Bank accounts
 

Hey folks.

So hopefully going to get my Visa before Christmas, fingers crossed.

Once it's approved then we need to book flights etc but we also need to open a bank account to transfer our money into.

Can anyone recommend a good account or bank to use. What to avoid etc.

Thanks guys

Re: Bank accounts
 

Westpac. Been using since Dec 2004. Never had any problems, negotiated better rates than on their website. No complaints. Perfect....no. Is any bank?

Re: Bank accounts
 

We've opened a westpac account already online. They will let you transfer money in but not out until you arrive and show some identification. Very simple and quick. They were recommended to me.

Re: Bank accounts
 

we use ANZ and have had no problems.
Think things have changed since we came over in 2012 and even though you can put money in to actually access it from a atm you need to activate the account in a branch. for this you need to show your passport with visa and also give them a home address in the NZ to tie the account to. the address is the new piece of evidence as we didn't have to do that, just had to show our passports.

Re: Bank accounts
 

I opened a kiwibank migrants account and transferred money into it from the UK. I then visited the local branch with ID and set up an online account which works well. V. happy and like to support a NZ bank if I can.

This was in 2011, so not sure if things have changed in that time.

Re: Bank accounts
 

If you now have to show an NZ address how does that work if you're in a motel for a couple of weeks while trying to hunt down a rental house?

Re: Bank accounts
 

We set up our Westpac bank account before we arrived in NZ. We activated it when we got there. We just turned up with our i.d., probably our passports, in a branch to get the cheque books and bank cards. The cheque book still has the Auckland branch i.d. on it and despite me telling them what our local branch is once we had moved to our NZ hometown, they have never changed it.

Cheques aren't widely accepted as a method of payment in NZ anymore, just like the UK. Also, the NZ$6.00 charge that it costs for the bank to clear a cheque is just ridiculous.

Just use the Motel address. Phrase it as the motel's street address. New Zealanders are supposed to be laid back, aren't they ?

I think, initially, we would have used my husband's mothers' address in Auckland as a home address. We didn't live there, either, just like we didn't live in any of the B&B's and motels we used between rented accommodations in NZ.

Banks are much of a muchness in NZ, it seems to me. It's the usual costs vs services like you would want in Britain. Just get one that has online banking as a facility and I believe most of them should have by now. Even in NZ.

P.S. did you know that NZ has changed the design of it's banknotes recently ? The new five dollar bills are in circulation, the larger denomination notes will be in circulation next year.

Re: Bank accounts
 

They don't need to be, most clients are too lazy or hapless to leave even if they could get a better deal and better service.
Banks score well in many areas of service but the one they fail at constantly is helping clients with financial planning. For all their efforts to push products they will never provide any useful financial advice. For example there was a good statistic on stuff.co.nz the other day showing that only about 0.3% of kiwisaver products had been sold with personalised financial advice. That's not independent advice, just advice around what might fit a clients needs.

Re: Bank accounts
 

Hello fellow Ulster man. NZ needs a few more folk with a decent rugby brain ;).

We used kiwibank who were amazing. They have a wee online chat function that allowed you to email customer service they they arranged my appointment upon arrival to get cards etc. Very few charges with kiwibank too ;). Had to open an ANZ account for my mortgage but I use kiwibank as my main account.

SUFTUM :)

Re: Bank accounts
 

What's up Desmondo.

Yea we need to show these southerners how rugby needs played lol

Where in NZ you living. I think either kiwibank or westpac. I like the thought of kiwi bank. Supporting a local bank etc.