Send money from NZ to Samoa:
fees and rates.
Sending money from New Zealand to Samoa costs a transfer fee, the provider's exchange-rate margin and sometimes overseas bank charges. On 11 Nov 2026 the Central Bank of Samoa daily rate was WS$1.5585 per NZ$1, so NZ$1,000 was worth WS$1,559 before costs. Western Union's converter showed WS$1.5453 per NZ$1 with no fee.
Checked 10 Nov 2026
What do NZ banks and transfer services charge to send WST to Samoa?
We read each provider's own fee page or fee brochure on 10 Nov 2026; where the figures come from a brochure, its date is in the table.
| Provider | Fee to send online | Other ways to send | Overseas bank charges | Exchange rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANZ →Bank · checked 10 Nov 2026 | NZ$0 in goMoney or Internet Banking (ANZ says this is a current fee offer) | NZ$15 in a branch or by phone | An ANZ "OUR Fee" may apply to foreign-currency payments; the page gives no amount | ANZ converts at its own exchange rate; the page does not state the margin |
| BNZ →Bank · checked 10 Nov 2026 | No charge to send foreign currency online; NZ$5 to send NZ dollars | NZ$25 staff-assisted | BNZ covers the correspondent bank fee on online foreign-currency payments; NZ$12 for "Charges Our" on NZD payments | "BNZ includes a margin on foreign exchange conversions"; the size is not stated |
| ASB →ASB Guide to fees, 15 Sep 2026 | NZ$5 in FastNet Classic internet banking | NZ$30 at an ASB Advice Centre | Choose "Sender to Pay" and ASB adds an Other Bank Fee (NZ$5 to NZ$25 by currency); choose "Recipient to Pay" and fees will likely come out of the payment Sender to Pay: NZ$10 Other Bank Fee for WST. | The fee guide does not state ASB's exchange-rate margin |
| Westpac →Westpac personal fees, effective 10 Nov 2026 | NZ$0 in Westpac One in a foreign currency; NZ$5 in NZ dollars | NZ$30 staff-assisted | NZ$25 for the OUR charge option; other banks may still deduct fees Westpac One: NZ$0 transfer fee for payments to Samoa. | The fee brochure does not state Westpac's exchange-rate margin |
| Kiwibank →Kiwibank Fees & Limits, effective 14 May 2026 | NZ$10 in internet banking with SHA charges; NZ$20 with OUR | NZ$25 in a branch or by email (SHA); NZ$35 (OUR) | SHA: overseas bank fees come out of the payment. OUR: you pay them, though the recipient may still be charged | The brochure does not state Kiwibank's exchange-rate margin |
| Wise →Transfer service · checked 10 Nov 2026 | NZ$1,000 paid by bank transfer: recipient gets 1,460.45 WST, with NZ$61.14 in total fees (mid-market rate 1.556 WST per NZ$1, Wise converter, read 11 Nov 2026) | — | — | Wise says it uses the mid-market rate, with a fee discount on transfers over NZ$44,000 |
| Remitly →Transfer service · checked 10 Nov 2026 | NZ$3.50 fee and 1.4389 WST per NZ$1 (standard rate, NZ$1,000, read 11 Nov 2026). First transfer: fee waived and 1.4849 WST per NZ$1 on the first NZ$400 | — | — | Remitly quotes its own rate; new customers get a better rate or no fee on their first transfer |
| OFX →Transfer service · checked 10 Nov 2026 | NZ$12 on transfers under NZ$10,000; no transfer fee from NZ$10,000 | — | Third-party banks may deduct a fee before paying your recipient; OFX gets none of it | OFX says its rate is the market rate plus its margin, shown before you confirm; new customers get an introductory rate on a first online transfer |
| Western Union →Transfer service · checked 10 Nov 2026 | Converter: 1.5453 WST per NZ$1 and a NZ$0.00 fee (default options, read 11 Nov 2026) | — | — | Western Union quotes its own exchange rate in its converter |
Fees as published on each provider's page or fee brochure, read on 10 Nov 2026. Fees change, and the overseas bank or the recipient's bank may charge too. None of these links are affiliate links.
