New Zealand is a country where almost all purchases are made by credit card. Ordinary Chinese bank cards in New Zealand can only be used within the country, which means that Chinese bank cards can only be used in China unless you apply for a credit card, but Chinese bank cards can only be used in China. If you use your credit card overseas, there will be exchange rate issues and overseas handling fees will be charged. Therefore, it is recommended to apply for a local bank card after arriving in New Zealand. Normally having $20 in cash on you is enough. As soon as you arrive in New Zealand, apply for a bank card and save the cash in your hands to avoid long nights and nightmares.

Notes on applying for a bank card when studying in New Zealand:

1. All banks, large and small, in New Zealand are closed every Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.

2. For international students, THENATIONALBANK is the cheapest (no charge for international students), and it has very user-friendly services and is relatively fast (the so-called faster is also compared to the overall service industry in New Zealand). In terms of backwardness). Its logo is a black horse and the bank's signature color is green.

3. To open a U.S. dollar account, you need to deposit 500 U.S. dollars in one time (this is not a big amount for friends who come to New Zealand for the first time, right?). Because the current exchange rate between U.S. dollars and New Zealand dollars is too low, so now directly It would be too much of a loss to convert everything into New Zealand dollars, so it is better to save it for a while and then see the market.

4. Materials required to apply for a card: A) Passport; B) Admission letter; C) Address in New Zealand; D) It is best to have a contact number (a friend’s will do, the bank will not call).

5. The bank will first give you a business card-like card with your account number on it. You can only withdraw money at the bank's counter. There is a series of numbers on the card, the last two digits are 00, which is the check (that is, cash, current account), and 01 is the SAVING account.

6. In about two weeks (the fastest), you will receive the bank card from the bank. You need to sign on the back of the card immediately and go to a nearby bank to set up a PIN. Be sure to bring your passport. The PIN number for a New Zealand bank card is only 4 digits, which is very unsafe. Please be careful to keep it confidential when you use your card on the street in the future.

7. Only The NationalBank can apply for a credit card (VISA or Master card) for international students who have been in the country for less than half a year, and there is no annual fee.

8. When you swipe your card to buy something in the supermarket, the cashier often asks you "need cash?", which means asking you if you need cash. I advise you not to say yes, because now The Bank of New Zealand has regulations that charge fees as long as you do not withdraw money from the bank's ATM (automated teller machine)

Recommendation for studying in New Zealand: