ maybe that has changed. It is now a Platinum Mastercard if you notice, and has the Mastercard Platinum Benefits also like inclusive travel insurance etc. Though wondering when it’s $150 standard platinum card fee a year will kick in.

ASB EFTPOS is still the best I know of for standard ATM withdrawals. $7.50 + 1.1%. Minimise that standard $7.50 with big withdrawals, so especially in Europe just take out 1,000+ EUR at a time and the fee isn’t too bad. Warehouse Money Card also offers pretty cheap cash advances now – I’ve just got one of those.

Gah correction been looking at this and Travel insurance only for Platinum Visa, though there are some standard fraud benefits as standard http://www.mastercard.com/sam/en/guide_to_benefits/

Thanks for the article. For a 2 week trip in Aussie, would a Kiwibank Zero MasterCard, some cash and/or Cash Passport be necessary? I feel my ASB visa debit card and extra cash would be more than enough.

Two weeks in Aussie shouldn’t be complicated – I would just use my ASB card. I believe if you have a Westpac or ANZ card you can use those ATM’s for free (I think).

Hey Bren, What an extremely useful blog – thanks for sharing! My partner and I are about to start about 9-12 months backpacking through SEA/India so this been really helpful to figure out what to do with our money. We’re both ASB customers so have the eftpos & ASB Visa Light to work with. Will also look to open an ANZ account in case we find those ATMs for eftpos. In terms of credit cards, I think we are only really interested in ones that will earn Airpoints as we’ll stick to cash. Can I ask whats the benefit of having a Kiwibank and AMEX that earn Airpoints? Why not stick to one, e.g. the AMEX which has no fees? Thanks heaps!!

A lot of people don’t accept AMEX overseas, that’s the main reason. Plus it’s prudent to have a backup.

Hi Bren, Thanks so much for this post – so, so helpful! I’m planning to travel to America (and Mexico and Cuba), Southeast Asia and Europe/UK for around 8 months. I assume I’ll mostly be withdrawing cash but will probably want something to use as an EFTPOS. I’m currently planning to use the Cash Passport for the US because the exchange rate iand it’d be good to have something to use as an eftpos. I’m now thinking I’ll use either the ASB or the Westpac for withdrawals in Asia and Europe – I’m not sure how much I’ll withdraw each time at the moment which is where I’m a bit stuck. Would you recommend getting a Westpac for the smaller withdrawals (which I already have an account with) and an ASB Streamline account for the larger withdrawals? I was also wondering if you have any idea how often the ATM’s overseas have their own additional fee for use?

If you plan on doing lots of small withdrawals definitely take a Westpac card with you. The ATM fee really just depends, kind of 50-50. More often in some countries than others. For example Thailand always has it. Europe less common.

Heading over to Europe for a couple of months, and thinking I’ll get a Westpac card for the ATM withdrawals. Just wondering if you know what the usual limit at European ATM’s is? When I went around Asia, I remember only being able to get $200-$300 max from the ATM at a time.

The most I ever tried to take out was 1,000 euros and it worked fine.

If you’re planning on doing big withdrawals like that though, use an ASB card, it’s cheaper as you’ll see from my tables above.

Hi Bren, thanks for tips and the graphs above:) Any tips or advice when travelling to South Africa for 4 months in terms of which bank/bank card to use etc. ? Thank you.

Either a Westpac card at ABSA ATMs for small withdrawals, or ASB eftpos card for large withdrawals.

Hey Bren, great article! I’m trying to find a good travel money debit card for the inlaws but this seems to be impossible in NZ! I can’t believe how good we have it here in Aus. When I compared the Air NZ card (which won Canstar 5 star rating…. goes to show how bias they are) with the Mastercard spot rate, the spread was more than 4%!! Is there any debit visa/mastercard at the moment which is your personal go to?

For multiple currency cards, NZ really has nothing good. I just use my regular banking card.

Just got a Westpac Account. Had a lot of interesting questions. One being “Am i a US citizen” Enquired to bank employee about this. She states the US has a right to request access to your bank account details if it deems it necessary to. This is an agreement 3 years ago many countries have signed up to just to allow the US (no other country mind you) to allow snooping on your bank account details if they want. Doens’t sound right to me.

Should only apply to US citizens.

Hi Bren, This was a great read. I’m heading to Spain soon on a working holiday visa. I’ll be travelling Europe and the UK, so predominantly Euros and Pounds will be my currency over the next year. After reading your article I’ll be switching from Kiwibank to ASB to get an eftpos card just for large ATM withdrawals. I’m concerned whether I should get a travel money card (I’m thinking Loaded for Travel) or a debit card (through ASB) when I’ll be paying by card over there or paying online for flights, accommodation etc.. What would you suggest? I’m new to the nomad life so your advice would be appreciated. Cheers Dominic

Hi Dominic. Since you’re actually going to be living in Spain, I’d recommend getting an N26 account if you’re after a debit/credit card. It’s an online bank based in Germany. You can sign up on your NZ passport, like I’ve done. That way you can pay everything in Euros on your N26 Mastercard, plus you’ll have an IBAN to get paid. You do need a European address to sign up, so you’ll need to wait until you get to Spain, but your ASB should hold you down while you wait. Getting my card was really quick (just a few days). It’ll be perfect for travelling Europe too!

Hi there, great post. From Monday 26 March, ANZ removed the $5 fee for using ATMs overseas. This would make an ANZ eftpos card the best for use worldwide when withdrawing amounts < $500. Cheers.

Thanks! That’s great news. I’ll update this post.

Great resource. Thanks. Not much choice in NZ but you have made it easier for me. to make my decision on travel cards and ATM withdrawals. Luckily have an ANZ no fee eftpos card and a no fee credit card. Learned a lot about the so called “hidden fees”. Thanks.

Great blogg for kiwis, Really good work on here, thank you.

The AMX air points card you use in NZ only, Would i still be able to use this overseas for retail purchases and online purchases(air tickets etc) and gain air points or do you only get points when buying in nz?

You can definitely use it overseas and get Airpoints on it, it’s just you will also pay foreign exchange fees on everything.

Hi Bren, I am about to go to Oz for an extremely short trip so was trying to find out how to get cash out using my eftpos card. Looked on a number of sites before stumbling on to your blog. This is the most helpful article i have found! Wish I had found it earlier! thank you Bren.

You’re welcome!

Firstly, you’re an absolute legend for putting all this info together – super helpful!

I’m about to head off to Europe on a four month trip, will be spending most of the time in Italy, Hungary, Croatia and the UK.

It looks like an ANZ/ASB account will be best for ATM withdrawals. However, I’m still working out whether to use an Amex, Mastercard Zero or Loaded for Travel card for purchases.

Taking into account the airpoints it would seem that the Amex would be the best option (e.g. 2.5% fee offset by 1airpoint/$100).

This is compared to: – Mastercard Zero (1.85%); and – Loaded for Travel (LFT rate for UK/Italy (supported countries) and 2.5% for Hungary/Croatia (unsupported countries)).

Just wondering whether you can see any reason why, when factoring in airpoints earned, the Amex wouldn’t be the preferable option for purchases?

Only thing I can think of is that the AMEX might not be accepted everywhere. So it would be good to have the Mastercard on hand just in case. But definitely get the Amex anyway since it’s free. If you have access to a European address, I’d highly recommend getting a N26 account . That will give you a Mastercard in Euros you can use on European soil.

Great, will do. Thanks mate!

When I use my kiwibank platinum MasterCard on international transactions, I get charged a 1.0% currency conversion fee plus a 0.85% foreign currency txn fee…… how do you get 2.5%?

I’m going to Europe in 3 weeks for about 4 weeks, was going to try and spend as much as possible using the credit card (1.85% doesn’t seem too bad plus accumulate an airpoints dollar for every $75 spent (1.3% payback). Airpoints accumulation only applies to transactions not cash withdrawals though. Was also planning to load it up with credit and do $6 + 1.85% atm withdrawals for when they don’t accept credit card etc. Am I missing something? It seemed like the way to go but after reading this post I’m not entirely sure….. any tips would be greatly appreciated as I’ve got 3 weeks to get an alternate plan sorted!

Cheers Antony

Hey Antony. The Kiwibank 2.5% is when you use your Kiwibank EFTPOS card to make an ATM withdrawal. For Kiwibank credit cards it’s 1.85% (you can see credit card fees summarised in Part 3 of the guide). If you’re only going for four weeks, your plan should be fine. I’d use an ANZ EFTPOS card or a Warehouse Visa for ATM withdrawals, or an ASB Eftpos card if you plan on making a big withdrawal ($1,000+).

how come you use transfer wise over the normal ASB international transfer option. It looks more expensive (ASB has a flat $15 transfer fee)

Am i missing some key points?

Cheers in advance

Hey Joel, I use TW because last time I sent money using the ASB service they took a huge chunk off the other end. Not sure if it was the Aussie bank or ASB but it was around another $30-$40 chopped of when it arrived in my Aussie account. Also, Transferwise fees are much lower if you use the bank deposit option over the credit card option, and faster. Definitely will be less than $15. Just much better overall!

Totally confused! going to New Zealand, Australia and Figi. What is my best option?

Probably use an ANZ Eftpost card.

Thank you for all your hard work!

Hi Bren, thanks for your posts. Found this one great and the shengen visa one too. We are travelling to Spain in sept to spent the next year cruising the Med on a boat, then sailing to the Carribean, thru the Panama Canal, and back down to NZ through French Polynesia. It sounds like our ASB eftpos card will be fine for atm withdrawals, and our Kiwibank Mastercard for credit card, but I’m also I nterested in the N26 card you mention. You say we need a “European address” to get this. How strict is this? Like, can I use the address of a marina we will be at for a week or so? Or maybe my cousins address in Spain? Will they need proof that I live there or anything? Thanks in advance for any help. Cheers!

Your cousins address will probably be fine, as long as you have access to the mail there. Just give it a try, if you can’t get it you can’t get it – no harm in trying!

Hi Bren. Do you have to give proof of address when signing up for an N26 card? Or can I just use a friends address or address of a place I am staying at? Cheers.

You need to give an address where you can receive mail, but I don’t think I had to submit a document as proof of address.

Hi Bren, I’m planning on a trip in South America. I’ve already got an ASB card and am tossing up between another Westpac or ANZ bank card. My understanding of the new ANZ fee update is that they’ve waived their oversea withdrawal fees BUT that doesn’t mean that I won’t be charged the local ATM fees. However, with a Westpac global alliance banks, the Westpac overseas + local ATM fees are both waved. So potentially this can be a better deal (although less coverage) compared with the ANZ card. I’m wondering what has been your experience in regards to the local ATM fees around South America region. Thanks for your blog, it has been very informative

Hey Michael,

Just get them both. Both banks have free accounts, and you can easily move money between them with internet banking.

Hi Bren, we are off to India for three weeks. Very hard to find information on the best way to access money while there. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Take some USD with you, take an ANZ eftpos card to use at ATMs and a standard Mastercard or Visa as a backup. India is a very well travelled country, you should be fine 🙂

Hi Bren We are travelling to Europe in March and plan to be away for a minimum of 2 years motorcycling around so won’t have a permanent address over there as such Our plan was to transfer funds from our NZ bank account to a travel card on a monthly basis to use as we need to as we don’t intend to maintain a NZ based credit card at all Interested in your thoughts/suggestions

Did you check out my post on N26? https://brenontheroad.com/n26-review-the-ultimate-bank-for-travellers/

Apply for it as soon as you arrive in Europe (or if you have a friend/family address you can use there, use that and apply now). For two years on the road, it is hands down the best option and will save you tons of money.

Hi Bren, I just opened an account at TransferWise, using my NZ address, so now I am wondering if I can still open an N26 account using an address in Sweden I have access to. We are going to be in Europe for a couple of months next year so would love to have that N26 card…but given how closely they work together, have I shot myself in the foot? Thanks very much

I did it, and it worked fine. They’re not the same company, so legally they’re not allowed to share your details with each other.

Hi Bren, as others have said – great post thanks!

I just wanted to double check with you what you think the best approach for us will be. We are taking our four kids to Europe and the UK to travel in a motorhome for 8 months and will travel as cheap as poss but it will add up. Currently we are Westpac and Kiwibank customers. It sounds like the best approach for us would be to withdraw large amounts of cash on an asb eftpos card as we travel so as to minimise fees. Is this still the case you think? And what credit card would you recommend for Europe and the UK? We currently only hold Westpac platinum I think. Thanks again, Kev

For that period of time, I HIGHLY recommend signing up for N26 when you arrive (you’ll need a mailing address). I have a full guide on that here: https://brenontheroad.com/n26-review-the-ultimate-bank-for-travellers/

Having a N26 account will make banking a complete non-issue while you’re there, you’ll have a Mastercard that works in all of the EU (and actually the world) with no fees. I use that card exclusively now on all my travels worldwide.

As for your backups, I would take an ASB Eftpos, and then just any credit card, Westpac would be fine.

Just came across this a week before flying out – too late to get the Warehouse Visa unfortunately, but will be in the UK in a few months so a reminder to sign up for an N26 account in now in my calendar! Thanks for all the time put in to writing these posts, they are really helpful.

No problem!

This is a great post, thanks. Yes, NZ is really behind the curve on this one. I am only 21 and live in Beijing at the moment, but have been in Europe for a few months for research purposes. I am with Westpac and I have to say… I’ve paid HUNDREDS in fees, largely foreign currency conversion fees. Not good. Not that great a bank to be with if one plans on leaving NZ long term/frequently, as I do. As I enter adulthood, I’ll be sure to make the switch. I shiver to think of the costs… 21 y/olds do not have hundreds to just blow on fees, in my experience.

Definitely get N26 next time you’re there! Or if you have access to an address there you could apply for one now.

Hi Bren, thanks so much for all your great articles, it’s a real help having some NZ specific stuff out there. FWIW I found out that ASB has just removed their $7.50 overseas withdrawal fee on all their cards, so when doing ATM withdrawal with a Fastcash card you just pay 1.1% offshore service margin plus whatever the ATM provider’s fee is.

Yes I always read something about that, but couldn’t find it officially on ASB’s website at the time. I’ll update!

Hey Brendon, thanks for the great tips. Just wondering is it possible to start up a foreign currency account and transfer money into it (using transferwise) then use a card issued for that currency? Do any big international banks like HSBC offer cards for their foreign currency accounts?

The closest to this is going to be the N26 card that I mentioned in the post. It’s what I use. I transfer NZD into it using Transferwise and now I use my N26 card for literally everything while travelling (and even in NZ sometimes).

Thanks for a great post! I am living in NZ but going traveling around Europe soon and I want to get a n26 card. In the opening account process it asks what country you live in, and if you put NZ it doesn’t let you set up an account. There doesn’t seem to be a space for a shipping address in Europe. Is it possible to put that I “live” in a European country (the country that I have the shipping address in)? Do they ask for proof of address? I know it’s possible to get a n26 card as a NZer but I can’t seem to get past the initial stage!

Yep, list that as your living address. The proof of address will be they send the card to that address and you receive it 🙂

Hey, just wanted to say a big thank you for your very informative post. Travelling through Asia soon and you have definitely helped clarify some things and provided some great advice. Don’t normally comment on things, but you deserve it here for all the hard work you’ve put in to this guide. Cheers

This is such a good post. I used to work in FX and one thing I would add is if you want cash; ask if places will price beat the banks/ other local stores.This can save you $100s and I’ve seen people get the margin down to like under 1% by shopping around. (If you want to buy foreign, you want the HIGHEST rate; if you want to swap foreign for nzd, you want the LOWEST rate.)

Ask which places?

Great article! seems now that Onesmart has surpassed Cash passport for exchange rates though!

Cash passport 1NZD = 0.5658Euro Onesmart . 1NZD = 0.5715Euro

After this i assume Onesmarts would tend to be the preferable option in this case? would you agree? obviously losing out on every withdrawal after 3 free per month.

Would like your thoughts on this.

I’m not a fan of either card to be honest but yes I’d take whichever one gave the best rate.

Hi Bren, Great article very informative! Just wanting to check again have you found out whether ASB has definitely waived the $7.50 overseas ATM fees. I looked really hard on their website I couldn’t find anything relating to the $7.50 fee only the 1.1% FX fees. Just wanting to know do you if you have any further information re: ASB. Thanks again.

Yes it’s been phased out.

Bren, the Transferwise card coming to NZ has got banks acting…BNZ’s fee is now $0 and many others have been cut recently. Check out https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/best-credit-card-overseas-fees.html

Nice. I’ve already ordered my TWise card!

Given that a non-card holder can’t contact Wise, I’m hoping that, as a result of your inquiries, you might be able to answer one query about the Wise card that I have:

 Are the limits for transactions cumulative e.g. monthly limit for chip and pin N$17500, ATM $5250, PayWave/Contactless $7K? This would allow a total spend of NZ$29750.

The reason why I ask is that my wife and I will be going on our last overseas trip (we are retired), which will be to Europe, and we want to take a travel card/debit card loaded with Euros, and for the first month, we will need approx. NZ$20K. If the limits are cumulative, we should be OK so long as we can control when we use PayWave/contactless – the monthly contactless limit is miserly.

We are concerned that the only support is via online, which wouldn’t be great when you’re overseas and need help, especially if urgent – but we realise that this is just the way it would have to be if we were to opt for the WISE card. We need to make a decision. We note the many bad reviews of Travelex and Westpac, including as to support and difficulty with top ups, and if we were to use my ANZ VISA credit card, we would be hit by poor fx rates and fees for every transaction.

To be honest I’m not sure, I believe the daily spend limit is 2k (so 60k per month) and for Europe you can pay by card pretty much everywhere. If you’re concerned I would just apply for 2 accounts (you and your wife apply for one each) and then you have a backup too, and it’s easy to transfer funds between Wise accounts. In my experience Wise support is very good, much better than any NZ bank, especially when you’re overseas. Enjoy your trip!!!

Tena Koe Bren

Love you analysis I have recently got a flight centre Mastercard as it has no international transaction fees. Could this be the first only New Zealand credit card with no international transaction fees?

We have travelled to Europe a few times in the last 10 years, and have always found your advice on how to deal with money and bankcards etc just so invaluable – thankyou! Clear, informative, and easy to follow….and I hate fees!!

We are leaving from NZ for France and Switzerland this year, and have a Wises card each now (new for us) and our ASB visa although don't use credit cards unless emergency. (Last trip in 2017, did ATM withdrawals though Westpac ATM in Europe because of their free ATM option at that time.) My question is with a credit card, you do not compare Westpac credit card as an option, is it right it has a 1.95% FX fee? (lower that asb visa?). Is ASB credit card still better in your opinion?

We will use our ASB cashflow card to withdraw at ATM's this trip, as the off-shore margin fee is lower at 1.1% and now doesn't have the other ATM fee anymore – is that correct? Also have Wises free for first two $350 ATM withdrawals in a month.

In summary, we will have some cash when we leave, will have cash loaded on Wises in Euro and Swiss francs (our 2 countries visiting), and will use ASB cashflow for ATM withdrawals for cash (with Wises as a backup). For emergencies ASB credit card (altho am interested in Westpac credit card comparison?). I guess my main question too is – is it better during everyday travelling to pay with cash withdrawn on ASB cashflow at ATM, or Wises card e.g.at a cafe for example.?

If you could answer these couple of questions, I would be most appreciative. Kind regards

I have Wise and ASB, if I do ATM withdrawals I usually use ASB, but for 90% of things in Europe I just use the Wise card.

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• Travel Money Card

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Buy currency, top up card.

Rate last updated Saturday, 04 May 2024 10:40:20 AM NZST. Please note that these are the Travelex online sell rates.

[fromExchangeAmount] [fromCurrencyCode] New Zealand Dollar

[toExchangeAmount] [toCurrencyCode] [toCurrencyName]

Enter the card number of the Prepaid Card you would like to top up. The number of the Prepaid Card you are topping up must be the Primary Card Number and must have been originally purchased from Travelex.

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Enter how much you'd like to top up either in New Zealand Dollars, or in the foreign currency amount for the currency you have selected.

The Travelex Money Card

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$0 Eftpos Fees

$0 atm fees 2, $0 currency conversion fees 3, $0 online shopping fees 3, features and benefits: why a travelex money card.

UNLIMITED FREE overseas ATM withdrawals 2

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NO fees when you buy online $0 Currency conversion fee ^

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• Award winning travel card
• Order online for next day collection in Travelex stores
• Or just walk in our store and get it in minutes
• No account and no membership required

Emergency Assistance

• Optional Additional Emergency card at checkout

Easy online ordering

• All you need is your passport** ( documents required when collecting )
• Order process takes between 5 and 10 minutes

** Check the required documents when collecting your card in store.

How our Travel Card Works

Order your travel card.

Order your Travelex Money Card and Additional Emergency card online or in-store

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Delivered within 1 to 3 days

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Download the app from the Google Play and Apple App stores

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Simply activate your card by registering your account via the app or online

Manage and check your balance online and on your mobile

Exchange leftover currency

After your trip, exchange leftover money for another currency, transfer into your bank account or withdraw in-store or at an ATM.

Download the Travelex Travel Money App

Convenience on the go

• Top up your currency wallet
• Move funds between currencies
• Instantly freeze and unfreeze your card
• Reveal your PIN and card details for online shopping

The app requires Android 5.0 and up or iOS 10.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

Fees and limits

NO fees online

Withdraw daily up to NZ$3,000 (or currency equivalent)

Maximum Card limit of NZ$75,000

Free initial and replacement card

NZ$, AU$, US$, GB£, EU€, CA$, HK$, SG$, JP¥ .

*The currencies available may vary from time to time. Before you make a decision to acquire the card, please check with the Distribution Outlet or on this page.

Load/reload in NZD: the greater of 1.0% of the initial load/reload amount or NZD$10.00. Load/reload in other currencies: zero.For example, for a Distribution Outlet charging a 1.0% initial load fee, if you purchase a Travelex Money Card and load NZD$800, you would be charged (NZD$800 x 1.0%=NZD$8), unless a minimum fee of NZD$10 applies.

This fee is set and charged by Mastercard Prepaid Management Services.

FREE Some ATM operators may charge an additional withdrawal fee.

• Charged at the start of each month if you have not made any transactions on the card in the previous 12 months
• Unless your card is used again, or reloaded, this fee applies each month until the card is closed or the remaining card balance is less than the inactivity fee.

NZ$4.00 per month

Charged when you close or Cash Out your Travelex Money Card. This fee is set and charged by MasterCard Prepaid Management Services.

This is applied when you move your funds from one currency to another currency, or when you request a Cash Out to close your Travelex Money Card and you have funds in a foreign currency

At the then applicable retail foreign exchange rate determined by us. This rate reflects MasterCard Prepaid Management Service’s cost price plus a margin determined by MasterCard Prepaid Management Services. We will notify you of the rate that will apply at the time you allocate your funds from one currency to another and this rate (inclusive of the margin) may be less favourable than the foreign exchange rate for Online reloads where you allocate funds in a foreign currency.

Applied when a purchase or ATM withdrawal is conducted in a currency either not loaded or sufficient to complete the transaction and the cost is allocated against the currency/ies used to fund the transaction

MasterCard® rate plus 4.00% of the transaction value. The MasterCard rate is the exchange rate determined by MasterCard to be their wholesale rate or the government mandated rate in effect in the day the transaction is processed by MasterCard.

At the then applicable retail foreign exchange rate determined by us. This rate reflects MasterCard Prepaid Management Services’ cost price plus a margin determined by MasterCard Prepaid Management Services. For online reloads we will notify you of the rate that will apply at the time you book your transaction (further terms and conditions apply and will be provided to you at that time).

• Initial purchase: NZ$250 or currency equivalent
• Top-ups: NZ$100 or currency equivalent

The maximum amount you can load on the card at the time of the initial online purchase is NZ$10,050 equivalent.

(i) to a maximum of NZD10,050.00 per single top-up; and (ii) to a maximum of NZD10,050.00 per top-up within 24hrs; and (iii) to a maximum of NZD20,000.00 top-up within 21 days. NZ$20,000 or currency equivalent

Some ATM operators may set their own withdrawal limits which may be lower than this limit.

NZD$3,000 or currency equivalent

NZD$15,000 or currency equivalent

NZD$75,000 or currency equivalent

Some financial institutions may set their own withdrawal limits which may be lower than this limit.

NZD$400 or currency equivalent

NZD$0.00 (No overdraft facility available)

Fees & Limits

Terms & conditions, other ways to get foreign currency, all the easy options to access foreign currencies with travelex.

About Travelex Money Card online and in-store

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Track Foreign Currencies Rate

Receive an alert when your foreign currency has reached your desired rate

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Travelex Travel Card Currency Information

Travel card faq links.

Getting Started

Fees and Limits

Travel Card FAQs

You can only hold one card in your name at any one time.

An Additional Emergency card is a replacement card only which you must only use if your primary card is damaged, lost, misused or stolen. An Additional Emergency card can only be purchased at the time of purchasing the Travelex Money Card. It cannot be added to your account at a later date.

Online orders:

In-store purchase:

• Passport + proof of address
• NZ drivers license + Supporting ID (see list below) + proof of address
• NZ firearms license + proof of address

Supporting ID documents accepted:

• Birth certificate (NZ or foreign)
• NZ marriage certificate
• Super Gold Card
• Citizenship certificate (NZ or foreign)
• Inland Revenue Department Statement (issued by NZ Govt. within the last 12 months)
• NZ bank statement issued within the last 12 months (Note that a recent bank statement is valid as a supporting ID and proof of address)

Proof of address documents accepted:

• Bank statement issued within the last 3 months (NZ or foreign)
• Utility notice (dated within the last 3 months)
• NZ Govt. issued letter
• Rates notice (issued by Local Govt. authority within the last 3 months)
• Insurance certificate
• Travel itinerary
• Hotel booking confirmation
• Student letter confirming homestay
• Locking in fixed foreign currency exchange rates and avoiding foreign transaction fees before you travel
• The ability to load multiple currencies onto one card, similar to a travel debit card
• The ability to spend money conveniently and comfortably overseas
• No overseas ATM withdrawal fees
• No fees when making online purchases
• Money travel cards can be ordered and topped up online

The initial card fee is free, subject to minimum load amounts. Please see the fees and limits section for more information. There are fees associated with the way you use your card e.g. the type of transaction, the currency you use, and when you move currencies on your card. Limits also apply to top up amounts and method of top up. Please see more information on applicable fees and limits section.

Activity on your Travelex Money Card is monitored every day to detect unusual behaviour, and if something is spotted you'll be contacted to check your transactions. There are also things you can do to help keep your travel money secure: • Sign your card as soon as you receive it • Check your transactions regularly and report anything unusual to Card Services immediately • If you print statements from the internet, keep them safe and shred them when you've finished using them • Never give your personal details to someone on the phone • Don't give out your details in response to unsolicited email • Be wary of anyone who asks for common security details like your mother's maiden name, passwords, date of birth, or information about your work • Never give your PIN to anyone, even if they claim to be from your card issuer • Don't let yourself get distracted when using cash machines or point of sale terminals - somebody may be trying to find out your PIN

Most common questions

A travel money card is a global currency card that allows you to load several foreign currencies into a personal account at a prevailing exchange rate. Like debit and credit cards, a travel money card can be used to make purchases in stores, online, and to withdraw cash at ATMs while travelling. You can buy currencies and add or reload them into your travel money card account online while abroad. You can also use the Travelex travel exchange rate tracker to check currencies in real-time. You can order a travel money card online or purchase one directly from a Travelex store. Find a store near you.

Some of the benefits of a travel card include:

Travel money cards can be ordered online and collected in store, or just walk into the store. Cards purchased and loaded in-store are active and ready-to-use on the spot. We will automatically transfer funds between currencies complete your card transactions. Travelex Money Cards ordered online and picked up in-store, or those purchased directly in-store do not require activation.

The Travelex Money Card is a Mastercard travel card, meaning it is free to make international withdrawals at ATMs displaying the Mastercard acceptance mark. It is also free to obtain cash over the counter and to make online purchases with a travel money card. However, some ATM operators may charge their own withdrawal ATM fees. Be sure to check with the ATM in question prior to making cash withdrawals.

Similar to any bank account, you can withdraw money from your travel money card at ATMs worldwide. When withdrawing cash, select the “credit” option on the ATM machine screen to access funds. You will not be charged credit card fees by selecting this option. If the “credit” option does not work, try selecting “debit” or “savings”. The maximum withdrawal amount is $3,000 New Zealand dollars each 24 hour period. Bear in mind that some ATMs may also have their own ATM fee, adding a cost to your withdrawal.

The Travelex Money Card is a multi-currency card that can be used in most countries around the world to easily use and withdraw local currency. Widely considered the best travel money card for overseas travel, the Travelex Money Card can be used in the US, UK, Europe, Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, and New Zealand.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO CONSIDER BEFORE CARRYING OUT YOUR TRANSACTION

1. The currencies available in respect of Travelex Money Card may vary from time to time and not all currencies may be available at all times. Before you make a decision to acquire the card, please check the available currencies online or by asking in store.

2. Please be advised that although Travelex does not charge ATM fees, some operators may charge their own fee or set their own limits. Please check with the ATM before using.

3. Wifi is provided by Boingo hotspots

3. A foreign exchange ‘Spend Rate’ rate will apply to foreign exchange transactions in accordance with The Product Disclosure Statement.

3. Transacting via some online merchants may incur a surcharge.

* Lock in your exchange rates mean the exchange rate is locked in for the initial load only. The exchange rates for subsequent reloads will be set at the prevailing exchange rate at the time of the transaction. We will tell you the applicable exchange rate before you confirm your reload transaction on travelex.co.nz. If you wish to make a purse to purse transfer to move funds already on your card to another currency, please log in to my account . If you make a purse to purse transfer, you will receive a different exchange rate to the rate you receive when you load funds directly on to your card. You will be notified of the applicable exchange rate before your confirm your purse to purse transfer and this rate may be less favourable than the rate you receive if you reload your card online at travelex.co.nz. Different exchange rates will apply to reload transactions conducted directly via Bank Transfer or Bill Payment (i.e. without booking an online transaction). For more information, please read the Terms and Conditions .

Travelex Money Card is an unsecured debt security issued by EML Payment Solutions Limited (“Issuer”). Travelex Money Card is not guaranteed by the Issuer or any of its related companies or any other entity. A Product Disclosure Statement is available free of charge from Travelex.co.nz . Information has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs and you should consider the appropriateness of the information about the Travelex Money Card facility before making any decisions about whether to acquire or continue using the prepaid facility. You should also refer to the Terms and Conditions , Online Ordering Terms and Conditions , Online Prepaid Card Reload Terms and Conditions , and Privacy Policy . Mastercard® is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

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Cash Passport™ Platinum Mastercard® – The smarter way to travel

Order now   Quick reload  

Features of Cash Passport

10 currencies, locked in rates.

Lock in exchange rates each time you load and reload. Load up to 10 different currencies on one card: NZD, AUD, EUR, USD, GBP, JPY, CAD, HKD, SGD and AED. 

Stay in control

Manage and track your Cash Passport on the go via your mobile, tablet, laptop or PC. Login to 'My Account' and stay in control of your travel money.

Accepted at millions of locations, worldwide^

Use your card anywhere Mastercard is accepted, worldwide – in-store, online, or to withdraw local currency at ATMs

Safe, secure and fun to use

Protected by chip, PIN and signature. Cash Passport is also protected by Mastercard zero liability . Focus on the fun of travel.

Flight Delay Pass

Turn a delay into a lounge stay! Enjoy complimentary access to over 1,000 Loungekey TM airport lounges worldwide when your flight is delayed for 2 hours or more # .

Getting your pass is easy

• Register a flight – Go to Flight Delay Pass to register with your name, flight details, email and mobile number. The flight registration must take place no later than the flight's scheduled departure time
• Flight monitoring – Mastercard tracks flight status and sends you an email and SMS with your lounge passes when a flight is delayed more than 2 hours
• Redeem lounge visit – Simply flash the lounge pass sent by Mastercard Flight Delay Pass to gain lounge access

Order your Cash Passport online today

You can now order your Cash Passport online and have it delivered to your door. Its fast and easy – it only takes a few minutes. 

Today's exchange rates for direct currency loads*

Stay in control, outsmart travel money..

Cash Passport Platinum is a prepaid, reloadable travel money card, packed with features.

Running low on travel money?

Cash Passport Platinum is reloadable, allowing you to top-up any of your currencies, anywhere, anytime.

You can reload online in three ways:

• Transfer funds from Debit Card (instant)
• Bank transfer (1 business day)
• Bill Payment (up to 2 business days)

If you purchase your card in-store, you can reload in-person at your original place of purchase.

Keep track of your travel money

You can use your mobile, tablet, laptop or PC to login to 'My Account' and stay in control of your travel money.

Register for 'My Account', so you can:

• Track your spending
• Reload your card
• Transfer between currencies
• Retrieve your PIN number
• Suspend your card temporarily
• Cash out your remaining balance

You can also download the Cash Passport mobile app, available for iOS and Android devices.

Stop lining up, start experiencing more

Enjoy the freedom of ultra-fast contactless payments, with Tap & Go at retail stores, restaurants, convenience stores and more.

Wherever you see the universal contactless symbol, your Cash Passport Platinum is ready to go.

Traveling to London? You can even use your Cash Passport Platinum to tap on and off the London Tube, never having to line up again.

Travel with confidence

Spend securely as your Cash Passport Platinum is protected by CHIP and PIN.

Cash Passport Platinum is secured by Mastercard Zero Liability protecting you against unauthorised and fraudulent transactions, should your card ever be reported lost or stolen.

Looking for a back-up card for safe keeping? Too easy, simply purchase an additional card when ordering online.

We're here to help

We're only a call or email away at all times. Our global assistance team will help you if your card is lost, stolen or damaged.

We can replace your card quickly or provide you with access to emergency cash, so you can keep enjoying your holiday.

Need further help?

View our frequently asked questions or feel free to contact us .

Cash Passport™ app

The Cash Passport app makes managing your travel money faster, easier and even more secure.

Get fast and easy access to your Cash Passport app by using Touch ID. The new fingerprint recognition feature operates using highly secure biometrics and is an easy alternative to using your online password. Even lock or unlock a misplaced card for added protection.

Be smart about your money. Monitor all of your activity, whether you’re reloading or transferring funds, it’s all accounted for here in one simple, secure place allowing you to stay up to date with transactions and card spending. Plus includes integrated support screen for frequently asked questions.

Move money between your currencies with just a couple of taps – it’s that simple! Quickly move money between 10 currencies, including EUR, USD, SGD, CAD and GBP and spend more time enjoying your holiday.

Eco certified cards

Concerned about your environmental impact?

The Cash Passport Platinum card is made from 100% recycled PVC. You’ll know your helping to reduce the environmental impact of your wallet when you see the Card Eco Certification imprint on your Cash Passport card.

Mastercard established its sustainability efforts more than a decade ago, and continues to develop programs that help consumers contribute to the future of the planet, such as the Priceless Planet Coalition

The Multi-currency Cash Passport™ (“Cash Passport”) and Cash Passport™ Platinum Mastercard® (“Cash Passport Platinum”) are unsecured debt securities issued by EML Payment Solutions Limited (“Issuer”). Cash Passport and Cash Passport Platinum are not guaranteed by the Issuer or any other entity. Before you make a decision to acquire a Cash Passport or Cash Passport Platinum, we recommend you read the Product Disclosure Statement for the relevant Cash Passport facility which is available free of charge here

Mastercard® is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

* The exchange rates set out in this website apply to reload transactions that are booked on this website only and that are settled within four hours. Subsequent card reloads will be processed at the then prevailing exchange rate on the day of the reload transaction, and will be locked in at that rate. You will be notified of the exchange rate applicable before you confirm your transaction using a particular reload method. When you book a transaction and load NZD or a foreign currency directly onto your card, you will receive the exchange rate notified to you in the "Today's Exchange Rate for Direct Currency Loads" table. Where you conduct a purse to purse transfer and transfer funds already loaded on your card into another currency, you will receive a different exchange rate than when loading funds directly onto your card. You will be notified of the applicable exchange rate before you confirm your purse to purse transaction which may be less favourable than the rate displayed in the "Today's exchange rate for Direct Currency Loads" table. We will provide you with settlement instructions at the time you book a reload transaction. Different exchange rates will apply to card loads and reload transactions in our partner locations or to reload transactions that are conducted directly via Bank Transfer or Bill Payment (i.e. without booking an online transaction). For more information on how we set exchange rates please see the Terms and Conditions.

Please refer to the important information page to view the Product Disclosure Statement, terms and conditions and privacy policy.

^ Some ATM operators may charge an additional withdrawal fee.

~ T&Cs apply. Customer must contact Customer service to report lost or stolen card. Emergency cash can be arranged up to the balance on your Cash Passport, subject to availability of funds at the approved agent location.

# Flight Delay Pass is provided to you on the basis you are not in breach of Cash Passport MasterCard® Product Disclosure Statement and Terms & Conditions and your card remains open. It must not be sold in any way and Mastercard reserves the right to cancel the pass that are in breach of this policy. Access may not be available if the applicable lounge is full or near capacity at the full discretion of lounge staff. Access and use of the lounges is subject to its own terms and conditions. Mastercard reserves its right to amend or withdraw the Flight Delay Pass at any time and where possible, provide prior notice to you. Visit here for Terms and Conditions

** Promotional rate available from 9:00am NZDT on 5th December 2023 to 11:59pm NZDT on 15th December 2023 (“Promotional Period”). The exchange rate for subsequent reloads after the Promotional Period will be set at the prevailing exchange rate at the time of the transaction. You must load directly into AUD online at cashpassport.co.nz or on the Cash Passport App to take advantage of the promotional rate. Currency transfers between purses and card-to-card transfers are excluded from the rate sale. Due to constant market and currency fluctuations, the promotional rates may be adjusted daily during the Promotional Period but will always be preferential to the standard rates which would have been offered for each respective day during the Promotional Period. The rates during the Promotional Period cannot be compared to another day’s rates. We may, in our sole discretion, cancel or vary the promotion at any time. If we cancel or vary the promotion, we are not liable to any person for any costs, loss or damage whatsoever arising out of, or in connection with, such cancellation or variation and are not required to conduct the promotion at any other time.

COVID-19 Policy Information

Am i covered for medical expenses for covid-19.

You are covered for reasonable and necessary overseas medical and associated expenses, including medical, hospital and ambulance costs and medical evacuation or repatriation up to a maximum of $350,000, if you, your accompanying spouse, or your accompanying dependent children are medically diagnosed with  COVID-19 while travelling overseas.

Age limits apply. Persons 75 years or over are only covered for medical expenses if they have purchased mature traveller cover.

Coverage is subject to the terms and conditions of the insurance policy, including any applicable limitations and exclusions.

Am I covered for cancellation expenses if I contract COVID-19?

You are covered for cancellation expenses up to $100,000 if you or your relative are medically diagnosed with COVID-19 and are unable to commence or continue your trip. This includes the non-refundable unused portion of travel or accommodation arrangements paid for in advance if you need to cancel, alter or curtail your trip.

Age limits apply. Cancellation cover for persons 75 years or over is limited to $5,000 unless mature traveller cover has been purchased.

Am I covered for cancellation or other expenses due to lockdown or border closures?

No, cancellation is only covered if you or your relative have been medically diagnosed with COVID-19.

Am I covered for COVID-19 claims other than cancellation or medical expenses?

No, except as described above where you’re claiming for cancellation or overseas medical expenses as a result of being medically diagnosed with COVID-19.

Am I covered for the cost of obtaining a negative COVID-19 test to board my flight?

No. If the reason you need a COVID-19 test is to meet the requirements of an airline, or to enter any location then this is not considered unforeseeable and is not covered. 

What should I do if I think I have COVID-19 while I’m travelling?

If you believe you need a test for COVID-19 whilst travelling because you are aware of having close contact to someone with COVID-19, or you are showing symptoms, then you should follow the health guidelines of local authorities in the area. You can contact AIG Travel if you need help to locate a testing location.

Rental Vehicle Excess Cover

What is rental vehicle excess cover.

Benefit Section G Overseas rental vehicle hire, does not cover the vehicle itself. It does cover the excess or deductible you become legally liable to pay in the event of damage to, or theft of your rental vehicle.

What is the definition of a rental vehicle for the purposes of this policy?

For overseas travel policies available to BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum cardholders and BNZ Advantage Business cardholders the following is the relevant definition of rental vehicle:

Rental vehicle – means a motor vehicle rented or hired by you during your journey from a recognised motor vehicle rental company for the private carriage of passengers. It does not include any vehicle designed to be used for the carriage of commercial goods.

For definitions and information about domestic rental vehicle cover for BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum cardholders only, please click here . 

Eligibility and Activation

I am a bnz advantage visa platinum cardholder, what am i eligible for.

If you are a BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum cardholder, you are eligible for overseas leisure travel benefits, and domestic rental vehicle benefits.

These benefits are provided by the 90 Day Platinum International Leisure Travel Insurance policy, and Domestic Rental Vehicle Collision Damage and Theft Excess Cover Policy. Both of these policies are found in the BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum Credit Card Insurances brochure . 

To check if your particular itinerary is covered, go to the homepage and complete the eligibility questionnaire  check your cover . If your trip is covered, we will tell you at the end of the questionnaire and send you confirmation by email.

All overseas travel benefits are available only for trips from and back to New Zealand.

The BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum overseas travel insurance only covers you for leisure travel.

You are not eligible for cover for any work-related activities unless you are also a valid BNZ Advantage Business cardholder. 

I am a BNZ Advantage Business Cardholder, what am I eligible for?

If you are a BNZ Advantage Business Cardholder, you are eligible for overseas travel insurance cover, including for business trips. The cover is detailed in full in the BNZ Advantage 35 day business international travel insurance brochure. Hazardous work activities remain excluded so please review the policy wording to ensure the cover is suitable for your individual requirements.

To check if your itinerary is covered, go to Check Your Cover .  If your trip is covered, we will tell you at the end of the questionnaire and send you confirmation by email.

I am a dual holder of BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum & Advantage Business cards what am I eligible for?

As BNZ Advantage Business Card holder you are eligible for overseas travel insurance that includes cover for business trips. As an Advantage Visa Platinum Cardholder you can also be covered for trips of up to 90 days. The benefits of holding both cards are described in part 2 of the BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum Credit Card Insurances brochure . 

You may also be covered under the Domestic Rental Vehicle Collision Damage and Theft Excess policy but renting a vehicle for business use is not covered under this policy, even if you hold a BNZ Advantage Visa Business Card.

All overseas travel benefits are available only for trips from and back to New Zealand. To check if your trip is covered, go to Check your cover .  If your trip is covered, we will tell you at the end of the questionnaire and send you confirmation by email.

Can you send me confirmation that I have cover for my trip?

Yes, go to  check your cover  and complete the questionnaire and you will be able to print a copy of the outcome of your assessment.

If you provide your details at the end of the questionnaire, we will also email you a certificate confirming your cover.

Do I have to let you know when I am travelling to activate my cover?

No. There is no requirement to call us to advise when you are travelling. You will be eligible for cover when you have met the eligibility or activation requirements subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions of your applicable policy.

If you want to check that you have met the eligibility or activation requirements and get extra peace of mind once you have your trip planned, or if you need confirmation documents for any reason, go to Check Your Cover  and complete the questionnaire.

Does the policy have age limits?

Yes, for details about age limits applying to the policy please click here .

Am I covered if I don't have a return ticket?

No. To be eligible for cover you must hold a return travel ticket for your travel  when you depart New Zealand   that shows a return date within the maximum duration of cover which is 90 days for BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum Cards, and 35 days for BNZ Advantage Business Cards. If you hold both an Advantage Platinum AND an Advantage Business card, then the 90-day limit applies to you.

The return ticket requirement applies at the time your trip starts. If prior to departing New Zealand, you have paid some expenses for your trip but you do not hold a return ticket, you may still be covered for cancellation expenses if you have to cancel your trip. This is subject to normal policy terms, conditions and exclusions. 

I am travelling on stand-by tickets. Does this count as a return travel ticket for activation purposes?

If you hold a stand-by ticket for your return travel that is dated within the standard duration of cover for your card type at the time you depart New Zealand, then you will be considered by us as having satisfied the return ticket requirement. However, the maximum journey period will still apply and you will have no cover under the policy if your trip exceeds the standard duration of cover as a result of your stand-by ticket status.

This means no claims will be paid even if the loss occurred within the standard duration of cover.

In addition there is no cover for any costs or losses arising from any itinerary changes arising directly or indirectly from your holding a stand-by ticket.

I have registered with the AIG Travel Assistance App or website, does this mean I have confirmed cover for my trip?

No. The AIG Travel Assistance App including the desktop website version are a complimentary service provided to you to help keep you safe and connected whilst you are travelling.

To check if you have cover for each and every trip, go to  check your cover  and complete the questionnaire.

I am travelling for longer than the standard period of cover afforded under my card, will I be covered?

If you require cover for a period of travel that is longer than the standard duration limit of your applicable card, you will not be covered for any part of your itinerary unless you apply for, and we accept your duration buyout.

To complete a duration buyout use the  check your cover  questionnaire - if we accept your application a premium will be payable.

The maximum period you can apply to cover by duration buyout is 180 days. For more information on maximum duration limits click  here .

I normally live in a country other than New Zealand - can I activate my travel itinerary living outside of New Zealand?

No. This policy only covers trips starting and finishing in New Zealand. In addition, you must be residing in New Zealand and returning to New Zealand to live at the end of your journey.

Am I eligible for domestic travel cover within New Zealand?

Overseas travel benefits are not available for purely domestic travel.

However, for BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum cardholders there is a new benefit available from 1 December 2021 - "Domestic Rental Vehicle Collision Damage and Theft Excess Cover"

Click  here  for more on domestic rental vehicle excess cover.

What is my policy number?

Your policy number is the first 6 digits of your individual credit card number.

If you have completed the online questionnaire  check your cover and we have sent you a confirmation letter this will show a certificate number specific to your questionnaire answers for that specific trip only. 

You can reference either policy number when contacting AIG Travel.

Is there an excess on each claim?

An excess of $200 is applicable to each and every claim arising from the same event under each of the following sections:

Benefit Section A: Travel cancellation before your journey starts

Benefit Section B:Travel cancellation after your journey starts 

Benefit Section C: Overseas medical expenses

Benefit Section D: Unexpected travel expenses

Benefit Section F: Luggage, personal belongings and travel documents

Benefit Section G: Overseas rental vehicle hire

Benefit Section J: Personal liability

Benefit Section L: Epidemics and pandemics

Only one excess applies if you make more than one claim because of a single event. If you claim for two or more separate unrelated claim events two excesses shall apply. If a family claims, only one excess shall apply to each claim event.

Cover for family members

How do you define dependent children.

Dependent children means your children (including your step children and any legally adopted children) who are: a) unmarried; and b) under 19 years of age and living with you; or c) under 25 years of age and are registered as a full-time student at an accredited tertiary education provider.

How do you define Spouse?

Spouse means your spouse or de facto partner with whom you have continuously cohabited for a period of three (3) consecutive months or more immediately preceding the commencement of your journey.

Can my spouse who also has a card be covered if he/she is traveling on a different itinerary?

The policy only covers  accompanying  spouses and or dependent children.

Accompanying means departing and returning with and following the same general itinerary as the BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum Cardholder during a journey, however allowing for overnight or day excursions (not exceeding a maximum of five (5) nights or 20% of your journey, whichever is the lesser) during the journey that the BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum Cardholder and their family may not undertake together.

If your spouse is not  accompanying   you they will not be covered. 

If your spouse is a joint and/or additional cardholder, they can be covered in their own right as long as they meet the normal cardholder eligibility criteria (BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum Cardholders) and activation criteria including minimum pre-paid spend for BNZ Advantage Business Cardholders.

Will my family be covered if I have paid for their trip on my card and I am not travelling with them?

No. Spouse and dependent children are only covered if they are accompanying a cardholder who has met the activation requirements for a cardholder travelling with their family.

Family members who are joint or additional cardholders may be eligible for cover subject to meeting the activation requirements.

Can I buy additional cover to extend this insurance so other family members accompanying me (who do not fall within the definition of Spouse and/or Dependent Children) will be covered?

No. This insurance is available only to you and your spouse and dependent children as defined in the policy. If members of your travelling party do not meet the definition of spouse and/or dependent children, they cannot be covered under the policy.

Medical Cover

Does this policy provide cover for medical expenses.

