US Currency in Australia and New Zealand

[Ontario Traveller]

Cruising to Australia and New Zealand.

For on-shore local tipping, taxis, small cash purchases in ports, is American currency accepted? To buy local currency before we travel would cost a lot at the money exchange (for the service charge). Appreciate your input.:)

[mike35]

I seriously doubt if merchants, taxi drivers, etc, would welcome any foreign currency. We always, out of courtesy and respect for the foreign countries we visit, change our US dollars into various local currencies prior to our departure. That way we're absorbing the rather minor service charge, rather than expecting our foreign hosts to do so.

 

Mike

[Pacific Sandy]

Hi - Well said Mike.

 

How thrilled do you think our cab drivers would be to receive NZ or Auzzie money?

 

S.

[mike35]

I'll never forget a recent cruise stop in Tallinn, Estonia. We were in a shop buying souvenirs, and a rather obnoxious American tourist was loudly berating the cashier, who refused to take American dollars. She was quite adamant - either Estonian money or a credit card. She didn't even want Euros. To us, it's just a part of the overall cruise to expect to pay in local currency wherever we go.

 

Mike

[Flipper133]

I have come across the situation a number of times where cab drivers will accept foreign currency - BUT they will not do the mathematics to calculate the exchange rate. So a A$20 fare can be paid for in US$20 A$20 or NZ$20. US/Aus exchange rate means driver can make a nice 20% margin if paid in US$.

I have always found it best to have a small amount of local cash for cabs and light refreshments and use CC for everything else

 

cheers

[mike35]

I have always found it best to have a small amount of local cash for cabs and light refreshments and use CC for everything else

 

Agree re credit cards, but even here, one must be careful. Most (but not all) U. S. credit cards love to tack on a 3% "foreign transaction fee" for all purchases made outside the U.S. This can really add up on a long vacation. I use a Capitol One Visa card for all foreign purchases, as they (at least for now) do NOT charge this onerous fee. I recently obtained a CitiBank Mastercard to accumulate American Airlines points. After receiving it, I called Citi's customer service to inquire about the foreign transaction fee; sure enough, they do charge it.

 

Forewarned is forearmed.

 

Mike

[Kiwi Kruzer]

- BUT they will not do the mathematics to calculate the exchange rate. So a A$20 fare can be paid for in US$20 A$20 or NZ$20. US/Aus exchange rate means driver can make a nice 20% margin if paid in US$.cheers

 

You are so right.Some local's will take US$ but they make sure it is hugely in their favour to make up for the costs they will incur when changing it back into local currency.

[Aussie Gal]

When we travel to foreign countries we always go to our bank before we leave and have some currency changed over for taxis, tips etc. It doesn't cost a lot to change a small amount of money over. You can even change it at our airports upon arrival but the exchange rate would not be as good as from a bank.

 

 

We use Australian dollars here and why should a taxi driver, doorman etc. accept another countries currency! I am sure that a U.S. taxi driver would love to take Aussie dollars in exchange for U.S. dollars!! We would be thrown out of the cab.

 

Jennie

 

It doesn't cost a lot to

[mike35]

Well put, Jennie. I sometimes wonder why my some of my kinfolk automatically assume that greenbacks are universally welcomed or even accepted. Perhaps they are in Mexico and to a lesser extent in Canada, but certainly not elsewhere.

 

Sigh.....

 

 

Mike

[mike35]

WHOOPS - SORRY ABOUT THE DUPLICATE POST!

 

 

 

Well put, Jennie. I sometimes wonder why my some of my kinfolk automatically assume that greenbacks are universally welcomed or even accepted. Perhaps they are in Mexico and to a lesser extent in Canada, but certainly not elsewhere.

 

Sigh.....

 

 

Mike

[Skyrules]

Well put, Jennie. I sometimes wonder why my some of my kinfolk automatically assume that greenbacks are universally welcomed or even accepted. Perhaps they are in Mexico and to a lesser extent in Canada, but certainly not elsewhere.

 

Sigh.....

 

 

Mike

 

It's not only Americans though. When we were in Port Vila in March I overheard a fellow Aussie demading that a shopkeeper charge his purchases to his Australian credit card in Australian dollars, not in the local currency, which of course the shop keeper couldn't do.

 

Another thing we've noticed is that a lot of non Australians/New Zealanders have trouble understanding that we are two different countries with two different currencies. We saw a German tourist in New Zealand get quite upset when a shop keeper wouldn't take Australian currency for a purchase. The women didn't seem to understand why she needed NZ dollars in New Zealand.

[Flipper133]

Perhaps the time has come for the unification

 

Is NZ the 7th state of Australia?

or

is Australia the West Island of NZ?

 

The Poms have never got it right....

neither have the North Americans!

 

Funny World :p

[Skyrules]

Perhaps the time has come for the unification

 

Is NZ the 7th state of Australia?

or

is Australia the West Island of NZ?

