Credit Cards

[lyndarra]

I believe public transport in NSW you can use CC or buy an Opal card. Cabs take cards.

[arxcards]

7 hours ago, cruiselvr04 said:

Interesting thread.  We’ll be cruising around Australia and New Zealand for 8 weeks next year.  We plan to use a credit card, not Amex,  not a debit card for everything.  No transaction fees.  What do we need cash for?  How much should we get when we arrive?  What about public transportation, cabs? 
 

We spent a weekend in Canada recently and we were able to use a credit card for everything and didn’t get any cash. I

Yes, you can pay for public transport with a contactless credit card or your card details in your phone's wallet app - tap the sensor when entering the station or bus, tap the same card again when exiting. It is all very well priced, and no card fees are added. The train to/from the airport has an expensive private station fee added ($AU16 per fare).

[Jean C]

7 hours ago, cruiselvr04 said:

Interesting thread.  We’ll be cruising around Australia and New Zealand for 8 weeks next year.  We plan to use a credit card, not Amex,  not a debit card for everything.  No transaction fees.  What do we need cash for?  How much should we get when we arrive?  What about public transportation, cabs? 
 

We spent a weekend in Canada recently and we were able to use a credit card for everything and didn’t get any cash. I

You won't need cash in NZ, I use my credit card for everything, even minor incidental purchases. The beggars and  street musicians miss out though!

[mr walker]

2 hours ago, Jean C said:

You won't need cash in NZ, I use my credit card for everything, even minor incidental purchases. The beggars and  street musicians miss out though!

There are reports of some tip seekers here having gone hi-tech, using tap&go devices and even codes you scan with your phone to give them money. 

 

We went to a gig recently in a club & the artist had the code-scan system for the audience to leave a tip, I guess in acknowledgement that no-one carries cash anymore? 

 

I can see the day when onboard a ship, the waiter/bar staff will carry a tap&go device for tips 🙂 

[arxcards]

5 minutes ago, mr walker said:

There are reports of some tip seekers here having gone hi-tech, using tap&go devices and even codes you scan with your phone to give them money. 

 

We went to a gig recently in a club & the artist had the code-scan system for the audience to leave a tip, I guess in acknowledgement that no-one carries cash anymore? 

 

I can see the day when onboard a ship, the waiter/bar staff will carry a tap&go device for tips 🙂 

I have left cashless tips even way back, by going to customer services and asking for a tip to be extracted from our folio and paid to our steward. Particularly useful on $US ships.

[bazzaw]

Lucky Americans visiting Australia - $100AUD approximately equals $64.38 USD - and no tipping required here 🙂 Tell all your friends 🙂

[sciencewonk]

Australia and New Zealand are among the most cashless societies in the world.  If you need cash, there are lots of ATMs around.

 

I agree with the others that MasterCard won't be a problem, but AMEX will be limited.

 

I haven't seen this mentioned, but make sure your cards have a chip.  All the card-reading devices are tap.  I don't know if they can insert or scan a card.

[valantine80]

7 hours ago, Jean C said:

You won't need cash in NZ, I use my credit card for everything, even minor incidental purchases. The beggars and  street musicians miss out though!

Wondering if I can use a debit card instead of credit card as, unlike my credit cards, my debit card has no overseas transaction fees. Thanks.

[OzKiwiJJ]

32 minutes ago, valantine80 said:

Wondering if I can use a debit card instead of credit card as, unlike my credit cards, my debit card has no overseas transaction fees. Thanks.

Yes, you can use debit cards.

[NSWP]

4 hours ago, bazzaw said:

Lucky Americans visiting Australia - $100AUD approximately equals $64.38 USD - and no tipping required here 🙂 Tell all your friends 🙂

Tipping not required here but always welcomed. 

[Over from NZ]

24 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Tipping not required here but always welcomed. 

Don't encourage it though. Slippery slope..

[valantine80]

2 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Yes, you can use debit cards.

Thank you

[aussielozzie18]

The only time I have used cash this year:

 

to tip room the steward on cruises

to pay for souvenirs and food in the South Pacific - Mystery Island

 

to donate to Rotary and the other charity that still collects individual cash donations in public places.

 

Always handy to have a small amount of cash on you for the times the eftpos machine that you trying to pay on has a malfunction….

Everything else is paid by card - including a minor purchase  I made of  $2.50 bottle of water on the weekend.

 

If there is only one or two travellers with maximum of a suitcase each and a carryon, the train is a good option to and from Circular Quay to the airport, especially during busy traffic periods.

[windsor26]

On 9/14/2023 at 10:13 PM, arxcards said:

Cheques have a 2030 use-by date in Australia, and I expect most banks will be out of them within 3 years.

 

The cash part is a bit strange, as what are banks for, but I suspect it is more expensive to handle cash than it is for even cheques. When you consider so many branches closing followed by so many bank owned ATMs disappearing, those that want cash are more likely to do a cash-out with their grocery shop than to go to the bank.

 

Lots of places also don't charge a transaction fee for card payments. They don't offer it as a free service but offer an inclusive price, leaving those paying with cash are subsidising those paying by card. I get there are exceptions that do profit from card fees, with the travel industry being the perennial bad citizens.

The post offices in Australia work as banks to get cash

[lyndarra]

1 hour ago, windsor26 said:

The post offices in Australia work as banks to get cash

That also includes foreign currency. That's where I get mine for overseas jaunts. Come to think of it, when I went to France, Spain and Portugal last year I took leftover Euros and used CC for most everything.

