In an overwhelming majority of cases, the answer is no. Most visitors pursue one (or more) of the following options in order to have money in Tasmania:

Credit cards

Major credit cards, particularly MasterCard and Visa, are accepted at most places in Australia. Other cards, such as Barclays, JCB, Diners and American Express also have widespread acceptance.

Generally, the credit card company will automatically convert the amount from Australian dollars into whatever currency you pay the account in. Some Tasmanian shops may have minimum purchase policies (e.g. A$10) in order to use a credit card. Be aware that your credit card company may charge a fee for these transactions.

ATM cards

ATM's of some Australian banks will also accept certain overseas ATM cards. For instance, Cirrus ATM cards from North America are widely accepted. A fee of over $5 may be charged by the Australian bank for transactions using foreign ATM cards, in addition to any fees from your own bank.

Cash

Foreign currency can be converted into Australian money at most airports. Some travel agencies (e.g. Thomas Cook) and bank branches will offer currency exchange at city offices.

You may be able to get a slightly better rate from a city office than the airport, but the difference is unlikely to be huge.

Travellers cheques

It will be possible to purchase travellers cheques in Australian dollars in some overseas countries. These can be cashed at most businesses in Tasmania.

But in some countries, it is not possible to purchase travellers cheques in Australian dollars. In such instances, purchase travellers cheques in another stable currency (e.g. US dollars, Yen, British pound). Travellers cheques in non-Australian currency can generally only be cashed at banks, but are more secure than cash.

Certain tourist shops may accept certain foreign money. But these are very rare and tend not to offer a very good rate of exchange.

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Last reviewed 2006-08-06 12:44:23