Before fees and margins
How many Samoan tala do NZ dollars buy at the mid-market rate?
The amounts below use the Central Bank of Samoa daily rate for 11 Nov 2026. The Central Bank of Samoa quotes NZ$0.64164 per tala; we show it the other way up. No bank or transfer service pays out at this rate: the amount that arrives will be lower once its margin and fee are taken off. Use it to see how far below the mid-market rate a quote is.
- WS$779NZ$500 at the mid-market rate
- WS$1,559NZ$1,000 at the mid-market rate
- WS$7,793NZ$5,000 at the mid-market rate
- WS$15,585NZ$10,000 at the mid-market rate
Three costs
How do the costs of a transfer to Samoa add up?
Compare the amount that arrives in WST, not the fee alone. A transfer with no fee can still cost more if the exchange rate is further from the mid-market rate.
- 1
What is the transfer fee?
The transfer fee is a flat charge per payment. ANZ, BNZ and Westpac charge nothing to send foreign currency online, ASB charges NZ$5 and Kiwibank NZ$10 to NZ$20. All five charge more in a branch or with staff help.
- 2
What is the exchange-rate margin?
The exchange-rate margin is the gap between the mid-market rate and the rate the provider converts your NZ dollars at. None of the five main NZ banks states its margin on its fee page or brochure, so check the WST amount on the quote.
- 3
Do overseas banks charge too?
Yes. Banks along the way, and the recipient's bank, may take a fee from the payment. BNZ says it covers the correspondent bank fee on online foreign-currency payments; ANZ may add an "OUR Fee".
This page lists published fees. It doesn't recommend a provider or tell you when to send. Every provider's general fees are on send money overseas. See what NZ banks expect for the NZ dollar, or compare sending to Australia, India, the UK, the Philippines, the US, China, South Africa, South Korea, Tonga or Fiji.
FAQ
What else do people ask about sending money to Samoa?
Straight answers, with the source and date for every figure.
What is the cheapest way to send money from NZ to Samoa?
Compare the tala that arrive, not the fee. On 11 Nov 2026, Western Union's converter showed WS$1.5453 per NZ$1 with a NZ$0.00 fee on its default options, against the Central Bank of Samoa rate of WS$1.5585. Wise showed WS$1,460.45 arriving from NZ$1,000 after NZ$61.14 in fees, and Remitly quoted a NZ$3.50 fee at WS$1.4389 per NZ$1. Westpac charges no transfer fee to Samoa through Westpac One but doesn't publish its exchange-rate margin.
Does Westpac charge to send money to Samoa?
Not through Westpac One. Westpac's personal fees brochure (effective 10 November 2026) lists a NZ$0 transfer fee via Westpac One for payments to Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and other Pacific countries. The sending, intermediary or receiving bank may still charge, and Westpac converts at its own rate.
How much does Remitly charge to send money from NZ to Samoa?
On 11 Nov 2026, Remitly's calculator showed a NZ$3.50 fee and a standard rate of WS$1.4389 per NZ$1 on NZ$1,000. New customers had the fee waived and got WS$1.4849 per NZ$1 on the first NZ$400 of their first transfer, with the standard rate on the rest. Remitly says its rates can change.
How many tala is NZ$1,000?
At the Central Bank of Samoa daily rate for 11 Nov 2026, WS$1.5585 per NZ$1, NZ$1,000 is WS$1,559. The bank quotes it as NZ$0.64164 per tala. A bank or transfer service pays out less, because it converts at its own rate and may charge a fee.
How is the Samoan tala exchange rate set?
The Central Bank of Samoa sets the tala against a trade-weighted basket of currencies. After its last review, in January 2018, the basket is the US dollar, the NZ dollar, the Australian dollar and the euro, weighted by Samoa's trade and travel payments. So the NZ dollar's moves against those other currencies feed into the NZD/WST rate.