Payment Systems in Australia and New Zealand
The payments landscape of Oceania is heavily influenced by the mature markets of Australia and New Zealand. Australia has high internet (88.2%) and bank account (98.9%) penetration, making credit and debit cards the most popular payment methods within the region. Recent years have seen a shift from credit to debit cards. In 2014, 66% of transactions were conducted using debit cards and 34% through credit cards. Online, however, purchases were made more frequently through credit (37%) than debit (9%) cards. In addition to Visa and Mastercard, EFTPOS holds a large share of the local bank card market (30%). Another trend is the rise of alternative payment methods in Australia, with both global (PayPal) and local (BPay) alternatives gaining popularity.
New Zealand has equally high internet (88.7%) and banking (99.5%) penetration rates, as well as similar payment preferences to Australia. Credit and debit cards dominate the market, with a smaller portion occupied by e-Wallets and bank transfers.
