Subscription Tracker App for New Zealand
App Comparisons · The Subgrove Team · · Updated · 4 min read
Short answer: the American subscription trackers can't connect to a New Zealand bank, so they don't work here — a manual tracker that handles NZD and USD together does. Rocket Money's help centre puts it in one line: the app is "only available to users located within the United States and with U.S. based banks." Copilot Money says the same about itself: "we only support US financial institutions and as such are only available in the US App Store." If you bank with ANZ, ASB, BNZ, Westpac or Kiwibank, those apps are closed doors.
Why They Don't Work Here
The trick these apps sell — spotting subscriptions automatically — depends on a data aggregator reading transactions from US banks. It has never been wired into New Zealand's banks, and every headline feature depends on it. There's no setting to change and no regional version coming.
New Zealand's own open-banking rails are arriving under the Customer and Product Data Act. The four big banks — ANZ, ASB, BNZ and Westpac — were required to be in from 1 December 2025, and Kiwibank follows in phases through 2026, with customer data due by 1 December 2026. Banks can't charge for those transfers. That will let local apps read local accounts with your consent; it changes nothing for an app built against US banks.
The NZD-and-USD Problem
Plenty of what New Zealanders subscribe to bills in NZD. Plenty doesn't. Most software tools, AI services and some streaming and cloud plans charge in USD, and the exchange rate moves the real cost month to month. A single-currency tracker shows a total that is quietly wrong.
Copilot's help centre: "Copilot only supports USD and does not convert foreign currency transactions." A Kiwi household has the same problem in reverse: you need NZD and USD in the same tracker, each counted in its own currency.
The Checklist
- No bank linking required. If the first screen wants a bank login, it's the wrong tool here. See tracking without bank linking.
- Multi-currency, done honestly. NZD and USD side by side, each with its own monthly total. See multi-currency subscription tracking.
- A reminder before renewal. Set the lead time yourself; the saving happens before the charge, not after.
- iPhone and Android in one house. See subscription tracking on iPhone and Android.
- No geography at all. It should work in Invercargill exactly as in Auckland, because it never asks where you bank.
Side by Side
| Works in NZ | Needs bank linking | Multi-currency total | iPhone + Android | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocket Money | No — US banks only | Yes | No | Yes |
| Copilot Money | No — US App Store only | Yes | No — USD only | No — no Android app |
| Monarch Money | Not stated by vendor (US and Canada named) | Yes | Not stated by vendor | Not stated by vendor |
| PocketSmith | Yes — NZ-made, NZ/AU/UK/US bank feeds | Optional | Not stated by vendor | Web and mobile apps |
| Your bank's app | Yes, for that bank | Built in | No | Usually |
| Subgrove | Yes | No | Yes, per currency | Yes (PWA) |
PocketSmith deserves a fair word: it's a New Zealand-made budgeting and forecasting app, and if you want automatic detection from local bank feeds, it's the honest place to look. It is not a dedicated subscription tracker.
Running It in Subgrove
Subgrove is a manual tracker that fits the checklist. You enter each subscription — name, price, currency, cycle, next renewal — and it keeps the totals and reminders.
- NZD and USD side by side. Add Sky in NZD and a US tool in USD; the dashboard shows a monthly and yearly total for each currency.
- Push reminders at your lead time. Two weeks out or the day itself; iOS setup is in renewal reminders on iPhone.
- Installs anywhere. A PWA for the home screen from Safari or Chrome; opens on a laptop; works offline.
- Export when you like. CSV export keeps the list portable.
Curious about the total first? The free subscription cost calculator adds it up in the browser with no account.
What Subgrove Doesn't Do
It doesn't find subscriptions for you. You add them; a forgotten charge stays hidden until you look.
It doesn't cancel or negotiate. It warns you; you act. See cancelling any subscription.
It isn't a budgeting app. No bank feed, no net worth, no category budgets. PocketSmith or your bank's own app cover that ground — the bank app only for its own accounts.
Getting Started
Start with an audit: finding forgotten subscriptions covers statements, email receipts and the Apple and Google Play pages. Then add each one in its billing currency and set a reminder.
You can sign up from New Zealand. The free plan covers five subscriptions; upgrades bill in USD, so check what your card charges on foreign transactions.
Common Questions
Does Rocket Money work in New Zealand? No. Its help centre restricts it to US users with US banks. Full detail in Rocket Money in New Zealand.
Is PocketSmith a subscription tracker? Not specifically. It's a New Zealand-made budgeting and forecasting app with bank feeds.
Do I have to link my bank? No. Subgrove never asks for bank credentials.
Can I track NZD and USD together? Yes. Each subscription keeps its own currency and the dashboard shows an NZD total and a USD total next to each other. There's no live conversion, so the numbers never drift with the exchange rate.
Is there an Android app? Yes. Subgrove is a PWA, so it installs on Android and iPhone straight from the browser.