Choosing the best sim card for travelling New Zealand is a problem most arrivals will need to solve.
Hopefully, this post convinces you why, in my opinion, there’s an obvious sim card provider in NZ you should use (Click here to go straight to the answer).
My opinion (I really want to say fact) is based on:
- Going through the process myself and regularly assessing all options.
- Asking dozens of travellers in New Zealand what sim card they are using.
Ultimately, the cost of your sim card won’t add more than $1-2 to your daily budget (in theory) on average, but no one likes getting ripped off when it comes to sim cards.
The amount of people who are frustrated by buying sim cards at airports is incredible, me included.
A lot of the world has sim cards for travellers with lots of data at a good price. Unfortunately, New Zealand does not.
It’s improving with companies like Skinny and 2 Degrees entering the market, but there’s still room for improvement when considering the best sim only plans in New Zealand.
Table of Contents
1. The Best Sim Card For NZ Travel
2. Why Skinny Is The Best
3. Other Things To Consider When Buying A Sim
4. Where To Buy A Skinny Sim Card
5. The Best Prepaid Plan To Buy
6. A Skinny Promo Code
7. Mobile Coverage For Skinny Mobile
8. A Quick Chat About New Zealand Wifi
THE BEST SIM CARD FOR TRAVELLING NEW ZEALAND
SKINNY MOBILE is the best sim card in New Zealand for travellers (and residents).
You can get 4GB of rollover data for free (one time only) by using the code: NBLTK5M when you sign up (I give more details about this promo code here).
Keep reading on as I’ll tell you how to use the Skinny mobile phone plans
THE MAIN SIM CARD PROVIDERS
First, I’ll introduce you to Skinny’s competitors who you may want to research deeper for yourself.
1. 2 Degrees
2. Vodafone
3. Spark
And now, back to telling you what you need to know about Skinny.
p.s. Do not buy Skinny’s NZ Travel Sim. You’re better off getting the regular mobile plans.
3 REASONS WHY SKINNY MOBILE IS THE BEST SIM CARD
- Cheapest: When comparing Skinny plans side by side to similar offerings from their competitors, Skinny is the front runner.
- Easy To Set Up: Once you’ve bought your sim card (no contract required), insert it into your phone, and get activated by dialing 222.
- Functional App: I’ll chat more about this below, but it’s user-friendly on both Android & Apple.
RELATED READ: THE BEST APPS TO DOWNLOAD FOR TRAVELLING NEW ZEALAND
CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE BEST PREPAID SIM CARDS FOR TRAVELS TO NEW ZEALAND
Your friends and family will want you to send those selfies…maybe.
- You’ll need some calling minutes as part of your new zealand mobile plans for tourist purposes. This is important, especially on a road trip, if you get in an emergency situation, a phone call is always best. I often find I’m ringing places in advance to make sure they’re open too.
- Is your phone compatible with Skinny? In all likelihood, it will be, but you can check your phone will work here.
WHERE CAN I BUY A SKINNY SIM CARD
You can buy one online in advance, but that’s not ideal (is it me, or does getting a sim card sent by mail just seem weird?)
So before arriving in New Zealand, make sure you know how you’re getting to your first destination (NZ airports usually have wifi now).
Here are some useful links that’ll help you get from :
- Getting from Auckland Airport to the city
- Getting from Wellington Airport to the city
- Getting from Christchurch Airport to the city
- Getting from Queenstown Airport to the city
Skinny sim cards are available at lots of retailers, including major NZ supermarkets and lots of dairies. You can see a full list of the dairies in the map below. The map is created by Skinny but rarely updated so don’t put all your eggs in one basket etc.
Note: You don’t need a specific sim card as each packet contains a sim card to fit all sim card slots. You can also buy a top-up voucher to load up your credit. Alternatively, wait until you get on WiFi so you can top up via the app or by dialing 222.
WHICH SKINNY COMBO SHOULD YOU BUY?
Staying one week or less? You’ll most likely be looking to spend minimal time on your phone to appreciate the country. Therefore, you can get away with the lone weekly plan option. It’s only $5 and gets you 60 NZ minutes, 750 NZ tests, and 100 MB data.
If you’re confident you don’t need much data (or you can survive on wifi) this is all you need. Make sure to download maps, bookings, etc. before you arrive (or take screenshots).
For everyone else, you’ll need to consider what 4-weekly (28 days) plan to purchase. There is a strategy for this. If you like maximising your value, you’ll appreciate this.
Given you’re reading this article, I’m assuming you haven’t bought your sim card yet. But, if you plan to get one after reading this, then you need to consider how much credit you’re going to start with. I recommend only topping up the bare minimum to cover your plan for one month.
