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Kiwibank review

Updated September 28, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings. Partners with a live offer in your country come first, then every other brand by score.

Our verdict

Kiwibank suits New Zealand bank customers who want a plain everyday card, with a NZD 0 monthly fee on the Visa debit card and rewards listed as none. Costs stay light at home, but a currency conversion fee of 2.5% makes overseas spending the trade-off to weigh.

Key facts

Best for
An everyday New Zealand card with no monthly fee and an interest-free purchase window.
Monthly fee
NZ$0↗
Currency conversion fee
2.5%↗
Card type
Debit↗
Card network
Visa↗
Legal entity
Kiwibank Limited↗
Headquarters
New Zealand↗
Founded
2001↗
Support channels
Phone, Email, Chat, Help-centre↗
Audience
Business
Official website
kiwibank.co.nz

Credit cards

Annual fee
NZ$0↗
APR
12.9%↗
Rewards type
None↗
Balance transfer intro period
6 months↗
Balance transfer fee
1%↗
Perks
55 days interest-free on purchases↗
Card kind
Credit↗
Pricing model
No annual fee

Loans

Lender type
Direct lender↗
Loan types
Personal↗

Facts checked September 26, 2026, 8 sources

Apps and profiles

Get the app
App StoreGoogle Play
Elsewhere
WikidataWikipediaXTrustpilotLinkedIn

Pros and cons

Pros

  • The Visa debit card carries a monthly fee of NZD 0 and ranks 1 of 422 on that measure.
  • Support covers phone, email and chat, so you can reach a person in the way you prefer.
  • Purchases on the credit card can run interest free, with 55 days interest free on purchases.

Cons

  • Spending abroad is costly: the currency conversion fee is 2.5%, which ranks Kiwibank at 196 of 258.
  • The credit card has a rewards type of none, so spending earns nothing back.
  • The debit card is aimed at business customers, so personal shoppers get less from it.
Kiwibank

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Scored 9.2 / 10 by SumCue.

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Who it suits

  • New Zealand bank customers who want an everyday Visa debit card without a monthly charge.
  • People who want a credit card with an interest-free purchase window and an annual fee of NZD 0.
  • Borrowers moving an existing balance who can use the 6 introductory window.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Wise, if you convert currency often, because a currency conversion fee of 2.5% pushes Kiwibank down the fee ranking.
  • bunq, if your spending sits outside New Zealand, since bunq's monthly fee is €0 while Kiwibank's card serves a single market.
  • Varo Believe Secured Credit Card, if you want the card secured, since Kiwibank offers a debit card and a credit card instead.

Where it sits among rivals

Kiwibank ranks 1 of 422 on monthly fee, which puts it at the front of the field for a no-charge debit card. On currency conversion the picture flips: it ranks 196 of 258, close to the back. Spend at home and the card is cheap; spend abroad and the cost climbs.

Who runs it

Kiwibank Limited is the legal entity, based in New Zealand and founded in 2001. It issues both its own debit card and its own credit card, so the same bank sits behind the card you carry. Support reaches you through phone, email and chat, all run in house rather than passed to a partner.

How Kiwibank compares

Where Kiwibank is available

Available
New Zealand
Licence in New Zealand
Reserve Bank of New Zealand, checked September 26, 2026

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

What does the Kiwibank debit card cost each month?+

The Visa debit card has a monthly fee of NZD 0, which is why Kiwibank ranks 1 of 422 on that measure. The card is a debit card on the visa network, so the monthly charge is the only regular cost listed.

What does it cost to spend in another currency?+

The currency conversion fee is 2.5% on the debit card, and Kiwibank sits at 196 of 258 on that measure. Spending in New Zealand on the card avoids that cost, so the card suits local use. Travellers who convert often should weigh the fee before applying.

Is there an interest-free period on the credit card?+

Perks include 55 days interest free on purchases, so card purchases can run interest free for that window. The credit card has an annual fee of NZD 0, and any balance carried beyond the window is charged at an APR of 12.9%.

Does the credit card earn rewards?+

The rewards type is listed as none, so there is nothing to collect back on your spending. The card competes on the interest-free purchase window and the annual fee of NZD 0 instead. If cashback or points matter to you, the perks will not deliver them.

Can I move an existing balance onto the card?+

There is a balance transfer option with a fee of 1% and an introductory window of 6. That is a sensible route to clearing old balances when the new rate is lower than what it replaces, though the fee still applies. Because the card is a credit card, interest applies once the window ends.

Who regulates the bank behind the card?+

Kiwibank is a New Zealand bank, and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand is the regulator listed for the country. The legal entity behind the cards is Kiwibank Limited, with its head office in New Zealand. Check the current protection terms with the bank before you rely on them.

How do I get help?+

Support runs through phone, email and chat, all handled by Kiwibank rather than an outsourced desk. A card query and a loan question therefore reach the same place, and Kiwibank is a direct lender for borrowing as well as cards.

Who is the card aimed at?+

The listed audience is business customers, and the card type is debit on the visa network. Personal banking customers can use the credit card for borrowing and the interest-free purchase window, but the debit card is aimed at business accounts.

Sources

Compiled from 9 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Not confirmed yet: Free ATM withdrawals, Protection.

Kiwibank

Kiwibank

An everyday New Zealand card with no monthly fee and an interest-free purchase window.

9.2/10See alternatives