Money in NZ: tipping, cards, cash and GST

Money in New Zealand is refreshingly simple. There is one currency, prices include tax, tipping is optional and you can pay by card for almost everything. The things that catch visitors out are smaller: a surcharge for tapping your card, a public holiday surcharge on your brunch bill, and the discovery that there is no tax refund at the airport.

This guide covers tipping, cards and contactless, cash, GST and surcharges. Facts are from Tourism New Zealand, Inland Revenue, the Commerce Commission, Consumer Protection and New Zealand Customs, as at November 2026.

Quick answer

If you only remember one thing: the price on the menu or shelf is what you pay, apart from a possible card surcharge.

Tipping

Tourism New Zealand puts it plainly: “Tipping in New Zealand is not obligatory, even in restaurants and bars.” It adds that hotels and restaurants in New Zealand do not add service charges to their bills.

Wages here are not built around tips, so staff do not depend on them the way they do in some countries. In practice:

• Restaurants and cafes. No tip is expected. Some places have a tip jar on the counter or a tip option on the card machine. Using it is entirely up to you.
• Bars. No tip expected.
• Taxis and rideshares. No tip expected. Rounding up is a nice gesture, not a rule.
• Tour guides and drivers. Not expected, though some visitors leave something for a guide who made a day special.
• Hotel staff. Not expected.

If you come from a tipping culture, you may feel awkward leaving nothing. Do not. Saying thanks is the local norm. If service was genuinely outstanding, a small tip will be appreciated, but you will never be chased for one.

Cards and contactless

Tourism New Zealand says Visa and Mastercard are the most widely used cards, and many retailers accept Apple Pay. Contactless payment is everywhere, from supermarkets and petrol stations to market stalls with a card reader. Traveller’s cheques are not accepted.

A few practical points:

• Tell your bank you are travelling, so your card is not blocked for unusual activity.
• Check foreign transaction fees. Your bank may charge a fee on every NZ dollar purchase. A travel money card or a card with no foreign fees can save a lot over a long trip.
• Pay in NZ dollars. If a card machine offers to charge you in your home currency, choose NZD. The conversion offered at the till is usually worse than your bank’s rate.
• Know your PIN. Tourism New Zealand says ATMs need a 4-digit PIN, so check yours before you leave home.

Banks are generally open from 9.30am to 4.30pm on weekdays, but you will rarely need one.

If you are working out a daily budget, our NZ travel cost guide has typical prices for food, fuel and activities, and our backpacker budget guide breaks down a cheaper trip.

Cash

New Zealand uses the New Zealand dollar. Coins are 10, 20 and 50 cents, $1 and $2, and notes come in $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100.

You can get by almost entirely without cash, but some is handy for:

• weekend markets and roadside fruit stalls
• honesty boxes at DOC campsites and farm gates
• small events, such as the Waipu Highland Games school field camping, which is cash only
• the odd small cafe or shop with a minimum card spend

ATMs are found in every town. If you are bringing a lot of cash, Tourism New Zealand says amounts over $10,000 need a Border Cash Report, and the NZ Traveller Declaration asks you to declare cash of NZ$10,000 or more.

Insider tip: keep $20 to $40 in coins and small notes in the car. It saves you hunting for a card reader at a roadside stall or a self-registration campsite in the middle of nowhere.

GST

Goods and services tax (GST) is 15%, according to Inland Revenue. It applies to most goods and services.

For shoppers, the Commerce Commission says prices must include GST, or be clear about whether it is included. In everyday shops, cafes and restaurants, the displayed price is the price you pay. Business to business prices are sometimes shown “plus GST”, so read carefully if you are hiring something like equipment or a venue.

There are no GST refunds for visitors. New Zealand Customs says you cannot claim GST back when you leave. To avoid paying GST on purchases you are taking home, you can:

• buy from duty-free shops at the airport
• have the retailer export the goods directly to you overseas
• arrange for goods to be delivered to you airside at the airport before departure

Customs also says a border processing levy is built into your airline ticket, so there is no separate departure tax to pay at the airport.

Surcharges

Surcharges are the part of NZ money that annoys visitors most. There are two common types.

Card payment surcharges. Many businesses add a percentage for credit cards, contactless payments or both. Consumer Protection says surcharges must be clearly displayed and should not be more than the business’s cost of accepting that payment. Businesses are expected to offer at least one way to pay without a surcharge, for example inserting or swiping a debit or EFTPOS card instead of tapping.

So if you see a sign announcing a surcharge on contactless payments, try inserting your card instead. With overseas cards it will not always work, but it often does.

Is there a ban? A bill to ban surcharges on some card payments was introduced in 2025. It would come into force one month after Royal Assent, but as at November 2026 it was stalled before its second reading and the government had not decided its next step. Until it passes, surcharges remain legal. The Commerce Commission has estimated that consumers pay up to $150 million a year in surcharges, of which $45 million to $65 million likely exceeds the actual costs.

Public holiday surcharges. Some cafes and restaurants add a percentage surcharge on public holidays, usually to help cover higher staff costs that day. The Commerce Commission says businesses must be clear and upfront about it before you buy, for example on the menu, at the entrance or at the counter. If it was not disclosed, you can question it. Public holidays that catch visitors out include Waitangi Day, Easter, Anzac Day and Matariki.

Common money mistakes

A few habits cost visitors money without them noticing:

• Accepting home currency at the till. Always choose to pay in NZ dollars.
• Using a card with high foreign fees for every coffee. Small fees on dozens of small payments add up over a few weeks.
• Expecting a tax refund at the airport. There is none, so do not save big purchases for the end of the trip expecting GST back.
• Tipping out of habit. It is your money, and nobody here will think less of you for not tipping.
• Ignoring the surcharge sign. If a business shows a surcharge, ask whether inserting your card avoids it.

Putting it together

A typical day might look like this: tap your card for coffee (maybe a small surcharge), pay at a supermarket with no surcharge, drop $5 in a campsite honesty box, and leave a restaurant without tipping. Keep an eye on your bank’s foreign transaction fees, carry a little cash and you will barely think about money for the rest of your trip.