We are in New Zealand right now and I want to discuss payment cards because of an issue I had. I was using a Wise account because I liked their transparency and fair FX rates, and it was recommended for the Anzac region. It has been awesome after a rocky start until an ATM ate it today. The bankās policy is to destroy foreign cards in that situation. I have all my travel funds on that card. Luckily I have my home bank cards so Iām not stuck, but what a hassle!
What do others do for travel purchases and payments? I wanted to avoid the home bank and visa card FX rates, hence the Wise card.
More on New Zealand: Iām accompanying my wife and her team in their participation in an international dragon boat festival for breast cancer survivors. Weāve already been up north to see the Bay of Islands, and had a beautiful drive to New Plymouth on the west coast south of Auckland. We kayaked from Lake Karapiro and up a stream tributary to see millions of glow worms on the canyon walls after it fell dark. We plan to travel more through the south half of the north island and the north half of the south island.
Sounds like an amazing trip!
For the money situation, I checked the fees for foreign transactions for all my existing cards and found that one I already had, a Capital One ATM/debit card, has no foreign fees. So thatās my main card. I can use it to pay, or to get cash. Iāve been checking the account periodically and itās correct, no fees. My only problem so far was initially using the wrong ATM/making the wrong selection for a withdrawal, and getting a hefty exchange fee from the ATM.
Then, like you, as back-up I have a couple other cards tucked in my luggage (one of which also has no fees, but is a credit card), and a few hundred in US cash, all stowed separately.
Good luck!
In my opinion, one of the most under-rated cities in NZ. Mt Egmont / Taranaki is great.
Itās been 20 years since I lived in NZ, but:
- Rotorua was far too touristy back then, and I doubt itās improved. Geysers are cool, but I wouldnāt linger. The park in the middle of the city is cool and unsettling - pretty much everywhere you look, thereās geothermal steam somewhere in your field of view.
- Taupo is less than an hour down the road from Rotorua, and it was gorgeous. Kinda spine-tingling to look at that lake and remember itās one big volcanic crater.
- From Taupo, the drive south across the desert is lovely. The volcanoes are like Old Gods.
I never spent much time on the South Island, so I canāt advise there.
Enjoy! Itās a wonderful place.
Indeed! I wanted to move here 38 years ago while I spent 6 weeks touring from Kerikeri to Queenstown. I was particularly charmed by Christchurch then but I know what I saw has been altered by their earthquake. My impression then of Rotorua is the same as yours now, but my wife has to see for herself. I remember Taupo fondly, but to hear south of there as desert is new to me. I look forward to seeing it in that light. Thanks for your insights.
Re payment cards, Wise sent advice to NOT choose paying in your home currency as the rates are disadvantageous. āDynamic Currency Conversion (DCC)ā it is called, and easy to accept psychologically, but apparently home bank rates are better. Either way they are more than what Wise charges. So just accept the charge in the local currency.
Whether you use a payment service or other fintech like Wise, or your home bank cards, best to have a backup as ATMs eating your cards is traumatic.
Yikes. I had a bank card eaten once at an ATM in France and lost some time waiting for the branch to open and get it back. 
That destruction policy highlights why itās a good idea to keep a copy of card numbers and customer service numbers/codes on the back somewhere safe.
I use Amex and Visa cards as a backup to cash withdrawals or exchanges, and had to call the former once when a transaction didnāt go as expected. Their swift response is why I never dumped that account. The other funny-not-funny episode I had calling US customer service from Europe involved the number. It was listed on a form in letters, something that was not on the phone keypad. This was before the rise of cell phones, so I had fun for a few minutes recalling how that looked at home. 
God, what a hassle.
I just got back from Cambodia and used my Wise card the whole time. I think you can use the app to pay as well if youāre really stuck. A quick check of the app tells me you can link it up to Google Pay, if thatās a thing thatās used down there.
In the cities, yes, as I tried āWave Payā for the first time last night with success. I have seen some old timey machines as well and at one point had to sign the merchant copy.
When it was working, the Wise card was better than cash, home bank debit or credit. One loads it with any number of currencies at the spot rate. If you donāt have the local currency loaded, it takes from one of the other balances. Now that it is gone, Iām going to use a teller for cash withdrawals rather than risk arbitrary confiscation. And definitely not going to BNZ.
When dealing with Wise, BNZ, (TD and Interac at home), their collective attitude is " Itās not our fault - ask the other guy". That must be the first lesson at banking school.
Advice for cellphone service in Northern Europe (Sweden, Denmark, Germany, maybe Estonia). I have an unlocked iphone, so I shouldnāt be tethered to my US carrierās roaming rates. Virtual sim? Buy before I go, or once I get there? Any better than others? (Explain it to me like I am oldā¦)
Interesting: the cue-up isnāt working. Start at 10 seconds.
I have to question all of their selections if they pick the Volcanic Heritage road in Oregon over anything coastal. Crater Lake is amazing, but HWY 101 is spectacular.
Also, Tail of the Dragon in North Carolina is a shitshow. So many boy racer cars and motorcycles roaring through that itās just an awful place to be. The Blue Ridge Parkway is just as beautiful and much more peaceful.
Iāve even driven it several times in torrential rains, and one time in an Oldsmobile 98 when the brakes gave out, and when I downshifted and switched to the parking brake as a backup I felt it snap (had to use a restaurant parking lot like a truck sand ramp!), and even with those caveats I would totally agree with this statement.
I was a teenager at the time, driving my bossās car. Guess I did OK, because he didnāt yell at me at all. Didnāt even realize there was a problem until I went into the parking lot.
What are you trying to do? Get a new phone number? Or just have cell service while abroad.
If itās the latter, you can sign up for an international plan with your carrier. Iām on AT&T and I get free international roaming with my plan, but before that it was like $10/day with unlimited data which was worth it IMO. This may be the most economical option depending on what youāre trying to do. Check with your carrier to see what kind of international plans they offer. Needing to do nothing might be the simplest option. 
Otherwise you can buy a SIM at the airport. (At a premium, ofc.) Just put it in your phone and you can roam anywhere in Europe, but watch your data usage as itās capped.
Pretty much the definition of being a teenager. At that age one is immortal.
No advice here. I just went with airplane mode and using wifi while in New Zealand. One drawback is that my Canadian bank is set up for 2 factor authorization, and online bookings sometimes require it. And it uses SMS text, which I canāt get. Keep that in mind if you are not using your home country phone number.
One other option is to buy a prepaid SIM on Amazon ahead of time. Youāll get texts about data usage in Chinese, but they work.
