Credit cards in New Zealand

For most people in New Zealand, the ASB Visa Flex and ANZ Low Rate Visa are the best low-cost picks, with no annual fee and no currency conversion charge. For Airpoints, the ANZ Airpoints Visa Platinum balances earn rate and fees, while the ASB Visa Platinum Rewards is the strongest straight rewards card. Every rate and fee on this page was checked on the issuer's own website and is shown as of September 2026. Rates are variable and offers change, so confirm the terms on the issuer's page before you apply. You can see every card we track on our New Zealand credit cards page.

How credit cards work in New Zealand

A New Zealand credit card gives you a revolving limit that you repay each month. If you pay the full statement balance by the due date, most cards give you up to 44 or 55 interest-free days on purchases. If you carry a balance, interest is charged at the card's purchase rate. Cash advances and balance transfers do not get interest-free days.

Most NZ banks charge the account fee in two half-yearly instalments, so a card listed at NZ$70 a year shows up as two NZ$35 charges. Annual fees on the cards we cover range from nothing (ASB Visa Flex, ASB Visa Light, ANZ Low Rate Visa, Kiwibank Zero Visa and the American Express Airpoints Card) to NZ$195 (American Express Airpoints Platinum Card).

Purchase rates as of September 2026 fall into three bands:

• Low-rate cards: 9.95% p.a. (ASB Visa Flex), 12.90% p.a. (Kiwibank Zero Visa), 13.50% p.a. (ASB Visa Light and BNZ Lite Visa) and 13.90% p.a. (ANZ Low Rate Visa).
• Rewards and Airpoints cards: 18.95% p.a. (BNZ Advantage) to 22.95% p.a. (American Express).
• Retail finance cards: Gem Visa charges 29.49% p.a., rising to 29.95% p.a. from 23 September 2026.

The rule of thumb is simple. If you might carry a balance, a low-rate card saves you more than any reward earns. Rewards only pay off when you clear the balance every month.

Best credit cards in New Zealand by need

Currency conversion fees are changing

The biggest change in the NZ card market this year is the currency conversion fee. ANZ now charges a 0% currency conversion charge on foreign currency transactions made with its personal Visa credit cards. ASB is removing its Offshore Service Margin from all personal ASB Visa credit cards from 15 September 2026, and the ASB Visa Flex already had no margin.

Other issuers still charge. Westpac's foreign currency fee is 1.83%, BNZ's foreign currency service fee is 2.25%, Gem Visa's international transaction fee is 2% and American Express charges 2.5%. These fees also apply when you shop online with an overseas retailer that bills in a foreign currency. On NZ$2,000 of overseas spending, a 2.5% fee costs NZ$50.

Rewards programmes

Air New Zealand Airpoints

Airpoints is the most common credit card reward in New Zealand. You earn Airpoints Dollars that you can spend on Air New Zealand flights and other Airpoints rewards. Earn rates as of September 2026:

• ANZ Airpoints Visa: 1 Airpoints Dollar per NZ$170, NZ$65 annual fee.
• ANZ Airpoints Visa Platinum: 1 Airpoints Dollar per NZ$110, NZ$150 annual fee, no earning limit.
• Westpac Airpoints Mastercard: 1 Airpoints Dollar per NZ$150 on the first NZ$3,500 each month, then 1 per NZ$300, NZ$70 annual fee.
• American Express Airpoints Card: 1 Airpoints Dollar per NZ$100, no annual fee.
• American Express Airpoints Platinum Card: 1 Airpoints Dollar per NZ$70 plus 1 Status Point per NZ$250, NZ$195 annual fee.

Kiwibank no longer offers Airpoints credit cards. It announced the end of its Airpoints partnership in May 2025, citing higher costs and changes to interchange fee regulation, and moved cardholders to its Platinum Visa.

Bank rewards and cash back

The ASB Visa Platinum Rewards earns 1 True Rewards dollar per NZ$100 spent, and ASB states that TR$1 equals NZ$1. That is a 1% return, so you need to spend NZ$8,000 a year to cover the NZ$80 fee. The ANZ CashBack Visa pays NZ$1 back for every NZ$150 of eligible purchases, about 0.67%, for a NZ$40 fee. The BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum earns 1.67 BNZ Points per NZ$1, which you can redeem for travel, eGift cards or cash back. BNZ Points expire three years after they are earned, on 31 December.

Approval and credit checks

New Zealand has three credit bureaus: Centrix, Equifax and illion. Centrix scores run from 1 to 1,000, and higher is better. You can ask Centrix for a free copy of your personal credit report before you apply. No issuer publishes a minimum score. Under the CCCFA, lenders must make reasonable inquiries to be satisfied that the credit suits you and that you can afford the repayments, so expect to give details of your income, expenses and debts.

Published requirements worth knowing:

• ASB Visa Flex and ASB Visa Platinum Rewards ask for a regular income of at least NZ$30,000 a year.
• Minimum credit limits are NZ$500 on most entry cards, NZ$1,000 on ASB Visa Light, NZ$5,000 on BNZ Advantage and NZ$8,000 on ANZ Airpoints Visa Platinum.
• American Express asks that you are 18 or over, have no history of bad debt or payment default, and have the right to work in New Zealand. Self-employed applicants need 18 months of trading.

Apply for one card at a time. Each application can be recorded on your credit file, and several in a short period can count against you.

Fees to watch

• Currency conversion fees: from 0% (ANZ, ASB) to 2.5% (American Express), as set out above.
• Annual and additional card fees: check the joint or additional cardholder fee too. ANZ charges NZ$5 a year on its Airpoints and CashBack cards, Westpac charges NZ$15 a year on its Airpoints Mastercard, and Kiwibank charges nothing on the Zero Visa.
• Cash advances: interest starts straight away, often at a higher rate. Westpac, ASB Visa Light and American Express charge 22.95% p.a.
• Revert rates: intro offers end. ASB Visa Light's 0% balance transfer reverts to 13.50% p.a. after six months, Kiwibank Zero Visa's 1.99% reverts to 12.90% p.a. after six months, and the American Express Airpoints Card's 0% purchase rate reverts to 22.95% p.a. after six months.
• Late payment fees: NZ$5 at Kiwibank, NZ$6 at American Express and NZ$15 at Gem Visa.
• Establishment fees: Gem Visa charges a one-off NZ$55 on top of its NZ$65 annual fee.

Consumer protections

Consumer credit in New Zealand is governed by the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA). It sets rules on disclosure and responsible lending, and it requires fees to be reasonable. On 1 July 2026 the Financial Markets Authority took over responsibility for the CCCFA from the Commerce Commission.

If you see a transaction you do not recognise, tell your issuer straight away. Visa's Zero Liability policy and Westpac's CardGuard protect you against unauthorised use if you report it promptly and have not acted fraudulently or negligently. If goods do not arrive or a merchant will not refund you, ask your issuer whether it can dispute the charge through the card scheme. If your bank does not resolve a complaint, the Banking Ombudsman Scheme is free and independent.

New to New Zealand

Eligibility for newcomers varies by issuer. The ANZ Low Rate Visa accepts non-residents who hold a work visa issued for two years or longer with at least one year left. ASB and Westpac ask for New Zealand citizenship or permanent residence, Gem Visa asks for permanent residence, and American Express asks for the right to work in New Zealand.

A good first step is a no-fee card with a modest limit, such as the ANZ Low Rate Visa or Kiwibank Zero Visa. Set up an automatic payment for the full balance each month, and keep your spending well under the limit. When your card arrives, our card activation guides explain how to get it working, and our credit card guides cover interest, balance transfers and credit scores in more depth.