[vixxann]

We'll be wanting to get some NZ$ ready for our trip and I've been wondering where and when to get them. I don't really follow currency rates, is there anything that I should know about eg. will they change significantly in the next two weeks?

Also - where is generally a good place to buy? Most places these days don't seem to charge a commission (although I reckon its built into the rates?!)

My banks rate today was 2.6557 and the Post Office was 2.6395

Any suggestions .....

[pinkpiggy]

Vicki

I've done a quick search and the rates seem to be pretty much the same across the board.

[willsken]

They seem to be heading in the right direction at the moment. You just don't know what will happen from one day to the next. If the reports I read are true it should go up quite a bit over the next month or so. Gamble either way I'm afraid.

[Trigirl]

if its just for a recce trip then i'd question why you'd need to buy in advance. we got pretty good rates by taking money out of the cashpoint and using our credit cards while we were over here on our recce. plus that way we didn't have the risk/hassle of carrying large amounts of cash/travellers cheques.

[vixxann]

if its just for a recce trip then i'd question why you'd need to buy in advance. we got pretty good rates by taking money out of the cashpoint and using our credit cards while we were over here on our recce.

We have some credit cards but there will be charges applied if we use them in NZ. We did get a nationwide card, with no charge, and will be using it to draw some cash. We've opened a NZ bank account too - so I was hoping to get some money paid into it whilst we were there (unless we need it all for the trip!)

so all in all I don't know how much difference it will make to the whole caboodle if rates change slightly. (I'm not big on economy type stuff ;) )

[zardell]

The mid range rates at the minute are $2.844. It seems to me that you are being quoted tourist rates.

If you already have a NZ bank account, could you not transfer funds into it before you arrive in NZ? That way you should be given the mid range rates (less a fee)

I know it's a service that ASB London branch provide as we use them. Don't know about any other - sorry.

Just a thought.........

Julie

xx

[Trigirl]

if you've got a nationwide card then i would just use that for everything. we used ours when we first arrived here and their rates were very similar even to what we were getting from HIFX.

[vixxann]

If you already have a NZ bank account, could you not transfer funds into it before you arrive in NZ? That way you should be given the mid range rates (less a fee)


Thanks Julie - not actually something I'd thought of doing - just presumed the bank charges for transfer would be to high but might be worth checking if the rates are also going to be better doing it that way.

Our account is just a savings account with Bank of NZ, we opened it whilst at Manchester Expo last year. I love getting mail from them with New Zealand postage on - sends me into a tizzy! (the post mark - not the bank statement that shows our balance of $0.00 :laugh )

[zardell]

Vicki........have PM'd you.

Julie

xx

[willowshouse]

If you are not going to need a great big lump sum and can manage on the maximum amount you are able to withdraw per day then I would use the Nationwide (check this with them in advance). You will get a very reasonable rate, probably a few percent below mid-rate and you have no withdrawal charges/transfer charges to pay. We still use this method in preference to anything else - transferring money from our Natwest account to our Nationwide account (free) and then withdrawing the money from the Nationwide account in NZ$ using a Link machine.

If you are going to send money via the banks you will probably pay a fee of about £20 (From memory I think it was £25 with Natwest and £18 with Nationwide but don't quote me on that) so IMHO it would only be worth doing that for a larger amount of money (if you don't have an account set up with a more specialist currency exchange company). Also, shop around .. when I transferred money from UK to NZ I phoned both Natwest and Nationwide to compare their rates of exchange and there was a $0.05 difference between them .. Natwest being the more expensive.

Enjoy your trip.

Dawn

[Jo_b]

Yep, another plug for the Nationwide account. You can withdraw $700 per day, which you could always pay into your NZ account to use as and when!