Credit, debit or good ole cash?
Jul 5th 2008, 12:44 pm
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 41
Credit, debit or good ole cash?
We're coming over to Rotorua this August for 21 day recce.
What's the best (Cheapest) way of spending our hard earned pounds and avoiding exorbitant exchange and commission rates etc?
Main outlays include;
Hotel(1) in Auckland, one night.
Car hire Auc to Auc (ezy rentals)
One week house rental in Rotorua, They are demanding credit card payment in advance, cancel within one week of arrival= total loss of our$400
, OH says its ok
Hotels (2), in Rotorua.
Hotel (1) Ngongotaha.
Hotel (1) Tauranga way, (I think I'd like to investigate houses in Papamoa)
Tourist trips and days out.
Should we exchange cash at UK or NZ airport, or should it be at banks UK/NZ?
We have Barclays and HSBC plastic to play with.
Any advice?
What's the best (Cheapest) way of spending our hard earned pounds and avoiding exorbitant exchange and commission rates etc?
Main outlays include;
Hotel(1) in Auckland, one night.
Car hire Auc to Auc (ezy rentals)
One week house rental in Rotorua, They are demanding credit card payment in advance, cancel within one week of arrival= total loss of our$400
, OH says its okHotels (2), in Rotorua.
Hotel (1) Ngongotaha.
Hotel (1) Tauranga way, (I think I'd like to investigate houses in Papamoa)
Tourist trips and days out.
Should we exchange cash at UK or NZ airport, or should it be at banks UK/NZ?
We have Barclays and HSBC plastic to play with.
Any advice?
Jul 5th 2008, 10:14 pm
#2
lionheart
Joined: Apr 2008
Location: papamoa
Posts: 571
Re: Credit, debit or good ole cash?
We're coming over to Rotorua this August for 21 day recce.
What's the best (Cheapest) way of spending our hard earned pounds and avoiding exorbitant exchange and commission rates etc?
Main outlays include;
Hotel(1) in Auckland, one night.
Car hire Auc to Auc (ezy rentals)
One week house rental in Rotorua, They are demanding credit card payment in advance, cancel within one week of arrival= total loss of our$400, OH says its ok
Hotels (2), in Rotorua.
Hotel (1) Ngongotaha.
Hotel (1) Tauranga way, (I think I'd like to investigate houses in Papamoa)
Tourist trips and days out.
Should we exchange cash at UK or NZ airport, or should it be at banks UK/NZ?
We have Barclays and HSBC plastic to play with.
Any advice?
What's the best (Cheapest) way of spending our hard earned pounds and avoiding exorbitant exchange and commission rates etc?
Main outlays include;
Hotel(1) in Auckland, one night.
Car hire Auc to Auc (ezy rentals)
One week house rental in Rotorua, They are demanding credit card payment in advance, cancel within one week of arrival= total loss of our$400
, OH says its okHotels (2), in Rotorua.
Hotel (1) Ngongotaha.
Hotel (1) Tauranga way, (I think I'd like to investigate houses in Papamoa)
Tourist trips and days out.
Should we exchange cash at UK or NZ airport, or should it be at banks UK/NZ?
We have Barclays and HSBC plastic to play with.
Any advice?
NEVER EXCHANGE AT AIRPORTS YOU GET WAY LESS FOR YOU HARD EARNED MONEY
We are with the HSBC and they never charged commission on stirling tt's.
Can expect to pay 2% commission when purchasing cash or tt's through most banks, building societies and travel agents. (so see if HSBC will charge you), but worth doing some leg work as they sometimes only charge 1% and post office occasionally offers at 0%.
TSB (NZ Bank) charge a flat rate of $5 for cashing tt's, but banks do not cash stirling tt's over the weekend even though they are open for business.
You get a lower rate of exchange of pounds sterling as opposed to sterling tt's, so it's not worth using british currency to change at banks etc.
Exchange rate is in your favour at the moment.
Hope this helps
Pauline
Last edited by howden40; Jul 5th 2008 at 11:54 pm.
Jul 5th 2008, 10:30 pm
#3
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Tyldesley Manchester UK
Posts: 1,095
Re: Credit, debit or good ole cash?
We took some sterling with us and had no trouble changing it to dollars in banks etc but its the same as the UK you have to shop around. We went into 5 different places in Tauranga last year and rate differed between $2.55 to $2.63 with no charges. However we had put some money into our son in laws UK account before we went and he transferred it to his NZ account and got a very good exchange rate $2.80 which he drew out when we got there. This year in February if was between $2.35 & $2.40. We used our Credit Card of course for some things and when we got our statement when we got home the rate was different each day we used it.
www.tranzfers.com
June
www.tranzfers.com
June
Jul 5th 2008, 10:31 pm
#4
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2004
Location: Waitakere City
Posts: 539
Re: Credit, debit or good ole cash?
