Q. What is Travel Goals?

A. Travel Goals allows you to set your goal, start making regular contributions and save-in-advance for your future travel. It enables you to pay for your getaways without interest costs and the stress of paying off debt. Travel Goals is a socially responsible and fun way of getting you to create your goal and start saving for your holidays. In today's world people are looking at new and better ways to utilise their money — so be smart and start saving before you travel with Travel Goals today. 

Q. Does it cost anything to register and create a Travel Goal?

A. No, it's FREE! - No set up costs. No management fees. No account fees. No transaction fees. No withdrawal fees.

Q. How do I make regular contributions for my Travel Goal?

A. You will obtain full payment instructions of the Public Trust bank account, along with your deposit reference number when you create your goal. Once you have this information you can then proceed to set up an automatic payment or a bill payment via internet banking. You can also choose to make manual payments at any branch of ASB Bank. Please ensure you include your deposit reference number and name on all payment deposits to avoid any delays in your funds being allocated to your Travel Goal.

If you make a deposit into your travel goal and it doesn't show as being received when you view your goal transactions and balance, then please contact us via email at info@travelgoals.co.nz or phone 0800 895 180, Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.

Q. What payment frequency can I choose?

A. You can choose weekly, fortnightly or monthly payments to suit your budgeting requirements.

Q. Is there a minimum payment amount?

A. Yes, the minimum amount for each payment frequency is $10.00 per week, $20.00 per fortnight and $40.00 per month.

Q. Where are my funds held?

A. Your contributions are held in an independent bank account under the custody of Public Trust (as Custodian). Public Trust is a Crown owned entity whose independence is guaranteed under the Public Trust Act 2001.

Q. Can family and friends contribute towards my Travel Goal?

A. Yes they can, in fact anyone can contribute to your goal. All you need to do is provide them with the Public Trust Travel Goals bank account number and your goal reference number for them to include when they deposit funds. They can also add their name in the deposit reference particulars so that you know who has helped you towards achieving your Travel Goal. They can deposit monies via internet banking, automatic payment or by making a manual payment at any ASB Bank branch.

Q. Can family and friends contribute towards my Travel goal if they reside overseas?

A. Yes they can, providing the funds are transferred in New Zealand dollars. All you need to do is provide them with the Public Trust Travel Goals bank account number, bank SWIFT code used for international transfers and your goal reference number. You can obtain these details under the payment instructions section of your goal. They can also add their name in the deposit reference so that you know who has helped you towards achieving your Travel Goal.

Q. Is my travel goal transferable?

A. Yes, you can transfer your travel goal funds to anyone else at anytime by sending a written request to info@travelgoals.co.nz.

Q. What if I want to amend my goal details?

A. That's fine, as you are not tied in to a specific travel package or destination enabling you to refine your goal details at any time.

Q. Can I make lump sum deposits into my Travel Goal?

A. Yes, you can make additional deposits at any time. You can then choose to keep your payment contributions the same therefore reaching your goal earlier or extend the end date of your goal to reduce your regular contributions. Please remember to amend your automatic payment if this is your preferred method of payment.

Q. What do I do if my contact details change?

A. It is important to keep your personal details up to date and you can amend them anytime under your personal profile within the website.

Q. What happens if I miss a payment?

A. If you miss a payment then you can choose to make a manual deposit for the missed payment amount into the Travel goals account (please ensure you include your goal reference number and name), increase your regular contributions to ensure you still reach your goal on time and amend your automatic payment accordingly or amend the goal end date to keep your payment amount the same.

Q. What happens if I can no longer afford to pay my regular contributions but still wish to keep my Travel Goal?

A. You can decrease your regular payments by amending the end date of your goal and amending your automatic payment accordingly so that you only pay the minimum payment amount for your chosen payment frequency.

Q. What happens if I decide to withdraw all my funds and cancel my travel goal before the completion of my goal?

A. You can cancel your travel goal at any time and there are no financial fees or penalties to cancel. All you need to do is request to cancel your goal by following the instructions within the website. As with any SMART goal there is a deterrent to avoid impulsive distractions, therefore you will receive your funds five working days from the date of your cancellation advice.

Q. What happens if I don't receive an email confirming my registration with Travel Goals?

A. We recommend that you add the following address to your email address book to ensure that emails from TravelGoals are not blocked as spam. info@travelgoals.co.nz

Q. Will I receive interest on my money with Travel Goals?

A. TravelGoals does not pay credit interest, however you do have the chance to win a travel related prize each month while you are saving.  For example - $100.00 per week saved over (say) twelve months will earn less than $40.00 after tax (based upon current average bank interest rates). 

We believe that encouraging goal setting and savings through a dedicated, fee free travel fund and the value of having a trip away and achieving a goal in (say) twelve months is worth far more than $40.00!

Q. Do I need to nominate a travel agent when I create a Travel goal?

A. No you don't, however Travel agents can provide you with valuable information and helpful tips on travel to your destination which can save you both time and money. By nominating a Travel agent you can also request to be kept informed of "special offers" which may be offered from time to time to your chosen holiday destination.

Q. Can I nominate a travel agent after I have created my goal?

Yes, you can nominate a Travel agent by editing your goal and adding the travel agent details.

Q. Am I locked into a holiday package?

A. No, you are not locked into a holiday package.  TravelGoals is not to be confused with a lay-by type payment plan which can end up being more expensive and inflexible. TravelGoals provides you with the mechanism to save towards your chosen destination. You have the freedom to choose when and with whom you wish to book and pay for your holiday that suits your budget and needs with the money you have saved in advance with Travel Goals.

Q. When I'm ready to buy my travel what do I do?

A. Go to your goal and select the withdrawal funds option.  Your requested withdrawal amount will be paid to your nominated bank account.  The minimum withdrawal amount is $50.00.

You can make partial withdrawals to pay for flights and/or special deals that may be offered by your travel agent while you are saving towards your goal.  You can then continue to save towards your accommodation and spending money if these costs formed part of your overall goal.

Q. Can I create and have more than one travel goal at any one time?

Yes, you can have as many Travel Goals as you like. This means that you can set and save for short, medium and long term goals, for a variety of reasons, at any time.  Each set goal amount must be $500 or more.

Q. Can I create a goal for someone else?

A. Yes, you can set up a goal using your registration details. You add the name of the other person or Group in the goal name and include the details of who the travel goal is for and the reason for travel in the goal description. This is a great idea for birthdays, weddings, conferences, sports trips, fundraising events etc

Q. How do I qualify for the prize draws?

A. You must have your goal created and made active with regular contributions being made for at least one calendar month to be eligible for the monthly prize draws. Each active goal entitles the user to one entry into the prize draw. If you miss a payment then you will not be eligible to enter the prize draw until your regular contributions are up to date.

Q. How do you notify prize winners?

A. Travel Goals will notify all prize draw winners directly. For this reason, please ensure that you keep your contact details up to date.