Student Discounts

Last Updated on Monday, 19 April 2010 14:07

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For most, being a student means living on a budget. So it's important to reap the benefits of your student status and take advantage of ALL student discounts!

From food to software to travel (we're talking buses, trains and planes!!) to movies and maybe even your warrant of fitness there are all sorts of discounts to be had. Your Student ID can help you save money, as many businesses will offer you a discount on their products or services when you show them your ID. Whenever you buy something, make sure you ask if they offer a student discount - every saving counts! Some require you to have a special student card while others are happy enough to accept the card you are issued through school or uni. You'll even find your bank and many others vying for your "studentness" offering you tertiary packages galore!

We thought we'd help you out a little and list some of the options:

http://www.studentcard.co.nz/ (free to BNZ customers who hold a tertiary account)

It costs $20 but there are loads of discounts and companies hooked up - last year they had over 55,000 members with a total of $10million in savings?!

Travel

Buses:

Intercity offers a 12 month Flexi Pass which basically works like a prepay phone card. The more hours you pre purchase means the bigger the discount. You can use it for city travel, intercity travel and even the Interislander ferry and Newmans coaches.

Trains:

For long distance travel Tranz Scenic offer students a 50% discount on standard adult fares - they also are linked with Interislander ferries so the discount applies to them as well.

and Planes...

The cheapest flights (domestic and international) can usually be found online. Try Air New Zealand's grabaseat for great domestic deals.

Another way to save on flights is to fly standby. Instead of booking in advance, just go up to the airline counter on the day you hope to travel and see if there are any seats left ...and they'll be at a much cheaper price. (Though if the flights full then you won't be able to go...). Also contact the airline first to see whether they offer student standby fares.

STA Travel is a great company that specialises in young people's travel. They have their own student discount card, the ISIC -International Student Identity Card. Again its $20 but this card entitles to you to savings in New Zealand AND overseas!!

Health:

Most students qualify for a Community Services Card which helps you pay less for doctor's fees and prescriptions. To find out if you are eligible, visit the Work and Income New Zealand website.

If you are a tertiary student most campuses can support you with discounted medical services, so track down the information desk to point you in the right direction. And if you're lucky enough to be studying in Auckland or Dunedin, Otago and Auckland University offer low cost dental care.

Know of other student discounts you think we should list? Email us the info to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we'll post it on the site for everyone to share.