 

Funny World :p

 

That's the big question Flipper!! Ask it in this house and you get two different answers, one from the Kiwi (Australia is the West Island) and one from the Aussie (NZ is the 7th state).

 

Certainly it would make our trips back and forth across the Tasman less hassle if we were one country, and I'm sure the ever increasing number of cruise lines that are operating cruises between the two countries would love it, but it would also mean we'd lose an opportunity to get duty free alcohol.

[Aussie Gal]

Much as I love New Zealanders and New Zealand (I have N.Z. cousins over there) I certainly would not want to be part of New Zealand and I am sure that New Zealanders would not want to be the 7th state of Australia.

 

We are both unique and that is why each country is so different to one another.

 

Tourists just have to get used to the different currencies. Often we get N.Z. currency in our change and we always hope to pass it on. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't!

 

Jennie

[Skyrules]

Often we get N.Z. currency in our change and we always hope to pass it on. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't!

 

Jennie

 

That's not going to happen much any more - NZ's 5c, 10c & 20c coins are no longer the same size and weight as Australia's, they issued new coins of different sizes and weights earlier this year. Going to be hard to get used to on our next NZ trip - on top of remembering that the $1 and $2 coins are the reverse of Australia's! It's all so confusing :)

[Aussie Gal]

Skyrules,

 

Thanks for the info. We will be spending a night in Auckland en route to Norfolk Island in March, so will probably be using a small amount of their currency then.

 

Jennie

[Kiwi Kruzer]

It's all so confusing :)

 

 

Try shopping here now,you'll be even more confused.........

Our smallest coin is now 10c,as they have done away with the 5c piece.

 

http://www.newcoins.govt.nz/

 

New Zealand's old 50, 20, 10 and 5 cent coins are no longer legal tender. This means that retailers do not have to accept them as payment for goods or services.

[Aussie Gal]

David,

 

Does that mean that everything is rounded off to the nearest 10 cents just like our one and two cents are rounded to the nearest 5 cents?

 

I presume though that when you pay by credit card, the five cents still exists.

 

Jennie

[Aussie Gal]

Sorry, double posting

 

Jennie

[Kiwi Kruzer]

David,

Does that mean that everything is rounded off to the nearest 10 cents just like our one and two cents are rounded to the nearest 5 cents?

I presume though that when you pay by credit card, the five cents still exists.

Jennie

 

Yes Jennie,

When you pay cash it is rounded to the 10c.

Its crazy........stamps are 45c,so you have to buy 2.....but credit cards or cheques can finish in any amount.

[cands]

We're just back from NZ. I must admit to not noticing the change in coinage for the first couple of days, then I wondered why the coins looked so strange?

At least they were very light weight.

 

At least we won't have to worry about passing on NZ 20 cent pieces here like we have in the past.

 

Steve.

[LHT28]

Cruising to Australia and New Zealand.

For on-shore local tipping, taxis, small cash purchases in ports, is American currency accepted? To buy local currency before we travel would cost a lot at the money exchange (for the service charge). Appreciate your input.:)

 

Your bank can order it for you.

Or use your debit card at the ATM when you arrive in NZ

 

You will pay a transaction fee somewhere along the way.

[SDHALFAN]

Cruising to Australia and New Zealand.

For on-shore local tipping, taxis, small cash purchases in ports, is American currency accepted? To buy local currency before we travel would cost a lot at the money exchange (for the service charge). Appreciate your input.:)

 

Hi Ontario Traveller:

 

Here is a tip I learned, although I'm not sure if it will work in Canada but it certainly does here in the U.S.: instead of going through those very expensive money exchanges call your bank's foreign currency desk. Your local branch office or your bank's customer service department should be able to give you the phone number. The bank will sell you foreign currency at the rate they pay for it - no mark-ups, unlike the money exchanges. You will, however, have to pay for postage of said funds to your local branch office where you will pick up the foreign currency.

 

I bought currency before a trip "back home" this year and the total charge for the convenience was $6.95 for postage and handling and of course I got a far better rate of exchange than if I had gone to a money exchange.

 

If that option is not available to you then your ATM card will likely give you a far better rate of exchange than the money exchanges in the various countries.

 

Have a great trip.

 

Valerie:)

[SDHALFAN]

Your bank can order it for you.

Or use your debit card at the ATM when you arrive in NZ

 

You will pay a transaction fee somewhere along the way.

 

 

Sorry Lyn - somehow I missed your post and so I was really just duplicating it. Once again, I'm so sorry to have intruded.

 

Valerie:)

[LHT28]

Sorry Lyn - somehow I missed your post and so I was really just duplicating it. Once again, I'm so sorry to have intruded.

 

Valerie:)

No problem ...you explained it in more detail than I did. ;)

 

We can go to one of the main branches in Toronto and get foreign currency, some banks charge to send to smaller branches but sometimes not.