cash vs cheques vs cash passports...

cash vs tavellers cheques vs cash passport vs credit cards

benefits/pitfalls of each? do you have one preferred method of carrying your fx while on holiday?

what say you savages?

Pretty uneducated in this area - but I have a preference for credit cards.
They're easier, that's what I care about. Screw fees, it's only money.

all of the above

None of those options are the best. What you want is a proper debit card... as long as you are travelling to a westernised country. Of course NZ is a bit slow with the whole debit card business.

Otherwise a mix of traveller cheques and cash - both in US$.

Oh - AND credit card always.

Debit card for Spain and Germany.

a mask and a knife... let someone else fund your travels... with the added bonus of you get to meet people

don't forget the 'muggers phrasebook'

the main thing I'm concerned about is a fall in the NZD between now and July

things are looking rosy at the moment with Greece on the brink of bankruptcy but that could change quickly

as long as it holds or climbs I'm happy and I always suppose that once I'm over there if it starts to fall I could just withdraw a wad of notes

Depends where you go. My partners sister came to visit us in Japan and shen went to the local bank to cash a travellers cheque. They told her to come back in 2 weeks

I use credit card almost exclusively. I withdraw around 200 euros when ever i need it for food etc. Hotels, transport I pay on the CC directly. The cc is less hassle than pretty much anything unless you want to set up an account in a foriegn currency. I know people who do but it requires a lot of thinking about and spare cash to be able to delay drawing against it if the currency is unfavourable. Debit cards function the same way as CC so not sure if theres any benefit to them for travelling.

Looks like those travelcards are the most affordable way of doing things imo. But always take cash too - last week neither my credit card of eftpos card (both westpac) would work in atms in the UK

Eftpos does not work in the UK or Europe at all. Debit cards do. And the difference between a debit card and a credit card is you should not be charged a cash advance fee on a debit card. Again, some do - which are the ones you shouldn't get.

I think theres some eftpos cards you can use in the EU... certainly asia. You can also load a positive balance onto your CC... I think it pays decent interest too.

The ones you can use in the EU are combination eftpos and "debit" cards...

Most of Europe used to run on a system called Switch and/or Maestro, but this has been fazed out mostly and taken over by schemes like 'Visa Debit'

They're all Debit cards, and they're all sort of EFTPOS (i.e. Electronic Funds Transfer at Point Of Sale) but you need to be aware of the different brands when travelling as the systems don't connect with each other. "eftpos" is pretty much exclusive to Australia and NZ and they don't always connect either. Basically don't just assume your card will work overseas.

Visa Debit is the biggest one at the moment, and that is what all the "travelcards" I've seen are based on. My issue with the travelcards is how you have to load them up with money, and the fees they charge you.


In saying this, I just went to Italy for a month and only took my Credit Card. I got charged Foreign exchange fees for every transaction plus Cash Advance Fees for every ATM transaction... but like Pechora said, it's only money.

I thought if your card said Cirrus or Maestro on it, and the ATM said the same then it worked? It certainly worked with an ASB eftpos card I then tried, just not the Westpac one

Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying. Cirrus is one system, Maestro is another, Switch is another, Eftpos is another. Some cards connect to multiple systems. But if the ATM doesn't have any of the systems that your card has then you're fucked.

And most eftpos cards are just eftpos. And Cirrus/Maestro/Switch are not as common as they used to be. Visa, however is pretty much everywhere.

Oh right, I was under the impression that all EFTPOS cards in NZ were either Maestro or Cirrus setup. ASB and Westpac certainly are, but Westpacs just doesn't work.

I thought the same as you G-Dub. But looking at the cards in my wallet now:
Kiwibank Visa Debit: No logos
Westpac Visa Debit: Plus logo
BNZ: Plus logo
ANZ: Maestro and Cirrus

4 different banks? Who are you, Jason Bourne?

Plus works internationally as well though so all those cards should work overseas. It's a very hollow feeling when you're eftpos card and then credit card won't give you cash and you ain't got a single quid on you...

Big pimpin baybay

My ASB card just has the Plus logo. I didn't see the Plus logo once in Italy or the UK.

How weird that ASB was the one that worked fine for me? Fucken banks, make things as damn complicated as they can

True players care not about how ATM's work across borders, they just peel notes off a fat roll.

Mixture of cash and credit card is best. Put money onto your credit card before you go so it is in debit and it'll save you in the long run. Unfortunately everytime you use your credit card overseas, you pay a percentage on foreign exchange fees.

Cash, debit card and credit card, travellers cheques are too much of a hassle

If you go to London first you should set up an HSBC account from here through ASB. Their Plus account has free withdrawls world wide and travel insurance and costs 12 quid a month or something. Also means you can send heaps over now while the pound is weak and hopefully it picks up over their summer.

im currently using a mixture of cash passport and a Cash passport with euros on it. Seems to work out alright. Cash passport is pretty easy and pretty minimal fees compared to using a cc or nz card with Plus,Maestro etc on it.

arrg, a mixture of uk bank account and a cash passport.