New Zealand exporters collecting dollars, euros and pounds

A Marlborough winery ships to an importer in Sydney, a distributor in London and a wine merchant in California. Each pays in its own currency. Into a New Zealand dollar account, each payment is converted on the day it arrives at the bank's rate. In a year when the Kiwi rose against the pound, the London sales were worth noticeably less than budgeted.

Many markets, many currencies

New Zealand's exporters sell across the Pacific and beyond:

• Australia in Australian dollars,
• the US in US dollars,
• the UK in pounds,
• Europe in euros.

Hold, then convert

Receiving foreign currency into matching balances, then converting on a schedule ahead of payroll and grower payments, spreads the exchange rate risk across the year. Pay costs in those currencies from the balances directly: freight, marketing abroad, trade fairs.

Larger exporters add forward contracts for predictable NZD needs.

GST

Exports of goods, and many services supplied to non-residents outside New Zealand, are zero-rated for GST when the conditions are met. Keep export documents and evidence of the buyer's location.

Faster foreign payments

Buyers abroad pay fastest on their own rails: Faster Payments in the UK, ACH in the US, SEPA in Europe. Local details in your company's name let them pay as they pay domestic suppliers.

Paying into New Zealand: the local rail

Source: Payments NZ. Checked when this guide was last updated; the scheme's own page has the current figures.

Where Rivet fits

A Rivet business account gives a New Zealand company US account details on every plan and sterling and euro details from the Growth plan, in its own name, and on Scale balances in 30 currencies, including Australian and New Zealand dollars. Balances can be held, used to pay suppliers in 120+ countries, or converted at a rate shown before you confirm. Rivet is not a bank; regulated partner institutions hold the funds.