New Zealand and Australia currency needed?

We are from the USA and will be visiting Sydney and then 6 ports in New Zealand. 1st can we or should we use our credit cards? 2nd do we have to exchange our US dollars for Australian and New Zealand currency?

Yes, you can use credit cards.

At your favorite restaurant or store, do they accept Australia or New Zealand money?

Yes you can use credit cards, yes it is safe to do so.

I'm not sure what other countries you have visited in the past, but it's not common for a country with it's own currency to accept US dollars for payment. Perhaps in the Caribbean and poorer nations that rely on American tourists but not 1st world, cosmopolitan nations with booming economies like Australia and New Zealand. Perhaps you may find some tourist trap stores in some cities that may take multiple currencies, but it would be a huge rip off and they wouldn't be common. It's not like you will visit a local craft market and pay the stall holder in US dollars or get a coffee from a cafe. It's the equivalent of me coming to the US and expecting to walk into a store and pay in Australian dollars, it's a bit of a strange concept isn't it?

The best way to get money here is to use an ATM, it will give you a better exchange rate and be more convenient than ordering in money from your bank before you leave or converting cash when here. Just make sure your bank doesn't charge foreign withdrawal fees. You won't need lots of cash, you can use your card a majority of the time, it will just be for purchases at local markets, small incidentals like a drink or a coffee as most places will have a $10 card limit. We don't tip here so no need to carry a wad of bills for that.

As others have said, if you are going to use cash, you'll need Australian or New Zealand currency.

If you are going to use your credit cards, I would suggest asking your credit card company to issue cards with chips & PINs as Australia went to a "no sign" system last year. Payments are exclusively tap & go or insert & PIN now. I can't tell you the last time I swiped my card here in Australia.

In spite of Aus going PIN only visitors can still sign, but PIN will be easier.

You will be able to pay pretty much anything with your card, but maybe $100 cash each would be handy.

You will also be able to get local cash out at a cash machine called an ATM n Aus.

AUS and NZ have different currencies

Guessing that you will arrive in Sydney on an International flight. If so, once you have cleared Immigration and Customs, you can obtain Australian currency from an ATM before leaving the building.

After you exit through the security door from Customs, the machine is situated to the right, ( before walking outdoors).

When visiting Sydney we always obtain Australian currency from that ATM.

Of course following earlier discussion on Signature V PIN you need a PIN for ATMs

In spite of Aus going PIN only visitors can still sign, but PIN will be easier.

That has not been my experience. I know it's all tap & PIN with my Australian cards, but I've had problems using my US cards that are swipe & sign, even though I say they are US cards and the merchants assure me there is no problem. And yes, my US cards know I'm using them in Australia; they are not being declined, just not recognized by the payment systems. I'd really recommend the OP check with her credit card companies and get them to issue chip & PIN cards.

That has not been my experience. I know it's all tap & PIN with my Australian cards, but I've had problems using my US cards that are swipe & sign, even though I say they are US cards and the merchants assure me there is no problem. And yes, my US cards know I'm using them in Australia; they are not being declined, just not recognized by the payment systems. I'd really recommend the OP check with her credit card companies and get them to issue chip & PIN cards.

The rules are clear that signature for OS guests is still OK, however as I advised a PIN will be easier.

Chip not strictly needed, mine has NEVER worked [even though they've replaced the card a couple of times] it's a bit of a pain but eventually gets swiped.

Very likely not an issue during port stops, but I have encountered petrol stations in Australia that are unattended outside business hours, but will still dispense fuel to those with a chip-and-PIN credit card, but only if the purchaser can type in a 4-digit Australian postal code -- presumably the one that matches the address associated with that credit card. No after-hours gasoline for us foreigners at those stations :( Perhaps there is some generic 4-digit code that can be entered in this case, but if so, we did not learn what it was.

Of course, a similarly annoying practice prevails in the U.S. even when the gasoline station is staffed -- no U.S. ZIP code, no simple way to fuel up (except at the stations that have implemented a work around to accept the digits within Cdn postal codes).

