Can I Use My Latitude Gem Visa Card Overseas? Guide for Kiwis

Planning a trip and wondering whether the Gem Visa will work overseas, or how much it’ll cost when it does? You’re not the only one. Credit cards can be convenient for travel, but the fees and exchange rates behind the scenes aren’t always obvious.

In this guide, we’ll walk through what the Gem Visa actually is in New Zealand, how it works abroad, and the international fees you should expect. You’ll also see how the card handles exchange rates, and what to watch out for if you plan to withdraw cash or rely on it for everyday spending while you’re overseas. We'll also introduce to you Wise Travel Card that can help you save on international transactions with currency conversions at mid-market exchange rates.

What is a Gem Visa?

The Gem Visa card is a credit card offered by Latitude.¹ In New Zealand it’s a basic credit card without a rewards program that offers opportunities to pay 0% interest on various purchases.

Here are some of the main features of the Gem Visa.

• 0% interest for 6 months on general purchases of $250 or more
• Offers for 0% interest for up to 60 months on some purchases
• Compatible with certain digital wallets including Apple Pay and Google Pay
• Manageable through the Latitude App

The card also offers anti-fraud protection, to help keep your money safe.

Can you use your Gem Visa card overseas?

The answer is yes, you can use your Gem Visa overseas. There’s no process to activate it for overseas use, you can simply start spending.

Thinking about what stores accept the Gem Visa NZ; it can be used anywhere that Visa credit cards are accepted.² Being one of the major worldwide card providers, Visa cards are accepted in most countries around the globe, so it is largely down to the merchant having the facilities to process credit card payments.

Using Gem Visa card overseas

While the way you charge purchases to your Gem Visa card is the same no matter whether you’re at home or abroad, there are some differences in the costs.

Let’s take a look at the fees and exchange rates that apply when you use the Gem Visa for international payments.

Gem Visa’s international transaction fees

When you use your Gem Visa abroad some of the standard rates and fees apply, alongside an international transaction fee.

Here’s the main fees and charges to be aware of if you’re planning to use a Gem Visa for overseas spending.¹

When travelling it’s quite common to need a bit of local cash for things like taxi’s, public transport, tipping and small stores. With a 2% international fee, $1.50 ATM withdrawal fee, and a cash advance rate of 29.95%, your Gem Visa credit card likely isn’t the most cost effective way to withdraw foreign cash while you travel. Instead, it’s worth looking at something like the Wise Debit card.

With Wise, you can hold 40+ currencies in a single account, all ready to spend with your Wise card. There’s a 350 NZD per month fee-free withdrawal allowance, up to 2 withdrawals.

On top of the fees, there’s also the exchange rate to consider.

Gem Visa’s exchange rate

When charges are made to the Gem Visa credit card in a foreign currency, the amount is converted to NZD by Visa using their exchange rate.² This comes with the caveat that the amount may also be converted from the foreign currency to USD first, before converting that amount to NZD.

On their website Visa has a converter that acts as an indicator of the rate you might get. It’s a good idea to compare the rate you actually get on a transaction to the mid-market rate at the time, to get an idea of the value it offers.

The mid-market rate) is the mid-point between the buy and sell prices on the currency exchange market, making it a great benchmark to compare the exchange rates you’re being offered. The mid-market rate is also what Wise uses for all currency conversions, without any hidden mark-ups, fees or margins.

What to watch out for when using a credit card abroad

Before relying on or using a Gem Visa credit card abroad, it’s worth keeping in mind a few general things about international credit card spending.

• International credit card fees often compound, for example the Gem Visa ATM fee and foreign transaction fee both apply to cash withdrawals. Consider this when choosing how you want to pay for things.
• Many foreign ATMs charge their own fees, so before you leave it pays to do a bit of research to see if any banks offer fee-free withdrawals to foreign cards.
• Unexpected overseas spending can trigger security checks or temporary blocks. Ensure your contact information with Latitude is up-to-date and take at least one backup payment method, just in case.
• If you get offered the chance to pay in local currency or NZD, choose to pay in local currency. Selecting NZD usually initiates a Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC), where the merchant gets to decide the exchange rate instead of your financial provider. This rate is generally less favourable to you.

Summary: Using a Gem Visa NZ credit card abroad

The Gem Visa credit card can be a useful travel companion if you want access to interest-free payment offers or the convenience of a widely accepted Visa credit card that works overseas without needing activation.

The potential downside of the Gem Visa; the international costs can add up quickly. With the 2% foreign transaction fee, cash advance charges, and ATM withdrawal fees, it can be difficult to quickly and easily work out what your spending will ultimately cost. On top of that, because your transactions are converted using Visa’s exchange rate, you won’t always know exactly what you’re paying until the charge appears on your statement.

If you’re looking for a more transparent way to spend overseas with no annual card fees and the mid-market exchange rate, it’s worth considering Wise card.

Heading abroad? Safeguard yourself from high foreign transaction fees with the Wise card

Spending internationally with credit cards often comes with hidden costs like high foreign transaction fees. The Wise card is a simple way to save up to 8x when you're spending internationally. You can spend in 150+ countries at mid-market rate — basically the rate you see on Google. With no foreign transaction fees and low, transparent pricing, Wise usually gives you the best value for your money.

Simply create a Wise account for free, order a card and top-up NZD to get started. Having a physical Wise card allows you to make chip and pin payments, as well as make some free ATM withdrawals each month for when you're abroad. You can get digital cards and add to your Google or Apple Pay wallet for instant use. Spend directly with the Wise account in NZD and let auto-conversion do the trick or convert in advance to your desired currency. You can hold and exchange 40+ currencies in your Wise account and spend the currencies you hold for free.

Wherever your travel takes you, the Wise card makes spending money abroad cheaper and easier.

🚀 Get your Wise card