How to send money to Tonga from New Zealand with the best NZD-TOP rate

Comparing providers offering services between New Zealand and Tonga based on your specific transfer amount, is the easiest way to get the best price on your transfer.

Right now, these are your best options for sending money from New Zealand to Tonga

• Wise scored the highest of the 3 money transfer companies supporting NZD to TOP transfers. For example, sending 10,000 NZD to TOP will cost you $123.58 in fees, and the recipient will get 13,312.72 TOP. The delivery time is within a week.

• The cheapest option is OFX. Our data shows, over the past week, that OFX is 2.38% than the second-best option when sending via a bank transfer. This includes a fee of 0 NZD and a NZD-TOP exchange rates.

• Fastest money transfers to Tonga from New Zealand is with OFX. Right now, if you send $10,000 with OFX to Tonga, the transfer time is 6-12 hours. When sending money from New Zealand to Tonga, OFX has a fee of 0 NZD. Although we would recommend comparing the amount you want to send.

We cover the entire NZD-TOP market and have compared 3 providers offering services between New Zealand and Tonga.

This ensures you will get the most comprehensive options for sending New Zealand Dollar to Tonga.

Whilst we rate Wise as the best overall for transfers between the two countries, comparing gives you the best idea for your specific New Zealand to Tonga transfer needs.

The exchange rate determines the price you will pay when buying Pa’anga in New Zealand. A better exchange rate means more New Zealand Dollars being sent to Tonga.

The current rate between the New Zealand Dollar and Pa’anga is 1.3648.

The total cost of money transfers to Tonga from New Zealand, is a combination of exchange rates and fees. Sending with a company that can offer a good competitive rate and low (or no) fees is the best way to get a good deal.

• The Mid-Market and Exchange Rates: The current mid-market for NZD-TOP is 1.3648 TOP per New Zealand Dollar.

• Fees: Some money transfers between New Zealand and Tonga will be subject to fees. Although you should search for your send amount for actual fees as your scenario may be different.

• Amount Received: Money transfer companies will show you the amount of Pa’anga eventually received in Tonga.

A safer option if you want to get a particular rate is to use a forward contract, especially for large New Zealand Dollar transfers to Tonga. This allows you to lock in an agreed exchange rate between New Zealand and Tonga.

Sending via a bank transfer is the payment method that will get you the best price on a transfer from New Zealand to Tonga.

Here are all the ways to fund your transfer:

Bank transfer

Bank transfers are often the best and easier way to send money from New Zealand to Tonga.

By using a money transfer company such as OFX for transfers from New Zealand to Tonga, you can send money via a bank transfer and benefit from lower fees and more favorable exchange rates than would be offered by a bank. 


Debit and prepaid cards

Sending money from New Zealand to Tonga with a debit or a prepaid card is easy with Xe.


Xe is a leading money transfer company for debit card payments, and offers transfers from New Zealand to Tonga.

Credit cards

When it comes to sending money with a credit card from New Zealand to Tonga, it can get very expensive very quickly due to additional fees.

We recommend sticking to bank transfers or debit card deposits, but if you have to, run a quick comparison to find the right money transfer company that offers credit card deposits.

Companies offering money transfers between New Zealand and Tonga will have minimum or maximum thresholds on how much you can send or receive across set timeframes.

Exchange rates and fees for different transfer amounts could change and sending regularly could mean losing out.

That’s why it’s best to compare NZD-TOP rates for your specific transfer amount.

For regular transfers to Tonga to New Zealand, shopping around each time can make a huge difference.

For sending large amounts of NZD to Tonga without hitting a threshold, we’d recommended Wise. They offer a combination of rates and fees when sending from New Zealand to Tonga that is the most competitive, even at larger amounts.

Be sure to check with the recipient and understand any declarations needed on large amounts of money entering Tonga from New Zealand.

Options for receiving Pa’anga in Tonga include direct bank deposit, cash pickup, a mobile wallet or receiving money into a multi-currency account.

Not all of the 3 providers offering transfers from New Zealand to Tonga will support every method for incoming Pa’anga, so it’s best to check ahead of time.

The most common option is to send directly from New Zealand to a bank account in Tonga. For most part, this is convenient but does have receiving fees to potentially be aware of.

Wise is the best company for bank transfers between New Zealand and Tonga.

Cash pickup is popular in some parts of Tonga, but not always supported and can be costly compared to cheaper options.

Mobile wallet or P2P services and payment apps like PayPal, Xoom, and CashApp are popular because of convenience, but they come with more limitations and higher costs compared to money transfer providers like OFX.

When sending Pa’angas to Tonga, through a money transfer company, you will need to verify your ID when signing up.

The documents you need can vary and in some cases you might need a couple of options.

Generally, government issued ID such as a passport or driver's license are accepted in New Zealand. If the recipient needs an ID to collect money in Tonga, the same applies there. You may also be able use other ID formats, where these aren’t available.

Large transactions between New Zealand and Tonga can be subject to additional checks such as proof of funds for anti-money laundering purposes. This may also require additional ID checks.

One of the reasons Wise as scored so highly for transfers to Tonga is their easy sign up process in New Zealand.

As well as proof of funds, when sending large amounts of money between New Zealand and Tonga there will be tax declarations to consider. This is also potentially due to regular transactions.

Some transfers into Pa’anga may need to be reported to tax authorities in Tonga and New Zealand, particularly where inheritance or property purchases are involved.

Tax limits and personal allowances do change in Tonga based on age, income and a few other elements. Everyone’s tax obligations are unique - when in doubt, please contact a tax professional in New Zealand or Tonga.