Best Exchange Rate

There'll be very little difference between the banks but see if you can find a money exchange to compare.

Thx Westwood.

Haven't had the pleasure of returning to NZ in several years. Can't quite recall and I might be confusing countries. But was it in NZ that there were informal money-changers here and there?. Chinese grocers, for ex. Well, if it's all just banks then that makes it simple.

Anywhere there is true competition, my travel agent at the Flight Centre at the Broadway Shopping Centre said that the centre itself is a good place to exchange currency because there is a money change booth, an American Expess currency exchange office in side the post office, and two banks that do foreign currency exchange also.

Broadway Shopping Center in Wellington?

OP, stand alone money exchanges are getting more common. I know in Auckland quite a few malls have them plus in the CBD. Dont know of any Chinese grocers that have them. You should be able to google some. If all else fails, the PO is an agent for Travelex.

I did think i did not say that the Broadway Shoping Centre was in Wellington.

Nor did i think that in any way inferred it was.

I did think i said anywhere there is true competition, and used the Broadway Shopping Centre as an example.

I do humbly aplogize to anybody that thinks that i said different.

I find these kind of questions amusing, because the difference between money changers is often quite small when dealing with travel. Often people spend so much time to find the best exchange rates, that going with the most convenient is still probably better. Maybe its just me, but i couldn't be bothered wasting more than a minute trying to get an extra $5 worth of money in an exchange.

That said its always good to know if there is a best way to exchange money, but often this only seems to be avoiding the airport exchange places and in some countries use the black market if one exists and is relatively safe to use.

Justin is a meat-eater but on this one he's right.

Nonsense. You don't have to pay a "hidden charge of a fee" just for asking about rates. You'd be a noodle if you did.

By years of experience i have found that sites on airports, and other places that one company has a monopoly really do offer crummy and crap rates.

As i have said places that do have real competition i think do offer the best rates, and i would think it perhaps might save you more than $5.

And the best way to judge who has the best rate, is to ask how much local currency would i get for my $AU100, and then compare who will give you the most local currency.

Asking about rates does have pitfalls, because you will often have to pay a hidden charge of a fee, IMO i think in asking how much you get for a set amount is a far safer and better option.