Australia’s currency is made up of coins & plastic notes. The coins are 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, $1 & $2. Australia no longer has 1 or 2c coins & prices are rounded up or down accordingly. The notes are all different colours & sizes. The $1 and $2 are gold, while the rest of the coins are silver.

Australia's bank notes are aimed at being "cutting edge", and are made of plastic and have a number of special features.

• All notes are colour coded differently

• All notes are sized according to their denomination for the visually impaired. They are the same height but different lengths, in order of their value ($5 being the smallest, $100 the largest)
• ATMs generally dispense ONLY a mix of $20 and $50 notes and you can only withdraw a combination of these amounts, although some smaller ATMs, particularly in service (petrol/gas) stations dispense $10 notes but again only in combinations of $20 and $50, and some rare locations, particularly casinos, dispense $100 notes as well. Example: You can withdraw $20, $40 (2x $20), $60 (3x $20), $70 (1x $20 and 1x $50), $80 (4x $20) and every multiple of $10 past that.
• ATMs are VERY reliable at dispensing their notes, but always check that you have taken them all. Some older ATMs dispense the notes in two lots, $20 and the $50, so alawys make sure you've got the right amount!

Because of the aim to be cutting edge, counterfeits are rare and there are easy ways of checking. All Australian bank notes have a clear plastic "window", and the larger denominations ($20, $50 and $100) have the value embossed on to this. Every note also has a seven-pointed star which has only half the printing on each side - hold it up to the light to see that it is genuine. There are other security features, but these should be more than enough.

ATMs are numerous in both city & country areas. The best place to find one at all hours is a service (petrol/gas) station, or a convenience store, as these businesses are generally open all hours of the night and day. PLEASE NOTE: Some ATMs (usually non-bank ones) don't allow withdrawl from Credit Card, only from Savings or Cheque accounts. Find another ATM if you have to, but also try both Savings and Cheque accounts INSTEAD of Credit and it may work.

Banks are normally only open weekdays 9.30-4pm Monday - Thursday but some stay open until 5pm on Fridays. Bank staff stick to these times rigorously, so don't be late/early!

Australia has an almost universal acceptance of electronic payment - the EFTPOS (Electronic Funds Transfer at Point Of Service) network allows people access to their Savings and Cheque accoutns, and most allow access to Credit purchases as well. Unlike credit purchases, Savings and Cheque purchases can be of any amount, although generally it is preferred to be over $10 per transaction as the shopkeeper pays fees for each transaction and may set limits on minimum amounts purchased. Some establishments also charge fees for use of their EFTPOS facilities - restaurants and taxis charge around 1.5% for Visa and MasterCard and up to 3% for American Express. They are required to notify you of this, but this can mean a tiny sign that you are supposed to mysteriously know about. It is not considered impolite to ask, however.

Traveller's Cheques are not generally accepted as an alternative to legal tender, except by prior arrangement, and generally only by major hotels. Tourist areas have Bureax de Change/Cambio money exchange points, but any bank should be able to change limited amounts of them. If you are stuck with no cash and only traveller's cheques, and the banks are closed, you may be in for a tough time. People generally don't take IOUs and even then without some form of security - a mobile (cell) phone offered to the shopkeeper as security that you can come back for once the banks are open and you have the cash is probably the only way you can avoid an embarassing situation.

Here are a few links to some financial information for Perth, Western Australia. The great majority of the information is valid across Australia with some address changes. The links are Banks and Banking , Currency and Credit Cards.