How do people in New Zealand pay online?
Visa and Mastercard cards dominate. In its June 2026 monitoring snapshot, the Commerce Commission found that Visa and Mastercard carried 74% of payments in the latest period, up from 43% in 2019, measured against all payments on Visa, Mastercard, EFTPOS, American Express and open banking. It links the shift to contactless and online payments, which grew during COVID-19, and to the rise of mobile wallets. New Zealand businesses pay about NZD 1 billion a year to accept Visa and Mastercard payments.
EFTPOS is losing share online. The domestic EFTPOS network charges merchants a monthly fee rather than a fee per payment, but the Commission notes that it cannot support the online, contactless and device-based payments shoppers now prefer. Apple Pay and Google Pay are both available in New Zealand.
Pay by bank is the main alternative. Also called open banking, it lets a shopper pay straight from their bank account at checkout, by payment link or by recurring payment. In October 2026 the Commission listed providers accredited under New Zealand’s Consumer Data Right, including Akahu, BlinkPay, Online EFTPOS, Direct Pay, Payap, POLi, Qippay and Volley. It estimates that businesses could avoid about NZD 180 million a year, around NZD 53 of every NZD 100 they now spend on Visa and Mastercard debit payments, by using lower-cost pay by bank options.
What rules shape online payments in New Zealand?
Surcharges must be fair and shown upfront. Under the Retail Payment System Act 2022, the Commerce Commission says every business should offer at least one surcharge-free payment option, and any surcharge should only cover the extra cost compared with that option. For online payments, unavoidable fees should be included in the total price shown upfront. The Commission has also set limits on interchange fees.
GST is 15%. An overseas business that supplies remote services to New Zealand consumers must register and charge GST if those supplies were more than NZD 60,000 in the last 12 months, or are expected to pass that in the next 12 months. Since 1 December 2019, overseas businesses selling low-value goods, worth NZD 1,000 or less, to New Zealand consumers may also need to register, collect and return GST.
Consumer guarantees apply, but not change of mind. The Consumer Guarantees Act gives automatic rights when people buy from a business in New Zealand, including acceptable quality and delivery on time, and can apply to some overseas businesses targeting New Zealand consumers. If a guarantee is not met, the shopper may get a repair, replacement or refund. The act does not give a refund for a change of mind.
Personal data falls under the Privacy Act 2020, in force since 1 December 2020, with 13 information privacy principles including one on disclosure outside New Zealand. A new principle, IPP3A, took effect in May 2026 and requires notice when personal information is collected from someone other than the person concerned.
How would Omno route payments in New Zealand?
A merchant would connect once and set routing rules per method, currency and customer group. In New Zealand:
- Card pay-ins would follow rules by BIN, scheme and amount, with cascading: if a provider is unavailable or rejects the request, the payment moves to the next provider in the rule until one accepts.
- Apple Pay and Google Pay would be shown in the hosted checkout and routed like other card payments.
- Pay by bank could be offered through an accredited provider, with the order confirmed by the provider’s notification rather than by the shopper’s return to the store.
Webhooks would report the final status of every payment, and the routing-decision log would show which provider handled each payment and why.
What should merchants plan for?
Plan for Visa and Mastercard first, debit and credit. They carry most payments, and the Commission links part of their growth to mobile wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Plan for pay by bank. It costs merchants less than card payments, and accredited providers already support online checkout, payment links and recurring payments.
Plan for clear pricing. Show unavoidable fees in the total price, and keep at least one payment option free of surcharges.
Plan for GST. If you sell remote services or low-value goods to New Zealand consumers from abroad, check whether your sales pass NZD 60,000 a year.