Yes, however there are some limitations on medical cover, including:

There is no automatic cover under this policy for any event that is caused by or arises because of any pre-existing medical condition - including a pre-existing medical condition of yours or someone else on whom your travel relies.

There is no automatic medical cover for mature travellers, 75 years or older as at your departure date from New Zealand, unless you have purchased mature traveler cover .

To apply for cover your pre-existing medical conditions (you cannot apply to cover the pre-existing medical conditions of anyone other than yourself) or mature traveler cover, complete the Check Your Cover  questionnaire.

If we accept your application for cover of your pre-existing medical conditions, a premium will be payable.

Are Pre-existing medical conditions covered?

No, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered unless we have assessed and accepted your conditions and you have paid the applicable premium. To apply for cover please complete the Check Your Cover  questionnaire. A separate application is required for each and every trip and the results of our assessment and the required premium can change between different assessments.

Is pregnancy covered?

There is no cover for pregnancy or childbirth of yours, your relative, business partner or traveling companion. This exclusion does not apply where costs are incurred because of your unforeseeable medical complications or emergencies which occur before the 26th week of your pregnancy.

Is pregnancy a pre-existing medical condition?

We do not consider uncomplicated pregnancy to be a pre-existing medical condition and you cannot apply to cover pregnancy. Medical complications relating to pregnancy, such as diabetes in pregnancy, are considered pre-existing medical conditions and you can apply to cover such medical complications. If such complications are covered, such cover remains subject to normal policy terms and conditions and is therefore only in force up to the 26th week of your pregnancy.

My medical screening shows a 'Linked Condition' what does this mean?

When you complete our pre-existing medical conditions questionnaire to apply for cover for your pre-existing medical conditions your results may show specific references to 'Linked Conditions' which you included in your declaration. These are conditions that are directly medically linked to those conditions declared by you on your application. Where you have a condition or set of conditions for which we are unable to provide cover, any conditions on your assessment outcome which are noted as 'Linked Conditions' will similarly be excluded from cover.

Activities and Work

Am i covered if i take part in high-risk or adventure activities.

The policy provides cover for most normal tourist activities that are provided, guided or supervised by a local licensed commercial operator, such as: • Cruises; • Snow sports within marked commercial skifield boundaries; • Treks, hikes and tramps below 3,000 metres altitude; • Bungy jumping, zip-lining and white water rafting; 

always provided such activities are available to the general public without restriction (other than height or general health and fitness warnings).

Hazardous activities are not covered, this includes

• Racing (other than on foot),
• Snow sports conducted outside the marked boundaries of a commercial ski field,
• Mountaineering ,
• Treks, hikes and tramps above 3,000 metres,
• Expeditions to high risk, remote, inaccessible and/or inhospitable locations, 
• Rock-climbing,
• Big wave surfing,
• Cliff-jumping,
• Horse jumping or horse polo,
• Bicycle, motor, air or sea craft speed trials or stunts;
• Sailing outside of territorial waters,
• Parachuting, BASE jumping, sky diving or travel in any other air supported device (other than as a passenger in a licensed passenger aircraft operated by an airline or charter company),
• Hunting trips,
• Competition sports (including training for competition sports) where such sporting activity is for an organized event or a contest that is of a physically demanding, acrobatic and/or combative nature. 

Am I covered for business related travel?

You are only covered for business related travel if you are a current and valid BNZ Advantage Business cardholder, or a dual BNZ Advantage Platinum Visa cardholder / BNZ Advantage Business cardholder. 

If you are a dual cardholder, you are covered for up to 90 days for work related activity. There are cover restrictions including cover exclusions for certain types of work. 

Refer to the either the BNZ Advantage 35 day business international travel insurance brochure or Part 2 of the BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum Credit Card Insurances brochure (if you a dual BNZ Advantage Platinum Visa cardholder / BNZ Advantage Business cardholder)  for details of the types of work that can be covered and the terms attaching to cover. 

If you are still unsure if you are covered for your work-related activities call us on 0800 269 872

On my trip I am going skiing (or snowboarding), does my policy cover me for this?

Snow sports within marked commercial skifield boundaries are covered.

There is no cover for snow sports conducted outside the marked boundaries of a commercial skifield, or any professional sporting activities.

I am travelling to take part in an international sporting competition. Will I be covered under the policy?

There is no cover under the policy for professional sporting activities. If you are being paid for your involvement, or there is any prize money involved in the competition, or you have been selected to represent a national sporting body, then we consider the activity to be professional. Racing (other than on foot) is a general exclusion under the policy and other hazardous sports are also excluded.

Please contact us for individual consideration on 0800 269 872 if you are unsure whether the sporting competition you are planning to participate in might be considered professional.

Am I covered if I am going on a trek or hike?

Guided treks or hikes that are arranged by a licensed commercial operator following established trekking routes will be covered, however the policy specifically excludes mountaineering or rock climbing involving the use of climbing equipment, ropes or guides, and any trekking activity above an elevation of 3,000m. If you are unsure whether your trekking activities will be covered call us on 0800 269 872.

Am I covered while riding a motorcycle?

Motorcycling (either as a rider or passenger) is a covered activity as long as the following conditions are met:

It is a a two-wheeled motorcycle of 125cc or less and you or the person in control of the motorcycle holds a current and valid motorcycle license for the country the motorcycle is being operated in;  or

It is a two-wheeled motorcycle that is 126cc or greater and you or the person in control of the motorcycle holds a current and valid license for the motorcycle in their home country and the country the motorcycle is being operated in; and

At all times, local road rules are being adhered to and a motorcycle helmet and appropriate safety gear is being worn. 

Is SCUBA diving covered?

SCUBA diving is a covered activity as long as the following conditions are met:

a) it is diving for recreational purposes (for the purpose of clarity, recreational diving does not include technical diving or diving as a professional diver); and

b) You are diving with a qualified dive instructor or dive master, or you hold a PADI certification or similar recognised certification and are diving within the level of your certification (including maximum dive depths and bottom time) and to the standards and procedures set up by your certifying agency; and

c) Subject to (b) above your planned dive depth does not exceed 40 metres; and

d) You are not diving alone;

I will be sailing ocean waters in a private yacht - is this activity covered?

Sailing outside of territorial waters is excluded.

You will still be covered for coastal sailing (within 12 nautical miles of shore), provided normal precautions are taken, such as ensuring the vessel is well maintained, skippered by a person with suitable experience, and equipped with lifejackets.

Other policy benefits

I am travelling with high-value items - are these covered under the policy cover for luggage and personal effects.

Luggage, personal belongings andtravel documents are subject to a per item limit of $2,000. You can specify items over that amount (to a maximum of $10,000 for all specified items) for an additional premium.

This specified item extension will only increase the limit any one item, not the policy limit under Benefit Section F. Luggage, personal belongings andtravel documents

If you would like to specify an item(s), go to the Check Your Cover questionnaire and add cover for high value personal items.

In the event of a claim, you will also need to provide proof of the value of the item such as a purchase receipt, or in relation to items of jewellery, a valuation of less than 12 months provided by a registered valuer.

When I specify items does the maximum amount payable under the section increase?

No. The maximum payable under Benefit Section F. Luggage, personal belongings and travel documents remains the same even if you nominate items for extended cover.

Is sporting equipment covered?

There is no cover for loss or damage to sporting equipment whilst in use. Items are subject to normal terms, conditions and exclusions under Benefit Section F. Luggage, personal belongings and travel documents while they are not being used. 

Can I specify sporting equipment under the policy?

No. Sporting equipment cannot be specified under your policy.

What should I do if I am considering cancelling a trip?

If you are aware that you may have to cancel a planned trip the policy conditions require you to minimise the total cost of cancellation. For instance, you should also cease paying any further pre-paid travel costs that may not be refundable. Once you have decided to cancel you should contact airlines or other providers to request refunds.

If you are not able to obtain a refund but you can obtain a credit to use later, you should accept that option. If it turns out that you are unable to use the credit before it expires you can contact us when the credit expires and we will reopen an existing claim or you can lodge a new claim, regardless of how long it has been since the original trip was cancelled.

What is the Accidental Death and Disablement common carrier benefit?

This benefit (included with BNZ NZ Advantage Visa Platinum cards only) provides a lump sum payment if you suffer death or disablement because of an accident while you are travelling on or in a common carrier, including boarding and alighting, during your journey.

This section of the policy has additional activation requirements, over and above the normal policy activation criteria. In addition to the normal policy activation criteria, you must have charged the full cost of your common carrier ticket (and that of any accompanying dependent child or spouse) to your applicable card.

Common Carrier is a commercial aircraft, bus, train or vessel which carries passengers on regular routes at set rates.

If I have not met the requirements for Accidental Death and Disablement (common carrier) cover will this affect the rest of my cover under the policy?

No. While you will not be eligible for Benefit Section H3; the benefit of "Accidental death and disablement common carrier, you can still be covered under your overseas travel insurance policy for all other benefits - including Benefit Section H1: Accidental Death - provided you meet the normal policy eligibility criteria.

• Terms and Conditions
• Privacy Policy

BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum Credit Card Travel Insurance and BNZ Advantage Visa Business Credit Card Travel Insurance (‘Insurance’) is subject to the terms, conditions, exclusions (for example business travel, age limitations etc.) and eligibility criteria contained in the policy document. You should read the policy document to make sure that the Insurance meets your needs. The Insurance is provided to Platinum Advantage and Business Advantage cardholders by AIG Insurance New Zealand Limited (‘AIG’) under an agreement with BNZ. BNZ does not underwrite the Insurance, is not an agent of AIG, and does not guarantee the obligations of AIG. Premiums are payable for policy extensions such as pre-existing cover, duration extension and specified items.

This portal is owned and managed by AIG for the purposes only of delivering AIG insurance services. BNZ does not have access to this portal, does not collect any personal information via this portal and has no liability in relation to this portal. For more information about AIG’s privacy practices, please check AIG’s privacy statement at www.aig.co.nz/privacy-policy .

The AIG Logo is a registered trademark. Insurance products and services are provided by AIG Insurance New Zealand Limited. Terms, conditions and exclusions apply. You should read the Policy Wording and Schedule of Benefits considering your personal circumstances, prior to making any decision to acquire the product.

Checking your travel insurance eligibility

Your BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum credit card includes travel insurance ^ for round trips of up to 90 days to and from New Zealand and domestic rental car excess cover. Your BNZ  Advantage Visa Business  credit card includes travel insurance ^ for round trips of up to 35 days.

To be eligible for credit card travel insurance, you must meet all eligibility criteria for your trip before you depart New Zealand ^ .  

You’re eligible for credit card travel insurance where:

• you use your BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum or  Advantage Visa Business  card to make a payment of any amount towards pre-paid travel costs for your upcoming trip like pre-paid accommodation, pre-paid tours, or return overseas travel tickets
• you hold a return travel ticket for your trip before you depart New Zealand and are not travelling for longer than 90 days (Platinum) or 35 days (Business)
• your trip is not for business purposes (Platinum only).

For peace of mind, once you have your trip planned, visit our BNZ travel website to check your cover and to receive an email confirmation to take with you. Our credit card travel insurance is provided by AIG.

Making a travel insurance claim

It’s important to keep receipts, bank statements, emails or other proof of your eligibility for credit card travel insurance. If you make a claim, we’ll need to see these original documents. 

The AIG claims team is available 24/7 online. You can make a claim through the AIG claims portal, or by downloading and completing a claims form and emailing or posting it to AIG.

More about making a travel insurance claim  

You can send us a secure message in Internet Banking.

Activate your OneSmart™ card

And make spending overseas as easy as spending at home

Activate now

Don't have a card? Request one.

What is OneSmart ™ ?

If you’re an Airpoints™ member travelling the world, we can help make life a little easier when it comes to making purchases overseas.

OneSmart is a reloadable multi-currency prepaid card that can be used anywhere in the world that Mastercard is accepted.

OneSmart makes spending in different countries effortless – load up to eight foreign currencies, plus New Zealand Dollars.

The only prepaid card that earns you Airpoints Dollars™. You’ll earn 1 Airpoints Dollar for every $100NZD spent overseas. i

Learn more about the benefits of using OneSmart

Activate OneSmart

When you receive your card, sign the back of your card, and activate it . You’ll only be able to use OneSmart after you’ve activated it.

To activate a new card, you’ll need two forms of identification. Have your driver’s license, birth certificate, NZ citizenship document, AA membership or a recent utility bill handy.

