Yes you'll need a card or a phone wallet to sign up. Visa, Mastercard, Credit, Debit, or Apple Pay / Google Pay.

But here's the part people are usually really asking about.

Your first month isn't taken when you place the order. We save your payment method so it's ready to go, and your card is charged for the first time when your connection actually goes live, which might be a couple of weeks away or considerably longer, depending on whether there's already fibre at your address.

One thing you might notice in the meantime. When you place the order we run a small check to make sure the card is valid. Depending on your bank, that can appear as a temporary authorisation, or as a charge of a few cents that's reversed straight away. Either way it isn't payment for your service, and it clears on its own within a few days.

If you spot something on your statement you're not sure about, message us and we'll tell you exactly what it is.

Two honest reasons.

So there's nothing left for you to do later. Your connection goes live and it simply works. No invoice to chase, no payment to remember on the very day you're busy plugging things in and getting everyone back online.

Because we're about to spend money on your behalf. We send you hardware and book work with the fibre company before you've paid us anything. Having a card saved is how we know an order is real. It's not about distrust, it's about not sending routers to addresses that never intended to order.

Debit cards: yes. Most NZ bank Visa and Mastercard debit cards are fine, though we can't guarantee every last bank.

Prepaid or gift cards: unfortunately not. They can't hold a recurring payment, so they'd fail at the first monthly charge.

Apple Pay or Google Pay: yes, and it's what we'd suggest if you have the option. A card in a wallet updates itself when your bank reissues it, which means your payments keep working without you having to think about it.

Not at the moment, and we know that's a let-down for some people. We've started with cards and wallets, and direct debit is on our list for future updates.

Absolutely, any time, in your Plio account under Billing. What you sign up with isn't what you're stuck with, so if you'd rather use a different card once you're up and running, that's completely fine.