ANZ Travel Card
Advantages
Disadvantages
2 users would recommend it
4 users wouldn’t recommend it
The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) provides various banking and financial services and is the second-largest bank by assets and the third-largest bank by market capitalisation in Australia. They have prepared a special offer for frequent travellers and people who want to spend foreign currencies easy and without worrying about additional foreign transaction fees. You can simply load various currencies on your card and spend it freely in countries all over the world.
The card can be used all over the world, wherever VISA cards are supported. They say there are 36 million merchant and ATM locations worldwide. The transactions are free of charge. However, ATM withdrawals may have additional fees depending on the country you are in. On ANZ’s card, you can store up to 10 different foreign currencies. If you need to spend the currency that you don’t have on your card, the money will be automatically exchanged. You can store: AUD, USD, NZD, EUR, GBP, SGD, HKD, JPY, CAD, THB.
It’s free to apply and maintain the card, and there are no “inactivity fees” for not using it for a long time. There are no charges for loading up the balance or spending the currencies. The ATM withdrawals costs vary from country to country. However the fees are usually around 2 - 5 AUD.
If you don’t have enough money in particular currency but need to make a payment, the exchange rate is based on the card’s provider and there is an additional fee of 4% of the total amount for ANZ.
You need to load at least 200AUD, and the upper limit for the card is set at 50,000AUD.
Many different banks have a travel card offer or cards suited for multiple currencies and overseas payments. The rates and costs are quite low in ANZ case, but different banks are offering the same offer. ANZ also has ATM withdrawal fees, and other banks can offer them for free. Furthermore, ANZ’s website is hard to navigate through and the information provided there is not transparent and easy to research. As an advantage acts the fact that you can order the card online and not all banks allow this.
It’s free to apply for the card, and after your first top-up, you can start making payments while abroad or on holidays.
You can conveniently order the card online by registering and filing an online form. However, if you are in a hurry and are travelling within the next few days, it’s better to visit ANZ local branch, where you can pick up the card immediately.
The bank itself needs to comply with all of the financial laws and is regulated by government institutions. The card meets all of the standards of VISA card. It is protected by a PIN and is separated from your bank account. Therefore, even if you lose it, you don’t have to worry about the thief getting access to your money. ANZ gives you also a backup card, which you can use if you lose the first one.
The offer from ANZ for travellers is quite simple and straight-forward. You can get a prepaid card to hold different foreign currencies to avoid paying potential fees when making payments abroad. Other banks offer such services, and the overall costs are quite similar. However, ANZ platform seems quite hard to navigate through. Different banks have better developed online banking sections and offer mobile apps. That way, you can easier manage your finances. The conversion fee of 4% is typical for mainstream banks. However, some independent online platforms provide better exchange rates and foreign payments.
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