Banks no longer want to exchange foreign currency cash. Photo / Getty Images
Banks no longer want to exchange foreign currency cash. Photo / Getty Images
The decision by banks to ditch cheques has been widely broadcast - to the ire of older customers - but it seems banks are also quietly phasing out another service.
From next month ASB will join ANZ, BNZ and Kiwibank in stopping buying and selling foreign exchange cash while Westpaccontinues to offer the service but only to its own customers.
Kiwis with foreign currency sitting around in cash at home will now have to use a foreign exchange service rather than going into their bank.
A retired Aucklander contacted the Herald about the issue when a friend of his told him about the difficulties in exchanging some US dollars into New Zealand dollars.
"He went to pretty much every bank and none of them wanted to know and none of them would change it. The only one that would change it was the ASB bank and they were reluctant unless he had an account with them.
"I thought this is a bit mickey duck."
The retiree said he decided he had better go and change the US$1800 he had sitting around at home as he was unlikely to be travelling to America anytime soon.
Twenty minutes and two bank tellers later he managed to get the money changed over at the ASB's Botany branch.
But they would only do it after asking if he had an account with the bank, the man said.
The bank staffer also told him that from July 2 it would stop offering a cash foreign exchange altogether.
"I thought crikey there is going to be a hell of a lot of people around with surplus cash in the draw who are going to get caught out with this."
ASB executive general manager for Retail Banking Craig Sims said Covid-19 has had a significant impact on customer demand for foreign exchange services over the past year and a half.
"We are continuing to provide international services including accepting foreign exchange cheques, foreign cash accounts and international money transfers, however from 2 July 2021 ASB will no longer buy or sell foreign cash in-branch."
He said customers still had a range of other alternatives such as withdrawing cash from ATMs overseas, using their debit or credit cards for payments, or buying and selling foreign currency via external specialist providers.
The four major banks have all changed their cash foreign exchange policy in the last year.
And it is not alone in making changes.
In April BNZ stopped offering to buy or sell foreign cash.
A spokesman for the bank said its focus over the last year had been to give customers more flexibility in doing their foreign currency exchanges.
"We have removed overseas ATM fees so customers can use an ATM internationally to get foreign currency without being charged. This means they don't have to worry about organising cash before they travel."
A Westpac spokesman confirmed it stopped offering foreign exchange cash services to non-customers in March.
"Demand for foreign exchange services in our retail branches has reduced since Covid-19 due to border closures. At this stage we're not making any changes to the foreign exchange services we provide to Westpac customers.
"We stopped offering those services to non-Westpac customers in March, which has allowed us to prioritise serving our own customers and has reduced the risk of fraud and money laundering."
Meanwhile an ANZ spokeswoman confirmed it stopped offering foreign exchange cash services last November.
"Border restrictions has seen cash FX transactions fall significantly. Customers are well served by other FX cash businesses, or ATMs overseas that dispense local currency."
A Kiwibank spokeswoman confirmed it had stopped offering a foreign cash service in November 2019.
"We refer customers with foreign cash requirements to travelex.co.nz."