If you’re activating a replacement card, simply log in and follow the prompts or call our OneSmart Customer Service Centre for assistance on 0800 787 555 or +64 9 377 8535 if you’re overseas (charges may apply).

Activate OneSmart now

Set a PIN for OneSmart

If you are a new member activating OneSmart for the first time, select New Card and follow the instructions on screen. You will be prompted to set up a PIN during this activation.

If you have already activated OneSmart, here’s how you can reset your PIN:

- Login to OneSmart -Select 'Settings' (located at the top of the page, next to your Airpoints number) -Select 'Card settings’. -Select 'Set your PIN’. -Follow the screen prompts by answering the security questions and selecting a 4-digit PIN for your card.

If you have any questions, or run into issues setting your PIN, please call our OneSmart Customer Service Centre on 0800 787 555 or +64 9 377 8535 if you’re overseas (charges may apply).

Load money onto OneSmart

1. Via a Mastercard or Visa debit card issued in New Zealand. Instantly load NZD or any of our eight foreign currencies available with your debit card. A fee of 1.5% of the load value applies per transaction. Your funds will be available immediately.

2. Via Bank Transfer

Load directly into foreign currency or NZD without a fee.

Here are the steps: i. Log in to OneSmart ii. Select Settings, then 'Load settings' iii. Follow the instructions for Bank transfer Allow one business day for the funds to be available in OneSmart.

3. Via Bill Payment

Set up OneSmart as a bill payee through internet banking and use it to transfer NZD only to your OneSmart without a fee.

Here are the steps i. Login to OneSmart ii. Select Settings, then 'Load settings' iii. 3. Follow the instructions for ‘Bill Payment’ Allow up to 2 business days for the funds to show up in your OneSmart account.

Exchange Rates

• AUD Rate: 0.8748
• USD Rate: 0.5746
• GBP Rate: 0.4584
• SGD Rate: 0.7780
• EUR Rate: 0.5356
• HKD Rate: 4.4900
• JPY Rate: 87.9887
• CAD Rate: 0.7854

I have…

New Zealand Dollar

I need…

Fees & limits.

In addition to the currency exchange rates, the following fees and charges apply to OneSmart. The fees and charges may be altered by EML at its discretion by providing you with at least 20 days prior notice.

There are limits that apply to the use of your OneSmart facility. These limits are set out below but may be altered by EML from time to time pursuant to the Terms and Conditions.

Show fees & limits

Lost your OneSmart card?

You can temporarily suspend your card in the settings tab in ' My Account ' or lock your card via the OneSmart app

Alternatively, cancel your card by calling our OneSmart Customer Service Centre on 0800 787 555, or +64 9 377 8535 if you're overseas (charges may apply). We'll send you a replacement and you can use your new card to continue spending.

Download the OneSmart app

Use the app to load money and check the balances of each currency in your account, transfer funds between currencies, review your transaction history, view your Airpoints Dollar balance and more.

OneSmart Mastercard Priceless ® Specials

Discover exclusive Mastercard® curated offers and discounts with OneSmart. Available across a range of categories including entertainment, dining, arts and culture at home and overseas. Plus, you’ll earn Airpoints Dollars™ on eligible purchases 2 . Find out more

Frequently asked questions and contact help

Use OneSmart online or in-store, whether you are overseas or in New Zealand.

Load NZD or any of our eight foreign currencies and use OneSmart for purchases 1 wherever Mastercard® is accepted iii . Your card will utilise the funds available in the currency of transaction unless it is not an available currency or if there is insufficient balance in the relevant currency. In such cases, your card will draw on any available account balances in the following order of priority: NZD, AUD, USD, CAD, EUR, GBP, SGD, HKD, JPY. You can also use OneSmart to withdraw local currency from ATMs wherever you go as long as the ATM machines carry a Mastercard® symbol.

Note: It is currently not possible to use OneSmart due to restrictions in Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria and Russia, Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Additionally, all Mastercards will not work at Russian merchants or ATMs. If you attempt to withdraw cash from an ATM or use your card in any of these countries, your request will be declined. In addition, card acceptance is subject to ATMs and individual merchant POS terminals who may choose not to accept Prepaid Cards.

Your OneSmart Account cannot be used for:

a)        Purchases from merchants where the transaction is processed manually (through a zip-zap machine)

b)        Direct debit, reoccurring or instalment payments

c)         Purchases from merchants who do not accept prepaid Mastercard branded cards.

d)        Gambling merchants

e)        Adult entertainment

f)       Transactions in countries prohibited by US Government sanctions and laws. 

We recommend that you don't use OneSmart to "pre-authorise" payment for hotel bookings or car hire. This is because the hotel or car hire company can put the payment amount plus an additional 15% on hold as a deposit and you won't be able to use that money during the hold period. There is no issue in paying for your hotel using your OneSmart Account at the end of your stay, but we suggest you don't pre-authorise payment on it when booking.

We also recommend you don't use OneSmart for 'pay at the pump' terminals at petrol stations. These terminals place a hold on funds, and that hold may not be removed from your account for some days.

You can use your OneSmart for transactions anywhere Mastercard® is accepted electronically overseas. Simply load NZD and spend local currency wherever you are. You can also use OneSmart to withdraw local currency from ATMs as long as the ATM machines carry a Mastercard® symbol.

Note: Mastercard conversion rates and currency conversion fees will apply.

The limit for ATM withdrawals using OneSmart is NZD $3,000 or the equivalent in a foreign currency over any 24-hour period. Some ATMs may set their own withdrawal limits which may be lower than this.

No. When making a booking through the Air New Zealand website, payments made using OneSmart will not incur the advised card payment fee

For all new Silver tier members, OneSmart will automatically be sent to you. As you move up the tiers, you will be sent a new card if you have activated and used your OneSmart account previously. If you no longer receive OneSmart on your tier renewal, you can request a card at any time by calling the OneSmart Customer Service Centre on 0800 787 555 or +64 9 377 8535 if you're overseas (charges may apply).

Your OneSmart card details are on the back of your Airpoints membership card. Expiry is set at 4 months after your tier renewal date. This means that if you're overseas and haven't received your new card, you can still continue to use your existing card for purchases. Your OneSmart account will remain active, and you can log in using the website or app to manage your account.

The maximum balance allowed at any one time across all currencies is NZD $100,000 or currency equivalent.

Only one card is issued for each OneSmart account. Each family member who is a New Zealand based Airpoints member and who is over 16 can request to have their own OneSmart card. Card to card transfers between two activated OneSmart accounts can be done so you can transfer money to another OneSmart cardholder at no additional cost. Transfers can take up to two business days to process before funds are available for use.

You can view up to date OneSmart Conversion Rates here

If you are transferring funds between currencies, you can lock in your exchange rate at the time you make the transfer, so you know exactly how much it will cost and what will be loaded onto your card.

The side of your Airpoints card with the chip should be facing upwards and the chip goes into the ATM first.

Your card’s security code or CVC is the 3-digit number on the reverse side of your Airpoints card.

Some merchants may offer Dynamic currency conversion (“DCC”) that allows you to pay in your home currency or another currency when you are spending overseas or online. If you accept a Dynamic currency conversion transaction, you may end up incurring two currency conversions which could make the transaction significantly more expensive.

If you make a purchase or ATM withdrawal in a country where the local currency is the same as a currency on your OneSmart (e.g. using your US Dollar funds in the USA) and you opt in to a Dynamic currency conversion service, this may result in a foreign exchange transaction at additional cost to you as the card will seek to transact in New Zealand dollars.

We recommend that if you are given a choice of currency for a transaction and have sufficient funds, that you should choose to pay in the local currency.

Some merchants or ATM operators may charge a fee for dynamic currency conversion, which you might not be advised of at the time of the transaction.

For all eligible purchases with OneSmart 1 , we'll add the Airpoints Dollars you earn to your Airpoints account around the month anniversary of the date you activated your Account.

If you don't have enough funds in a particular currency to pay for a transaction, the balance of the transaction will be automatically processed from other currencies in the following order of priority. The order in which currencies are withdrawn cannot be changed.

NZD AUD USD CAD EUR GBP SGD HKD JPY In this case a currency conversion fee will apply each time a currency that is different to the transaction currency is used to fund all or part of the transaction. If after checking the available balances of all currencies there are still insufficient funds to pay for a transaction, the transaction may be declined, or the retailer may allow you to pay the balance by some other means.

If you had sufficient funds loaded in that currency, then you may have used Dynamic currency conversion.

When you’re paying with your OneSmart card, it will intelligently select the currency of the country you are in. If you do not have sufficient local currency loaded to complete the transaction, the card will deduct funds on the card in this set order of priority.

NZD AUD USD CAD EUR GBP SGD HKD JPY

You cannot spend money you haven’t loaded, as the card is a prepaid facility only. You can load straight into the available currencies of your choice in 'My Account' and lock in up to eight foreign currencies as well as NZD at the daily exchange rate ii .

An unsupported currency is any currency that is not included in the 9 supported currencies including NZD, which your OneSmart account can hold. The nine supported currencies are: New Zealand Dollars, Australian Dollars, Singapore Dollars, Hong Kong Dollars, Japanese Yen, Pounds sterling, Euros, Canadian Dollars, and United States Dollars.

The order in which currencies are withdrawn cannot be changed.

You can manage your OneSmart balances by signing into your account and selecting the Transfer money option from the main menu. To transfer money from your OneSmart account to your bank account follow the prompts for ‘Cash out’ to close your account and cash out any balance on your card free of charge.

You can also manage your OneSmart balances from the OneSmart app .

If you did not make a particular transaction showing on your transaction history, you should call OneSmart Customer Service Centre immediately on 0800 787 555 or +64 9 377 8535 if you’re overseas (charges may apply).

You can download a Dispute Claim Form here . Please allow up to 45 days for your dispute to be processed.

You will need the last 4 digits of your OneSmart card, and the email address associated with your OneSmart account; this may be different from the email address associated with your Airpoints account.

If you'd like to close your account, you can do so by calling the OneSmart Customer Service Centre on 0800 787 555 or +64 9 377 8535 if you're overseas (charges may apply).

Before you close your account, make sure you've transferred your money out of your account. You can also transfer any remaining balance back into NZD and into your bank account. This can be done online and via the OneSmart app.

The expiry date of your OneSmart card is printed on the OneSmart side of your Airpoints card. You cannot use your OneSmart Card to access money loaded onto your OneSmart facility after the expiry date. If you have an active OneSmart account and have made a transaction within the last five years a new card will be sent to you near your expiry date.

All Airpoints members who upgrade to Silver will receive a OneSmart by default. You can request a replacement OneSmart Card at any time. If your OneSmart Card expires, you will still be able to obtain your money loaded onto your OneSmart facility from EML through a cash out.

If you cease to be a member of the Airpoints Programme, you will not be able to continue using OneSmart and will need to cash out your OneSmart facility.

Still have a question?

Contact the OneSmart Customer Service Centre, we’re here to help 24/7.

Within NZ  0800 787 555

From Overseas +64 9 377 8535 (charges may apply)

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14 Best Travel Credit Cards of May 2024

Best travel cards main takeaways.

• Money has evaluated hundreds of credit cards, comparing their fees, benefits, welcome offers, travel insurance policies and more.
• The top credit cards for travel offer high rewards on travel purchases, which can be redeemed for airfare, hotel nights, cash back, statement credits or more.
• Our picks feature the best travel cards for every budget and include no-annual-fee, low-annual-fee, premium and business cards.

Why Trust Us?

Our editorial team has spent well over a thousand hours analyzing, evaluating and comparing the top credit card offers in the market. We carefully vet each card’s fine print in order to understand their features, limitations and potential benefits for consumers. We review cards independently, ensuring our content is accurate and guided by editorial integrity. Read our full methodology to learn more.

• 46 travel credit cards evaluated
• 10+ data points used, including ongoing fees, reward programs and welcome offers
• 100+ sources reviewed

Money.com has partnered with CardRatings.com for our coverage of credit card products. Money and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. O ur top picks are listed strictly in alphabetical order.

Our Top Picks for Best Travel Credit Cards

Best no-annual-fee travel credit cards.

• Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card – Best no-annual-fee travel card for flat rate rewards
• Bilt Mastercard® – Best no-annual-fee travel card for paying rent
• Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card – Best no-annual-fee card for travel partners
• Chase Freedom Unlimited® – Best no-annual-fee travel card for domestic travel
• Discover it® Miles – Best no-annual-fee travel card for simple rewards
• Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card – Best no-annual-fee travel card for everyday spending

Best low-fee-annual-fee travel credit cards

• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card – Best travel card for flat-rate rewards
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card – Best travel card for flexible rewards

Best premium travel credit cards

• American Express® Gold Card – Best travel card for dining
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card – Best low-cost premium travel card
• Chase Sapphire Reserve® – Best premium travel credit card
• The Platinum Card® from American Express – Best travel card for lounge access

Best business travel credit cards

• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express – Best business travel card

Best airline travel credit cards

• United℠ Explorer Card: Best airline credit card

Best Travel Credit Cards Reviews

Our top picks are listed in alphabetical order.

Best No-Annual-Fee Travel Credit Cards

• No annual fee
• No foreign transaction fees
• Earns 1.5x points on all purchases
• No bonus category for travel
• Few benefits compared to other cards
• Limited redemption options

Why we chose it: The Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card is an easy-to-use card best suited for travel reward beginners or those who are already Bank of America customers.

Some cardholders can earn up to 75% more points if they are Bank of America Preferred Rewards members — that’s up to 2.62 points for every dollar spent.

However, the card doesn’t offer hotel and airline point transfer partners, travel insurance or extended warranty and purchase protection. Additionally, you can only redeem your points as statement credit to cover travel and dining purchases.

All information about Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Money.com

• No annual or foreign currency conversion fee (Click herehttps://www.wellsfargo.com/credit-cards/bilt/terms/">here; for rates and fees)
• Use it to pay your rent and earn rewards without incurring any processing fees
• You can earn double points on all purchase categories (except rent payments) on the first of every month (up to 10,000 points)
• Earn 2x points on travel (when booked directly through an airline, hotels, car rental agencies and cruise lines)
• No welcome bonus or introductory APR period
• Points redeemed for statement credits are worth 0.55 cents each
• You must make at least five transactions in a statement period to earn points
• Rent payments can only be made to one rental property per month

Why we chose it: The Bilt Mastercard® lets you earn travel rewards on rent payments without incurring any processing fees — unlike most credit cards that typically charge around 2.5% to 2.9% per rent payment.

You can use the card to pay rent without worrying about surcharges. Once you get approved for the card, all you have to do is set up an account through the Bilt app or website and use your assigned routing and account number to pay rent through your usual payment portal. You can also use your card even if your landlord only accepts checks, and Bilt will send a check on your behalf.

Additionally, Bilt doubles the card’s rewards rates on the first of every month, which means you can earn 6x points on dining, 4x points on travel and 2x points on other purchases (up to 10,000 points per month). However, this bonus doesn’t apply to rent rewards.

On the downside, the Bilt Mastercard® doesn’t offer a welcome bonus, and points redeemed for statement credits are only worth 0.55 cents each.

• Can transfer your miles to 16 travel partners
• Earns 5x miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• Doesn't earn bonus points on airfare
• No domestic travel partners

Why we chose it: The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is a great option if you’re looking for a no-annual fee travel credit card with a simple rewards structure.

You can use your miles to book travel through the Capital One Travel portal or as a statement credit to cover travel purchases made from airlines, hotels, rail lines, car rental agencies and more.

You can also transfer your points to one of Capital One’s 16 travel partners, which include international airlines such as Avianca and British Airways. This option is notable since travel credit cards with no annual fee don’t typically offer the option to transfer your reward to airline and hotel partners.

However, the card’s list of bonus categories is limited compared to some other no-annual-fee credit cards, and Capital One doesn’t offer bonus points on airfare booked through Capital One Travel.

• Includes trip cancellation/interruption and car rental insurance
• Features a high flat cash back rate combined and popular bonus categories
• 3% foreign transaction fee

Why we chose it: The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is the best credit card for traveling domestically. It offers a 1.5% flat cash back rate on most purchases plus it has several appealing bonus categories, including travel and dining.

This card charges a 3% foreign transaction fee, that is, on any transactions made in currency other than US dollars. However, if you mostly travel within the U.S., this card is an excellent option.

For one, you’ll earn an additional 1.5% on each of the card’s bonus categories during the first year of card membership (or up to the first $20,000 spent).

Also, although using this card abroad is not recommended, you can still use it to book international trips while you’re home, and you’ll earn 5% cash back if you book it through Chase Travel℠.

You can redeem your rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and even transfer them to other cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® points. It’s also worth noting that this card is one of the few no-annual-fee credit cards with rental car coverage and trip cancellation and interruption insurance.

• No annual or foreign transaction fees
• Discover matches the total miles you earned at the end of the first year
• Earns 1.5x miles on all purchases
• See your FICO score on the Discover mobile app, online and on statements
• Few benefits compared to other travel cards
• Doesn't include extended warranty or purchase protection

Why we chose it: The Discover it® Miles Credit Card is a no-frills card ideal for travelers who don’t want to keep track of bonus categories, earning caps or redemption values.

The card earns a flat 1.5x miles on all eligible purchases without any annual caps. You can redeem your miles for statement credits and account deposits at a rate of 1 cent per mile. You can also use your rewards through Amazon and PayPal checkout with the same value.

Also, the card’s welcome bonus is easily one of the best in the market: Discover matches every mile you’ve earned at the end of your first membership year — without any spending requirements.

However, while the Discover it® Miles Credit Card is a great starter travel card, its lack of bonus categories could hinder your reward-earning potential in the long run. Additionally, Discover cards aren’t as widely accepted internationally as Visa Signature and World Mastercard, for example.

All information about the Discover it® Miles Credit Card has been collected independently by Money.com.

• Earn 3x points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, select streaming services and cell phone plans
• Includes cell phone protection plan
• No airline or hotel transfer partners
• Doesn't include travel insurance
• Netflix and HBO are not eligible for streaming bonus

Why we chose it: The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card is the best travel reward card for everyday spending, offering high rewards on several popular spending categories, including travel, dining, gas, streaming services and cell phone plans.

Its travel bonus category is particularly noteworthy because you can earn points regardless of where you make your reservations, whether it’s directly with an airline or through a third-party travel site like Booking.com. (Most travel credit cards limit travel rewards to bookings made exclusively through the card issuer’s travel portal.)

The card also includes rental car insurance and a cell phone protection plan when you use it to pay your monthly bill.

All information about the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card has been collected independently by Money.com.

Best Low-Annual-Fee Travel Credit Cards

• Earn 2x miles per dollar on most purchases
• Up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck(R)
• Includes travel accident and car rental insurance
• Fewer bonus categories than other cards with a similar annual fee ($95)
• Doesn't offer travel rewards for flights
• Car rental insurance is secondary

Why we chose it: The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is the best credit card for travel miles if you want to earn a high reward rate and not worry about bonus categories.

The Capital One Venture Rewards is ideal for those who want to get the most out of their spending without worrying about tracking bonus categories and spending caps.

You can redeem your miles on the Capital One travel portal and as statement credits to cover travel purchases at a value of one cent per mile. Additionally, you may transfer your miles to more than 15 airline and hotel partners.

However, keep in mind that Capital One doesn’t have domestic travel partners, which can be a drawback if you mainly travel within the U.S.

• Points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel purchases through Chase TravelSM
• Receive a point bonus each account anniversary
• Includes primary rental car insurance
• Earn 3x per $1 on dining, including eligible delivery and takeout meals, select streaming services and grocery purchases
• $95 annual fee
• Doesn't offer a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck(R) application fee credit

Why we chose this card: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the best travel credit card for frequent travelers who want to earn valuable rewards while paying a low annual fee.

The card features six reward categories that offer outstanding rewards on flights, hotels, restaurants and more. You can redeem your points for statement credits, account deposits, gift cards and more. But you can get the most bang for your buck by redeeming them for travel purchases through the Chase Travel℠ portal, which increases your point’s usual one-cent value by 25%.

You can redeem your points for statement credits, account deposits, gift cards and more. But you can get the most bang for your buck by redeeming them for travel purchases through Chase Travel℠, which increases your point’s usual one-cent value by 25%.

You can also transfer your points to one of Chase’s 14 travel partners at a 1:1 ratio (one Chase point equals one hotel point or airline mile). These include popular airlines and hotels like JetBlue, Southwest, United, Marriott and Hyatt.

Best Premium Travel Credit Cards

• Earns 4x points on restaurants worldwide, takeout and food delivery within the U.S.
• Up to $120 in annual dining credits, issued as a $10 statement credit per month for select restaurants (enrollment required)
• Up to $120 as Uber Cash annually ($10 per month) for food delivery orders and rides in the U.S. after you add the American Express(R) Gold Card to your Uber account
• Earn 4x points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1x)
• High annual fee ($250)
• Includes few travel perks and insurance policies compared to similarly priced cards

Terms apply. Please click here for applicable rates and fees.

Why we chose it: The American Express® Gold Card is ideal for foodies, offering a high reward rate at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets, takeout and food delivery. (Terms apply.)

The American Express® Gold Card also offers statement credits worth up to $240 combined — almost enough to offset the card’s $250 annual fee. These include:

• Up to $120 every year in dining credits ($10 per month) for select restaurants and food delivery services. The list includes Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and Shake Shack (Enrollment required)
• Automatically get $10 monthly in Uber Cash to use on Uber Eats or Uber rides in the U.S. (after you add the American Express® Gold Card to your account)
• $100 credit for dining, spa services and other activities when you book a two-night minimum stay at a hotel from The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel
• Terms apply

However, note that the American Express® Gold Card offers fewer travel perks than some other premium cards — for instance, it doesn’t offer trip cancellation and interruption insurance or TSA PreCheck® or CLEAR® Plus fee credits.

• 10,000 bonus miles every year
• Statement credit of up to $300 for bookings made through Capital One Travel
• Up to a $100 credit on Global Entry or TSA PreCheck(R)
• Skip the line and get car upgrades when renting a car with Hertz
• High annual fee ($395)
• Fewer bonus categories than other premium cards
• No domestic airline transfer partners

Why we chose it: The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the best credit card for travel miles if you want to earn a high reward rate and not worry about bonus categories.

The Capital One Venture X also includes noteworthy perks such as:

• 10,000 bonus miles every year (starting on your first anniversary)
• $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel
• Up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
• Access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges worldwide with Priority Pass™ Select and Plaza Premium Group
• Authorized users at no extra cost (many cards have an annual fee of $75 or more for each additional user)

All in all, the Venture X is a solid option that can easily compete with other premium travel cards, especially considering its more affordable annual fee.

• Up to $300 in statement credits each anniversary year to cover travel purchases
• Transfer your points to 14 travel partners (including United, Southwest, JetBlue and Marriott)
• Points worth 50% more when redeemed for travel expenses through Chase TravelSM
• Comprehensive travel insurance coverage, including emergency dental insurance
• High annual fee ($550)
• Doesn't include a cell phone protection plan

Why we chose it: The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is the best credit card for travelers looking for a high reward rate on travel and additional benefits like comprehensive travel insurance and airport lounge access worldwide.

Your points are worth 50% more when you redeem them for travel through the Chase Travel℠ portal. This means each point is worth 1.5 cents per point instead of one cent, like most travel cards. Also, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® provides several high-end benefits such as:

• $300 annual travel credit to cover travel-related purchases like airfare, hotels, car rentals, rideshares, buses, trains, tolls and/or parking
• Access for you and two guests to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide (after a one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select)
• Statement credit of up to $100 every four years for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or Nexus

The Sapphire Reserve does have a $550 annual fee. But if you take advantage of the $300 annual credit and other perks, the benefits can definitely outweigh its cost.

• Access to the widest network of airport lounges of any card
• Complimentary elite status in the Marriott and Hilton hotel loyalty programs
• Hundreds of dollars in annual statement credits for travel, dining and more
• High annual fee ($695)
• Doesn't include baggage delay, travel accident and primary rental car insurance
• Limited bonus categories

Terms apply. Click here for rates and fees.

Why we chose this card: The Platinum Card® from American Express offers a list of premium benefits that no other travel card offers, including the widest network of airport lounges and room upgrades at Hilton and Marriott hotels. (Terms apply.)

