Payment methods in Kiribati

Oceania

3methods

2banks

Cash (Australian dollars) is the primary payment method across most of Kiribati.

Market takeaways

Cash (Australian dollars) is the primary payment method across most of Kiribati.
Kiribati uses the Australian dollar alongside the Kiribati dollar, both at a 1:1 peg.
Kiribati joined the World Bank regional Pacific banking protection project alongside Fiji, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
ADB supports Kiribati under the Pacific sub-regional program (SPSO), covering Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Niue, Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu.
Banking infrastructure is very limited outside South Tarawa, the capital.

Population

0.12M

Online population

~0.03M

Banked population

~20%

Credit card population

<5%

Payment method breakdown

Cash90%
Card5%
Mobile/Digital3%
Bank Transfer2%

Card scheme breakdown

Market data coming soon.

Cross-border e-commerce

Market data coming soon.

Featured payment methods in Kiribati

Popular options based on coverage and prominence in this market.

International Remittance Services

Western Union and other remittance services operate in Kiribati, facilitating inbound transfers from the I-Kiribati diaspora (primarily in New Zealand, Australia, and Fiji) and remittances from seafarers employed on international vessels.

ANZ Kiribati / Bank of Kiribati

ANZ Bank and the Bank of Kiribati (a joint venture partly owned by ANZ) are the primary banking institutions, operating mainly on South Tarawa. They issue Visa debit cards and provide ATM access, but reach is extremely limited. Most outer islands have no branch or ATM access.

Cash (AUD)

Australian dollars are the dominant means of exchange throughout Kiribati, used in virtually all retail transactions. The Kiribati dollar is pegged 1:1 to the AUD and is legal tender alongside AUD notes and coins.