Why top up the bare minimum? Because the 4-week plans all rollover. That means you’ll automatically be charged the amount of your plan the following month assuming you have enough funds in your account (or if you’ve synced your credit card).
And honestly, unless you’re watching tonnes of videos (or uploading lots of videos/photos) you shouldn’t blow out your predicted amount of data. This means you’ll have extra data the following month and might be able to buy a cheaper plan in the second month.
I’ll explain more below, but first, here are the 28-day rollover plans and what you get (it’s important to note that the $40, $50, and $70 all have endless data).
| $17 | $27 | $40 | $50 | $70 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes (to NZ and AU) | 200 | 300 | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ |
| Texts (to NZ and AU) | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ |
| Rollover Data (at max speed) | 1.5GB | 2.5GB | 5GB | 15GB | 40GB |
| Other | ∞ Skinny to Skinny Calling | ∞ Skinny to Skinny Calling | ∞ Skinny to Skinny Calling | ∞ Skinny to Skinny Calling | ∞ Skinny to Skinny Calling |
Note: There’s a 28-day $9 option (non-rollover), but you can disregard this.
WHAT I RECOMMEND DOING
Purchase a rollover plan (based on your budget and how much data you think you’ll use) then cancel the plan straight after you purchase it.
Skinny Mobile plans renew automatically after 28 days which can be frustrating if you’ve got a tonne of data leftover and suddenly with the new data added you could give it away like candy.
The reason you cancel your plan is so you can evaluate how much data you’ve gone through at the end of the month. From there you can buy a cheaper rollover plan the following month if need be.
The reason for topping up the exact amount is because once your 28 days expires, you’ll start chewing through ‘regular’ data, calls, and minutes and any excess credit you have will be gone within hours (20 cents per MB will do that).
DATA BINGE DETAILS:
- $5 for 12 hours of unlimited data.
- $3 for 4 hours of unlimited data.
- $1 for 1 hour of unlimited data.
- $0.50 for 10 minutes of unlimited data.
What I now do in 2023: I get the $40 plan each month. That means I get 5 GB of data at max speeds, but the data is endless. After the first 5 GB is used up you go back to a throttled speed. I find this is usually good enough for my on the go needs (including watching videos and hotspotting to my laptop). I’ll just make sure to download any larger files before hand.
You’ll often get weekends where they’ll give you unlimited data free weekends as well which is always nice.
If you use the coupon code below you could start off your first month with the $17 plan if you’re not a big data consumer and think 5.25 GB of data will be enough (1.25 GB + 4 GB).
SKINNY PROMO CODE
If you buy a 4-weekly roller plan with Skinny, you can get 4GB of rollover data for free (one time only) by using the code:
NBLTK5M
this code is valid until the end of 2023.
Where to insert the code? On the Skinny Mobile app, insert NBLTK5M under Buddy Rewards in the menu.
The Fine Print: You nee to buy a $17 or above 4-weekly plan.. You also must use the code within 30 days of activating the sim card. If you use the code, I get $10 Skinny credit.
If you’ve got a friend in New Zealand who has a Skinny sim card, ask if they have a buddy code you can use (not everyone gets one). They’ll appreciate the $10 credit I bet. So whether you use my code or someone else’s, it doesn’t bother me. If you use mine, email me jub@churnewzealand.com so I can say thanks!
WHAT’S SKINNY’S COVERAGE LIKE?
As you can tell, New Zealander’s tend to live near the coast.
In the confusing world of telecommunications, Skinny Mobile is on the Spark Network, therefore there’s coverage in 97% of the places Kiwis live and work. That’s not always going to be 4G/5G so don’t expect insane speeds at all times, but for most of you, that’ll be ok.
And note, that’s where Kiwis live and work…there are going to be lots of remote areas where you won’t get any coverage where no one works and/or lives.
NEW ZEALAND WIFI…
It’s improving, just like New Zealand phone plans. In most households, it’s good as gold but unfortunately, in cafes and restaurants, it’s not always available. And if it is, you’ll often be given a time and/or data restriction.
The same goes for your accommodation, though more of these are now providing unlimited use.
Libraries are a golden source of wifi. They’re free but remember the general public uses them so don’t park up there all day and be respectful.
And that brings us to the end of this post. I hope this helps you confirm what is the best New Zealand travel sim provider for you.
If not, let me know (or if you’ve got any questions), email jub@churnewzealand.com or drop in the comments what you believe is the best NZ sim card for travellers.
Now you can back to the top or, you can read 230 things to do in New Zealand.
Hey, it’s Jub here. I’m the guy behind Chur New Zealand, helping you have the best time hiking, trekking, walking…whatever you want to call it…in NZ. I’m based in Queenstown and am always out and about exploring trails, old & new. If you have any questions, reach out.