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OneSmart Air New Zealand travel card
I've just returned from holiday in the UK and France and I'd like to review my experience of the Air NZ OneSmart prepaid travel card issued through the BNZ. I choose it for two reasons, first limited free overseas cash withdrawals, second the smart phone app which made it so easy to track my spending and keep an eye on my budget. Mobile banking meant I could keep my money earning/saving interest back home until I needed it.
However reason one very quickly went out the window when UK transactions failed to allow the PIN function. Every transaction had to be signed for which meant I couldn't withdraw cash from ATM's or buy anything from any unmanned terminals. No pay at pump petrol, train tickets or even parking meters.
At almost a $1 a minute to be on hold for half an hour to try to sort the problem out over the phone I instead sent an email to their "24 hour" support email address. It took them 18 hours to reply. Over the next few days it became obvious that they rarely checked emails outside of NZ business hours and didn't understand my problem or the UK system. Suggestions that were not relevant for UK transactions such as 'selecting credit not chk or sav' and 'some UK pins might be 6 numbers' (not according to anyone I talked to) and 'try using the magnetic strip' not easy when a quarter of the machines don't even have strip readers in the UK.
I requested they call me 3 times over the next 5 days and despite their promises to do so they never did. Going through AirNZ proved more helpful. They gave me a free number to call and they put me through to OneSmart. A brief discussion came to the same conclusion our emails had reached two days earlier, my card was faulty. To get an emergency replacement their accounts team needed to speak to me on the phone but they only work Mon-Fri 8 til 5. The next morning, Monday, I got a call. 10 seconds to confirm everything that had been explained multiple time's by email and the a card would be with me in 5-7 working days.
10 days later I emailed to inform my card had not been received. They replied that in the event my card did not arrive they could send another which would take 5-7 working days. Fearful that my card was floating in the ether of snail-mail I asked if they could track it. I also informed them there was no point sending a third as I'd be on my way home before it would arrive. They helpfully replied that they had forgotten to send a replacement card but would be happy to send another free of charge, to arrive in 5-7 working days!!
It's a travel card so if there's a problem having support that's cheap and easy to access from the most popular international destinations should be a given. Not with OneSmart. In a world where free Wifi is almost everywhere Facebook, Skype and Messenger are cheap methods for fast communication. Not with OneSmart.
Add to the mess that their conversion rates are rubbish I personally recommend avoiding Onesmart.
However reason one very quickly went out the window when UK transactions failed to allow the PIN function. Every transaction had to be signed for which meant I couldn't withdraw cash from ATM's or buy anything from any unmanned terminals. No pay at pump petrol, train tickets or even parking meters.
At almost a $1 a minute to be on hold for half an hour to try to sort the problem out over the phone I instead sent an email to their "24 hour" support email address. It took them 18 hours to reply. Over the next few days it became obvious that they rarely checked emails outside of NZ business hours and didn't understand my problem or the UK system. Suggestions that were not relevant for UK transactions such as 'selecting credit not chk or sav' and 'some UK pins might be 6 numbers' (not according to anyone I talked to) and 'try using the magnetic strip' not easy when a quarter of the machines don't even have strip readers in the UK.
I requested they call me 3 times over the next 5 days and despite their promises to do so they never did. Going through AirNZ proved more helpful. They gave me a free number to call and they put me through to OneSmart. A brief discussion came to the same conclusion our emails had reached two days earlier, my card was faulty. To get an emergency replacement their accounts team needed to speak to me on the phone but they only work Mon-Fri 8 til 5. The next morning, Monday, I got a call. 10 seconds to confirm everything that had been explained multiple time's by email and the a card would be with me in 5-7 working days.
10 days later I emailed to inform my card had not been received. They replied that in the event my card did not arrive they could send another which would take 5-7 working days. Fearful that my card was floating in the ether of snail-mail I asked if they could track it. I also informed them there was no point sending a third as I'd be on my way home before it would arrive. They helpfully replied that they had forgotten to send a replacement card but would be happy to send another free of charge, to arrive in 5-7 working days!!
It's a travel card so if there's a problem having support that's cheap and easy to access from the most popular international destinations should be a given. Not with OneSmart. In a world where free Wifi is almost everywhere Facebook, Skype and Messenger are cheap methods for fast communication. Not with OneSmart.
Add to the mess that their conversion rates are rubbish I personally recommend avoiding Onesmart.
. Was travel forums that had the best info (for Bali anyway) take NZ cash and change at reputable money changers. Saved about $100 in every $1000 compared to changing it in NZ. Which meant two days food and drinks in Bali for two of us.
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