The Platinum Card® from American Express features an impressive list of high-end travel benefits, including:

• Complimentary access to over 1,400 airport lounges, including Priority Pass, Delta SkyClub and Amex’s own Centurion lounges (enrollment required)
• Gold status in the Marriott and Hilton loyalty programs, which makes you eligible for room upgrades, free breakfast and late checkouts (enrollment required)
• $200 back each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings made through American Express Travel and paid with your Platinum Card® (Hotel Collection bookings require a minimum two-night stay)
• Up to $200 per year when incidental fees, such as checked bags, are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card® (with one selected qualifying airline)
• Complimentary premium status in Avis Preferred®, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards®, and/or National Car Rental® Emerald Club (must enroll through your Amex online account using your card)

The Platinum Card® from American Express does have a hefty $695 annual fee. However, for people who travel often and will take advantage of its annual credits and travel perks, it might almost pay for itself.

Best Business Travel Credit Cards

• 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com
• Around $1,000 in yearly statement credits for select business purchases
• Access to a wide network of airport lounges (terms apply)
• Around $600 in perks in Fine Hotels + Resorts(R) locations booked through American Express Travel (for stays of two nights)
• Secondary rental car coverage**

Why we chose it: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express features an extensive list of benefits that make it an ideal travel and business credit card.

With this card, you can access over 1,400 airport lounges worldwide, comprehensive travel insurance and extra amenities at hundreds of hotels, like daily breakfast and free internet access. Additionally, you get a $200 credit to cover baggage fees, in-flight refreshments and more and up to $100 for Global Entry or $85 for TSA PreCheck® every four or 4.5 years respectively. (Terms apply.) (Enrollment required.)

The card also offers several yearly statement credits for business-related purchases that include up to $400 per year ($200 between January and June and $200 between July and December) for U.S. purchases with Dell.

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express does have one of the steepest annual fees ($695) among travel credit cards, but its extensive list of benefits makes it a no-brainer for business owners who travel frequently.

Best Airline Travel Credit Cards

• Free first checked bag for you and a companion
• Up to $100 as a statement credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck(R) or NEXUS every 4 year
• 25% back as a statement credit on food, beverages and Wi-Fi on board United-operated flights
• Complimentary priority boarding for you and companions traveling on the same reservation
• $95 annual fee (after the first year)
• No intro APR period
• Rewards are only valuable when used with United

Why we chose it: The card_name has a low annual fee and gives you valuable benefits that make up for it, such as priority boarding for everyone on the reservation and a free checked bag for you and one companion.

Other perks the card includes are:

• Two one-time passes for United Club℠ airport lounges each account anniversary year
• 25% back as a statement credit on in-flight purchases like food, beverages and Wi-Fi
• Up to $100 every four years to cover the cost of TSA PreCheck®, Global Entry or NEXUS
• Comprehensive travel insurance (auto rental collision damage waiver, baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, trip cancellation/interruption insurance and trip delay reimbursement)

The United℠ Explorer Card earns miles on United purchases, including tickets, inflight food, beverages, Wi-Fi and more. You also earn rewards at restaurants and select hotel stays.

You can use your miles to book flights on United Airlines or its partners, including Avianca, Lufthansa and Air Canada. You can also redeem them for seat upgrades, inflight Wi-Fi passes and more — although United miles are usually more valuable when used for airfare.

Travel Credit Cards Guide

The best credit cards for travel do more than offer high reward rates on flights and hotel stays. They also provide rewards for everyday spending and perks such as travel insurance , airport lounge access and annual statement credits.

Here’s a rundown of how these cards work:

What is a travel credit card?

Travel credit cards offer benefits and rewards geared towards individuals who travel frequently or want to earn travel benefits.

They provide high rewards for travel-related expenses such as flights, hotels, rental cars and dining. You can then use these rewards (in the form of points or miles) to book travel reservations. Some cards also let you transfer your rewards to hotel and airline partners or redeem them for statement credits, cash back, gift cards and more.

On top of the rewards, these cards often feature several travel-related perks, such as no foreign transaction fees, hotel discounts, travel insurance, free checked bags and airport lounge access.

How do travel credit cards work?

Travel credit cards give you a certain number of points or miles per dollar on eligible purchases. They often offer around 5x points or more for airfare, hotel rooms, rental cars and more. Some cards may also count parking, bus fares, taxis, tolls and ferries as travel purchases.

Besides travel, you’ll typically get bonus points in additional spending categories. For example, some cards may offer 3x points per dollar on dining, groceries, drugstores or streaming services. All other eligible purchases usually get at least one point (1x) per dollar.

You can then redeem your points for flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises and more. Card issuers also usually let you redeem your points for non-travel options like statement credits, cash back or gift cards.

How to use credit card points for travel

Travel credit cards have rewards programs through which you can earn points (or miles). Well-known point programs include Chase Ultimate Rewards®, American Express Membership Rewards® and Citi ThankYou® Rewards.

To redeem your points, go to your travel card’s rewards program portal. The process may differ across credit card issuers, but you’ll usually be able to access it through your online account on the issuer’s website or app.

Points are usually worth one cent each. However, some issuers increase their value if you redeem them for travel. For example, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card points are worth 1.25 cents when used to book flights through the Chase Travel℠ portal.

Points may also be worth less than a cent, depending on how you redeem them. For example, some cards allow you to use your points at Amazon checkout. While this might sound convenient, this option may bring down the value of points to around 0.8 cents.

Some cards also allow you to transfer your rewards to select airline and hotel partners. Typically, you can transfer rewards to these loyalty programs on a 1:1 ratio, meaning that 1,000 credit card points are worth 1,000 loyalty program points.

Difference between points and miles

You’ll earn points or miles depending on which travel credit card you have. For example, Chase travel credit cards earn points, while Capital One travel cards earn miles. Miles and points typically have similar value (around one cent each) and redemption options.

However, keep in mind that several cards that earn miles are tied to a specific airline — like the United℠ Explorer Card. In this case, you can only use your rewards for purchases with the issuing airline such as flights, seat upgrades, inflight dining and more.

Pros and cons of travel credit cards

• Some cards offer up to 10x points per dollar on travel purchases.
• Many have additional bonus categories for dining, grocery shopping and more.
• They may include travel benefits like priority boarding, airport lounge access and late hotel checkouts.
• Points or miles can also be redeemed for cash back, statement credits, gift cards and more.
• Highest reward rates are usually limited to purchases made through the card issuer's travel portal.
• They might not offer high rewards on spending outside of the travel category.
• Some of the best ones can have steep annual fees and require good to excellent credit
• Redeeming points or miles for anything other than travel can reduce their value to less than one cent per dollar.

Types of travel credit cards

Here’s a rundown of the differences between the three main types of travel credit cards:

Airline credit cards

Airline credit cards are ideal for people who regularly fly with the same airline. These cards earn miles you can redeem for flights, seat upgrades, inflight dining, airport lounge access and other travel-related purchases but typically only with the issuing airline.

Some of the best airline travel credit cards include benefits like free checked bags, priority boarding and discounts on in-flight purchases.

Hotel credit cards

With hotel credit cards, you can only redeem your points for stays, discounts and other benefits with one particular hotel chain.

For example, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card earns points for Hilton’s loyalty program, which you can redeem for free nights in the company’s properties, including Hilton Garden Inn and Waldorf Astoria hotels.

Hotel credit cards may also offer complimentary breakfast, room upgrades, late checkouts and bonus points for purchases made during your stay.

General travel credit card

General travel credit cards are more flexible than airline or hotel cards. They aren’t affiliated with a single airline or hotel chain, so their points can be used to book flights, hotel stays, rental cars and more from different companies.

These cards may also offer useful perks for frequent travelers, like airport lounge access. They can also cover the cost of a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® membership, which allows you to skip the long lines at airport security or customs.

How to choose a travel credit card

Picking the best travel rewards credit card boils down to how often you travel, which cardmember perks you’d benefit the most from and the categories you spend the most on.

Here are some factors to keep in mind when choosing the best card for you:

• Do you travel often? A travel rewards credit card offers high reward rates on travel spending, and you’ll get the most bang for your buck when you use their points on flights, hotels and car rentals. If you don’t take trips often but want to pile up rewards, a cash-back credit card might be a better fit.
• Assess your everyday spending. Many travel cards have additional bonus categories other than travel, like dining, supermarkets, streaming services and drugstores. Consider your day-to-day spending habits and pick a card with bonus categories that fit your lifestyle.
• Consider the card’s annual fees. No-annual-fee travel cards usually have few travel benefits. The best travel credit cards charge annual fees of at least $90 and can go as high as $700. However, these are often best for those that travel enough to take advantage of their benefits.
• General travel card vs co-branded cards. General travel cards have more flexible redemption options. On the other hand, co-branded cards are often tied to a specific airline or hotel, which can limit your options. Still, they do provide valuable perks like free checked bags, in-flight discounts and hotel upgrades.
• Compare extra travel perks. Some cards offer extras like annual statement credits for flights and hotels or upgrades when renting cars. Take the time to compare each card’s roster of add-ons and pick one that will best suit your travel plans.
• Compare insurance policies. The best credit card travel benefits include insurance policies that cover travel accidents, rental cars, trip cancellations and more. These policies can vary widely based on the issuer and the card’s annual-fee tier.
• Beware foreign transaction fees. Most travel credit cards don’t charge foreign transaction fees. Some cash-back cards may offer outstanding rewards for travel purchases but charge around 3% fees on purchases outside the U.S.
• Look beyond welcome offers. A 60,000-point welcome bonus can be enticing. However, it shouldn’t be your deciding factor, especially if you’ll end up paying a high annual fee without getting your money’s worth.

How get the most out of your travel credit card

To get the most out of your travel credit card, you need to use it as often and strategically as possible. This way, you can earn points or miles with each purchase, which you can then redeem for free or discounted flights, hotels and more.

Use your travel card to pay most of your purchases and bills and then pay your card off in full each month. This will help you earn points while avoiding interest charges and high credit card debt , which can impact your credit score.

Here are some other tips to maximize your rewards and benefits:

• Consider adding an authorized user to your account. They’ll earn points with every purchase they make, and those will get added to your overall total. However, make sure to pick someone who will use the card responsibly since you’ll be legally liable if they ever fail to pay their monthly bills.
• Redeem your rewards for travel through the card issuer’s website. This redemption option usually offers the highest value compared to gift cards or merchandise, for example.
• If your card offers travel protections (like travel accident or luggage insurance), use it to pay for your passenger fares. This way, you could be reimbursed in the event of an accident or lost luggage, for example.
• Use your airline or hotel card to sign up for the company’s frequent flyer or frequent guest loyalty program. You’ll often earn extra points or miles when you’re a member and use your co-branded card to pay for flights, hotel stays and more.
• If you can transfer points from other credit cards to your travel card, take advantage of this feature. This way, you can accumulate extra points for travel booking and sometimes even increase their value.

Best Travel Credit Cards FAQs

What is the best travel credit card, what is the best credit card for international travel, how to travel for free with credit cards, what is the best credit card for travel miles, what is a welcome bonus on a credit card, how we chose the best travel credit cards.

We ranked the best credit cards for travel based on their annual fees, benefits, reward rates and redemption flexibility.

Fees: We compared interest rates and foreign, cash advance and balance transfer fees for more than 50 credit cards. We also considered their annual fee, looking for those that offered the most for the money.

Ongoing benefits: Intro APR and bonus offers are attractive, but they can only get you so far. We focused on cards with year-round benefits such as travel insurance or cell phone protection plans.

Reward rates: We preferred cards that allow you to earn extra points from travel expenses, as well as those that provide significant bonus rewards in popular spending categories, like dining, supermarkets or streaming services.

Redemption flexibility: Our picks don’t limit your redemption options to just travel. Some let you use your points for Amazon purchases, for example. We also preferred issuers that allowed cardholders to transfer their points to airline and hotel partners.

Summary of Money’s Best Travel Credit Cards of May 2024

• Discover it® Miles Credit Card – Best no-annual-fee travel card for simple rewards

Money.com has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Money.com and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

To see rates and fees for the American Express® Gold Card, visit this link . Terms apply.

To see rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express, visit this link . Terms apply.

To see rates and fees for The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, visit this link . Terms apply.

* Insurance disclosures for American Express Cards on this page:

Trip Delay Insurance: Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance: Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

Baggage Insurance Plan: Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

Global Assist Hotline: Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.

Extended Warranty, Purchase Protection, Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance: Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

** Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

*** Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

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