[Over from NZ]

On 9/14/2023 at 10:13 PM, arxcards said:

Cheques have a 2030 use-by date in Australia, and I expect most banks will be out of them within 3 years.

 

The cash part is a bit strange, as what are banks for, but I suspect it is more expensive to handle cash than it is for even cheques. When you consider so many branches closing followed by so many bank owned ATMs disappearing, those that want cash are more likely to do a cash-out with their grocery shop than to go to the bank.

 

Lots of places also don't charge a transaction fee for card payments. They don't offer it as a free service but offer an inclusive price, leaving those paying with cash are subsidising those paying by card. I get there are exceptions that do profit from card fees, with the travel industry being the perennial bad citizens.

2030! Jeepers! 🙂 They've already been phased out in NZ. That's a long phase-out time. 

[arxcards]

12 minutes ago, Over from NZ said:

2030! Jeepers! 🙂 They've already been phased out in NZ. That's a long phase-out time. 

Sure is.

 

That was just the regulator setting the rules going forward. One of the almost big banks has announced their exit already as mentioned in an earlier post, and I expect the other banks will follow suit within 18 months anyway.

[Hogbay]

Cheques ??? Cash and banks will be gone before 2030 in the suburbs. 

[zukecruiser]

Thanks for all the information, very helpful.  Will be using my Mastercard for the trip.  

 

Mike

[Sparky74]

On 9/14/2023 at 8:13 PM, arxcards said:

…those paying with cash are subsidising those paying by card…

Not necessarily. There are expenses associated with accepting cash also. 
Someone has to count cash at the end of the day and someone has to take it to the bank. This means paying wages. 
There's also capital tied up in a cash float for the till. And the expense of a safe.

 

Just imagine if all onboard purchases were made in cash rather than being charged to your folio. 😱

 

[lyndarra]

23 minutes ago, Sparky74 said:

Not necessarily. There are expenses associated with accepting cash also. 
Someone has to count cash at the end of the day and someone has to take it to the bank. This means paying wages. 
There's also capital tied up in a cash float for the till. And the expense of a safe.

 

Just imagine if all onboard purchases were made in cash rather than being charged to your folio. 😱

 

You're quite right.

 

Supplying cash is very expensive for banks. Cost of armoured cars, insurance costs for armoured car employees. Security guard cost at drop off and pick up times. Business employees' time, having to count cash and take it to banks, if there are any still around. There is huge cost involved to have ATMs supplied and serviced. PTSD costs after armed hold ups. I once worked weekends re-filling ATMs and doing minor servicing when breakdowns occured. Think about that when you have a cash withdrawal fee charged. Coin is even more expensive to move around due to weight and many bank employees ended up with back injuries moving heavy bags.

And keep in mind, government cost in printing and minting is coming from taxes we pay. As far as I know printing and minting has not been sold off - yet. Since when does anything become cheaper if privatised?

[OzKiwiJJ]

I may be wrong but I think banks now charge a fee for commercial customers to deposit cash. 

 

But this credit card surcharge has gone on too long. It was brought in when the travel industry whinged because people were booking their expensive holidays on credit cards. Now it's filtered through too many places. It's the only fee/tax that isn't included in the price (and, of course it can't be) but it makes a mockery of our all inclusive pricing. Plus with cash going out of fashion since the pandemic retailers, restaurants, hotels, cruise lines and so on just need to factor it in as a cost of doing business and adjust their pricing accordingly.

[arxcards]

5 hours ago, Sparky74 said:

Not necessarily. There are expenses associated with accepting cash also. 
Someone has to count cash at the end of the day and someone has to take it to the bank. This means paying wages. 
There's also capital tied up in a cash float for the till. And the expense of a safe.

 

Just imagine if all onboard purchases were made in cash rather than being charged to your folio. 😱

 

There are.

To a small business, card is all transactional and the bank takes a cut from every transaction. Cash is all pooled into a single banking transaction. Beyond the points you mention, cash was always a target of theft, both from external & internal threats which made it a dangerous commodity at times.

 

Times have changed. When accepting cards, you used to have to ring for authorisations and had to check the naughty list for invalid cards. The big advantage to card was that you could sell to people that didn't have to walk through your door. Now that everything is wired up around the globe, card payment is so much easier for businesses, except that every dollar you earn that way is routed via a bank. Back in time, it was only your profits that used to route to the bank, after using your cashflow to pay your wages and expenses.

 

I am glad you receive the charge for your folio at the end, which can still be pre-paid in cash if you choose. Cash is indeed expensive for banks to handle and cards are way more efficient. It is just unfortunate that the institutions want a slice from each transaction.

Edited September 23, 2023 by arxcards

[Sparky74]

2 hours ago, arxcards said:

…Times have changed. When accepting cards, you used to have to ring for authorisations and had to check the naughty list for invalid cards…

Yep! I’m old enough to have done this back when I used to use a "click-clack” credit card imprinter. 😱

[fishtaco]

We use AMEX almost exclusively and have only ever come across a few small shops and businesses who do not accept AMEX. The fees for paying for an Aussie cruise with AMEX are high though at 3.5% I used to use 28Degree for all my trips but since they changed the benefits of no foreign exchange fees are just as good with AMEX.