John

Of course, a similarly annoying practice prevails in the U.S. even when the gasoline station is staffed -- no U.S. ZIP code, no simple way to fuel up (except at the stations that have implemented a work around to accept the digits within Cdn postal codes).

I can't remember who here I've already suggested this to, but one thing that sometimes works is this: If you type the digits in your postal code and then pad it out with enough trailing zeroes to make 5 digits, this might do the job. For example, if your postal code is M5B 2H1, you'd type 52100.

We had to do that in at a Walmart in Anchorage, Alaska. The machine apparently required a 6-digit post code, so (after a few failed attempts) we just added a couple of zeros to our 4-digit post code.

That worked, so I think the idea that the post code tallies with the card billing address can't be true.

Very likely not an issue during port stops, but I have encountered petrol stations in Australia that are unattended outside business hours, but will still dispense fuel to those with a chip-and-PIN credit card, but only if the purchaser can type in a 4-digit Australian postal code -- presumably the one that matches the address associated with that credit card. No after-hours gasoline for us foreigners at those stations :( Perhaps there is some generic 4-digit code that can be entered in this case, but if so, we did not learn what it was.

 

Of course, a similarly annoying practice prevails in the U.S. even when the gasoline station is staffed -- no U.S. ZIP code, no simple way to fuel up (except at the stations that have implemented a work around to accept the digits within Cdn postal codes).

 

John

It's not a post code you enter but your 4 digit PIN for your credt card. Though most service stations are open 24/7.

We had to do that in at a Walmart in Anchorage, Alaska. The machine apparently required a 6-digit post code, so (after a few failed attempts) we just added a couple of zeros to our 4-digit post code.

That worked, so I think the idea that the post code tallies with the card billing address can't be true.

If you PIN is only 3 digits usually [perhaps always] entering a 0 in front will solve the problem.

I can't remember who here I've already suggested this to, but one thing that sometimes works is this: If you type the digits in your postal code and then pad it out with enough trailing zeroes to make 5 digits, this might do the job. For example, if your postal code is M5B 2H1, you'd type 52100.

Yes, that is the work-around that we have found to work at some (not all) U.S. gas stations when we try to use a Canadian credit card.

When we first had a similar problem in Australia, the instructions on the petrol pump were to enter the (Australian) postal code. It would be good if that unfortunate (for foreigners) system has been abandoned in favour of using PINs now that Australian and Canadian and many other credit cards have PINs.

One can only hope that the U.S. will soon add PINs to all credit cards and switch from using ZIP codes to PINs for validation.

John

Yes, that is the work-around that we have found to work at some (not all) U.S. gas stations when we try to use a Canadian credit card. When we first had a similar problem in Australia, the instructions on the petrol pump were to enter the (Australian) postal code. It would be good if that unfortunate (for foreigners) system has been abandoned in favour of using PINs now that Australian and Canadian and many other credit cards have PINs.

 

John

I live in Australia have done so all my life, i have never been asked at any auto pay [gas station or otherwise] for my Post Code, just my PIN.

Some shops will ask for a post code, for marketing but not a Auto Pay or a ATM [cash machine].

I live in Australia have done so all my life, i have never been asked at any auto pay [gas station or otherwise] for my Post Code, just my PIN.

 

Some shops will ask for a post code, for marketing but not a Auto Pay or a ATM [cash machine].

The case I specifically remember was in a rural area in W.A. several years ago, where we tried to use a self-service petrol pump when the station was unattended. I don't recall the brand.

John

We did the same cruise about 5 years ago and we used our credit cards and also exchanged currency for Australian and New Zealand money.

Used all of it especially for the cabs in Australia.

hello Grumpy :D :D :D

had any good pizza's lately? (I am terrible :p)

for our first cruise to NZ, we obtained some NZ dollars here in Sydney.

for our second cruise to NZ, our first port of call was Auckland, and learning from our first cruise experience, we changed our Australian dollars there in Auckland.....many money changers in the main street, no commission, probably was a better rate too.