Best way to pay for things in Australia?

[Teresa in MO]

 my ds is going to spend the month of April in Australia with two friends.  Other than Jamaica, he has not been out of the country.  My dh and I have not been out of the country either.  So, he asked me to research what the best way to pay for things when he is there.  I told him I would ask here.  So, can someone give me ideas? Credit cards, debit cards, travelers checks?  This is so out of my league!

 

[bibiche]

A credit card with no foreign exchange fees. Or a debit card that doesn't charge fees. We use both when travelling (one for purchases, the other for cash).  I don't know anyone who uses traveller's cheques anymore. 

 

Edited January 15, 2016 by bibiche

[Rosie_0801]

Not everywhere has EFTPOS facilities even in this day and age, and some places have a minimum purchase for using a card. It's always a good idea to have enough cash to buy some lunch and a bus ticket. :)

Edited January 15, 2016 by Rosie_0801

[Arcadia]

While hotels will accept travellers cheque, it is easy to bring cash and credit card. I can use my credit card to get money from an ATM if I know my credit card pin.

Amex is not widely accepted everywhere so don't bring only Amex.

Also let the credit card company know he will be in Australia before flying. You don't want to risk him not being able to use the card because the card company thought it is fraud.

 

Shops close early except for supermarkets.

[Teresa in MO]

Not everywhere has EFTPOS facilities even in this day and age, and some places have a minimum purchase for using a card. It's always a good idea to have enough cash to buy some lunch and a bus ticket. :)

I read on TripAdvisor the best way to get cash is at the ATM machine?  Would this be correct?

[Rosie_0801]

I read on TripAdvisor the best way to get cash is at the ATM machine?  Would this be correct?

 

Yep.

 

If he needs credit, Visa is widely accepted. Anywhere that accepts cards at all will accept Visa.

[Deee]

Visa is best, with ATM access for getting cash out (keep in mind that he'll probably pay a $2 atm fee to access his own money).  He'll need cash for most small shops, especially take-away food.  Rosie mentioned bus tickets - in Sydney, if you want to use public transport, especially buses, you'll need to buy an Opal Card.  Most buses no longer sell tickets on the bus.  You can buy Opal cards at many Newsagents.  Put $10 on one, $20 for an adult - they work out cheaper in the long run.  You can charge them in-store or online.  Don't be fooled into thinking that you might buy them at a train station - that would be far too convenient!  They work in NSW only - Victoria has its own system.  Most taxis take visa, but prefer cash.  And tell him not to tip - its a nasty American habit!

D

[nd293]

Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted here, but American Express sometimes incur extra charges or aren't accepted. I've no idea why, it's just something I've noticed.

 

As mentioned, you are charged to draw cash from an ATM (ETA if it is not your bank's ATM), but if you have a Visa or MasterCard linked card you can draw cash from any major supermarket at the check out counter - you don't have to make a purchase. They don't charge for this service. Coles and Woolworths are the major chains that I know for sure do this.

 

He MUST have a PIN for his credit card (obvious if he wants to use an ATM) as there is no signing for credit card purchases in Australia anymore - it's all PIN managed. Many shops now use some sort of PayWave or PayPass system where you can pass your card over the machine to pay with no PIN required for amounts under $100.

Edited January 16, 2016 by nd293

[Lanny]

We are in Colombia. I assume it is the same in Australia. There are ATM machines *everywhere*. The supermarket I will go to this morning has 4 different ATM machines.   Most ATM machines here will accept Debit cards issued by banks in the USA that are affiliated with Cirrus or Plus or another network and they give you cash from your bank account in the USA.  Visa and MasterCard credit cards are accepted everywhere for payment.

 

If he was going to Cuba or Argentina or Venezuela or North Korea or Iran, he might have problems paying for things, but in Australia I cannot imagine that will be a problem.

 

Years ago, we went to the states and I had purchased Travelers Checks.  I ran into problems trying to cash them. On one occasion, in FL I remember that we had to go to a bank, to cash them. It was a PITA. That was  In/near Orlando FL. If you buy Travelers Checks, the only one's I would consider purchasing are American Express Travelers Checks. Those issued by other companies are even harder to cash.

 

Cash, Debit Card, Credit Card. I would suggest that he have at least 2 methods of paying for things, in case one card is not accepted.

 

He should NEVER carry large amounts of cash or wear expensive looking jewelry, in ANY country...