I used my Barclays Connect card here and wasn't charged anything - just the exchange rate that was prevailing at the time.
Swipe it through the EFTPOS terminal as a normal debit card and choose CREDIT - then use a pin number or press OK to just sign (whichever you have).
Swipe it through the EFTPOS terminal as a normal debit card and choose CREDIT - then use a pin number or press OK to just sign (whichever you have).
Jul 6th 2008, 7:26 pm
#5
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 41
Re: Credit, debit or good ole cash?
NEVER EXCHANGE AT AIRPORTS YOU GET WAY LESS FOR YOU HARD EARNED MONEY
We are with the HSBC and they never charged commission on stirling tt's.
Can expect to pay 2% commission when purchasing cash or tt's through most banks, building societies and travel agents. (so see if HSBC will charge you), but worth doing some leg work as they sometimes only charge 1% and post office occasionally offers at 0%.
TSB (NZ Bank) charge a flat rate of $5 for cashing tt's, but banks do not cash stirling tt's over the weekend even though they are open for business.
You get a lower rate of exchange of pounds sterling as opposed to sterling tt's, so it's not worth using british currency to change at banks etc.
Exchange rate is in your favour at the moment.
Hope this helps
Pauline
Thanks for the advice.... I'm a little dense sometimes and need things spelt out sometimes...here goes.
HSBC sounds good,what are tt's?
Post offices you refered to,would that be NZ or UK?
Your house..Did you go for solar in the end?
Jul 6th 2008, 7:34 pm
#6
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 41
Re: Credit, debit or good ole cash?
I used my Barclays Connect card here and wasn't charged anything - just the exchange rate that was prevailing at the time.
Swipe it through the EFTPOS terminal as a normal debit card and choose CREDIT - then use a pin number or press OK to just sign (whichever you have).
Swipe it through the EFTPOS terminal as a normal debit card and choose CREDIT - then use a pin number or press OK to just sign (whichever you have).
Ahhh yes, EFTPOS terminal's, the wife normally pushes me aside and does it
.I don't know if she is aware of the CREDIT option though, I better let her know, she'll probable feign surprise......(I think I should go and check our statements).
Thanks,
Dave.
Jul 7th 2008, 2:45 pm
#7
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2007
Location: Was East Sussex, Now Titirangi, Auckland.
Posts: 771
Re: Credit, debit or good ole cash?
get a nationwide flexaccount they dont charge and you get business rates.
All ATM's I think will allow you to use them with this card at no charge and you can take out £300 per day or about NZ$740
All ATM's I think will allow you to use them with this card at no charge and you can take out £300 per day or about NZ$740
Jul 14th 2008, 4:22 am
#8
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 41
Re: Credit, debit or good ole cash?
Dave n Ann
We're coming over to Rotorua this August for 21 day recce.
What's the best (Cheapest) way of spending our hard earned pounds and avoiding exorbitant exchange and commission rates etc?
Main outlays include;
Hotel(1) in Auckland, one night.
Car hire Auc to Auc (ezy rentals)
One week house rental in Rotorua, They are demanding credit card payment in advance, cancel within one week of arrival= total loss of our$400, OH says its ok
Hotels (2), in Rotorua.
Hotel (1) Ngongotaha.
Hotel (1) Tauranga way, (I think I'd like to investigate houses in Papamoa)
Tourist trips and days out.
Should we exchange cash at UK or NZ airport, or should it be at banks UK/NZ?
We have Barclays and HSBC plastic to play with.
Any advice?
Hi All,
Thanks for all your advice and suggestions.
We'll be over as planned and look forward to meeting those of you who have PM'ed us.
We're coming over to Rotorua this August for 21 day recce.
What's the best (Cheapest) way of spending our hard earned pounds and avoiding exorbitant exchange and commission rates etc?
Main outlays include;
Hotel(1) in Auckland, one night.
Car hire Auc to Auc (ezy rentals)
One week house rental in Rotorua, They are demanding credit card payment in advance, cancel within one week of arrival= total loss of our$400, OH says its ok
Hotels (2), in Rotorua.
Hotel (1) Ngongotaha.
Hotel (1) Tauranga way, (I think I'd like to investigate houses in Papamoa)
Tourist trips and days out.
Should we exchange cash at UK or NZ airport, or should it be at banks UK/NZ?
We have Barclays and HSBC plastic to play with.
Any advice?
Hi All,
Thanks for all your advice and suggestions.
We'll be over as planned and look forward to meeting those of you who have PM'ed us.
