The 6 Best Ways to Take Money to New Caledonia

So you’ve booked a trip to New Caledonia - either as part of an epic South Pacific cruise or as your own relaxing island getaway. And now the daydreaming is over, it’s time to sort out the nitty-gritty details - like how to carry money to New Caledonia.

We understand you don’t want to miss out on any of the treasures New Caledonia has to offer (from the world’s largest lagoon to impeccable French cuisine), so we’ve created this guide to help you make the most of your savings and figure out what exactly is the best way to take money overseas.

Avoid losing excessive amounts of your savings in the currency exchange by figuring out the best ways to carry money to New Caledonia from Australia. Our recommendation? Combine at least two of the currency and payment options we go into in more detail below:

Paying with your Australian debit card
Paying with a credit card
Buying the New Caledonian Pacific franc in Australia
Ordering the New Caledonia currency online
Taking Australian dollars to exchange on arrival
Withdraw cash from a local ATM in Nouméa or other major destination

Don’t expect to be able to use your debit card everywhere in New Caledonia. Outside Greater Nouméa, very few businesses will accept debit cards.

Even where you can pay by card, you could end up paying a lot in fees and charges. There are the foreign ATM withdrawal fees we’ve talked about, as well as currency conversions for every over-the-counter purchase.

It all depends on which bank card you use. ING, Citibank and the Revolut travel card all have travel-friendly bank cards that waive some of these charges.

Learn more: The Best Travel Debit Cards to Use Overseas

Credit cards come with a range of features designed to entice travellers to sign up. You’ll likely enjoy fraud prevention, frequent flyer programs, and even free travel insurance.

So what’s not to love?

In reality, credit cards don’t automatically have great value for overseas payments. Not only do you often have to pay a surcharge for card payments, but you’ll also struggle to pay by card beyond Nouméa – especially if you’re carrying an AMEX card (importantly, ATMs in New Caledonia do not accept American Express).

Credit cards might be useful for hotel payments. But if you’re staying in a gîte (holiday home), guest house, or tribal accommodation, the business owner probably won’t accept them.

Learn more: The Best Travel Credit Cards to Use Overseas

It’s also important to know just how your credit card company might impose further fees, including:

International transaction fees
High exchange rate margins
ATM fees
Potential ‘cash advance fees’ if you use an ATM

Not all credit cards are created equal. In fact, some credit card companies have designed cards specifically for frequent travellers. Bankwest Platinum and 28 Degrees cards both waive some travel fees.

Ordering currency online before you head overseas comes with a range of benefits. For a start, it helps you sort out your currency in a hassle-free way before you leave; your currency will be delivered to your door or can be arranged for pickup nearby.

When there’s already so much to organise in the leadup to a trip, it’s nice to know one thing can be sorted out from the comfort of your couch.

It also removes one thing you have to do on arrival in your final destination, lending you more time to actually enjoy your vacation.

And finally, you can often get the best rates online. Using S Money, for example, you’ll get the same mid-market exchange rate provided by Google and XE.com.

Sign up to our Rate Tracker to receive updates of the AUD to XPF exchange rate in your inbox and order your currency at the best value before you go.

There are many exchange offices in Australia, from suburban shopping centre offices to airport exchange counters. You can even buy Pacific francs from some banks.

You might want to reconsider the airport or bank exchange counters. Australian airports offer notoriously poor rates while banks provide an exchange rate on average about 2.5% above the day’s mid-market rate.

Instead, head to a bureau de change, preferably in the city centre where there’s more competition. This means you’re more likely to get competitive exchange rates than at a suburban exchange outlet.

Exchanging AUD for XPF is made easy with exchange counters available at many banks both at the airport and in Nouméa.

Further afield, you may find banks with exchange counters in places like the Loyalty Islands but we recommend changing your currency in Nouméa if you have the opportunity.

Money changers readily accept US dollars, Australian dollars, New Zealand dollars, euros, and even Vanuatu vatu. But you’ll need proof of identity for any exchange.

Banks are open between the hours of 7.30 am and 3.45 pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays. Some banks also have 24-hour currency exchange ATMs. You’ll be able to find these outside the following banks in Nouméa:

BNP at 111 Promenade Roger Laroque in Anse Vata
BCI at 55 Promenade Roger Laroque in Baie des Citrons
BCI at 20 Rue Anatole France
BNC in front of the Casino Johnston supermarket near Quai Jules Ferry

Admittedly, there are more standard ATMs than money changers in New Caledonia, so ATM withdrawals might be a better option if you have a travel-friendly bank card.

ATMs are available at banks and even in some post offices in major destinations in New Caledonia. That includes Nouméa, Lifou, and Île des Pins. You’ll find BNC and BNI brand ATMs conveniently located at the Nouméa Airport as well.

ATMs attached to banks are often only accessible during the bank’s opening hours (usually 7.30 am to 3.45 pm Monday to Friday).

If you choose to carry just a small amount of cash with you to New Caledonia, with the intention of withdrawing more cash as you need it, be aware of any potential ]fees charged by your bank.

Overseas ATM withdrawal charges and currency conversion fees from your bank can really add up if you make too many transactions. Some ATMs may also have a weekly withdrawal limit.

If you have a bank card from ING, Citibank, Revolut, or TransferWise, you may be able to avoid these charges – more on this below.

Important note: Your bank needs to be notified of any travel plans – that is unless you want to be caught out overseas! If your bank detects a transaction in New Caledonia without being aware of your South Pacific getaway, they could freeze your card.