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New Zealand Travel Tips & Questions

Can you get mobile prepay in NZ?

Absolutely you can and it is one of the most popular ways to go for Kiwis themselves. Prepay is a great option if you want to have complete control and keep a close eye on what you are spending. It also means you don’t have to make any kind of long term commitment.

You simply buy a set amount of credit which can be used on calls, texts and data, with network providers having set rates for every minute of calls, every text message and every 10MB of data. In most cases this credit will be valid until you have used it all up.

Additionally, all of the major network players – Spark, Vodafone and 2Degrees – and several of the smaller companies which use the communications towers of these three (such as Skinny and Warehouse) offer a huge variety of bundle options.

These – sometimes marketed as packs or combos - are typically valid for a week or a month and often present incredible value for money, particularly if you have heavy phone usage. Deals, offers and options are changing all the time as the big guns vie with each other to reel in the customers. With these options you also get to match the right pack with your circumstances and with how you tend to use your phone.

For example, if you very rarely call or text but are always online you can opt for a bundle which is heavy on the data allowance. Alternatively if you don't use data much but want a good allowance for texts and calls there are also options which offer that. Just to make things super easy most providers also offer add-ons so if you find yourself out of credit for texts, calls or data you can top-up with just what you need.

Transversely, some of the bundles come with a 'carryover' element for any unused allowance. When these kinds of bundles expire you will usually get a text reminder and be asked if you want to renew. Otherwise, top-ups can be done through vouchers in stores, on network provider websites or directly through your smartphone.