KIVVO INFORMATION

Financial Services Disclosures

This page explains what Kivvo is, what Kivvo is not, and the regulatory position that applies to the service we provide in New Zealand. It is a disclosure to help you understand the nature of the service and where Kivvo sits within New Zealand's financial services framework.

The short version

Kivvo is a savings app. It helps you set savings goals and contribute toward them on a schedule.

Kivvo is not a bank. We are not a registered bank in New Zealand. We do not take deposits, do not lend money, and do not pay interest.

Kivvo is not a financial adviser. We do not give personalised financial advice, and nothing on Kivvo is financial advice.

Kivvo is not a financial product provider. We do not offer managed funds, investments, KiwiSaver schemes, insurance, or any other financial product.

Kivvo is a software service. We build and operate the application that helps you save. The movement of your money is handled by licensed third-party providers.

Kivvo is not currently a registered Financial Service Provider (FSP). Based on the way Kivvo is structured — with funds handled by licensed third parties and not held by Kivvo — we do not consider that we currently need to be registered. If that changes, we will register and update this disclosure.

Kivvo is not currently a reporting entity under the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. If the scope of Kivvo's services changes such that this applies, we will register and comply.

Kivvo is a very small New Zealand company — currently two people. This disclosure is written honestly about that.

What Kivvo is

Kivvo is a software service that helps people in New Zealand save toward goals. You can:

Set a savings goal with a target amount and a target date

Set up a contribution schedule (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly) that fits your life

Contribute one-off amounts toward your goals

Track your progress over time

Receive cashback, where eligible

Kivvo is a tool. It doesn't decide what you should save for, and it doesn't tell you what to do with your money. It just helps you stay on track with what you've decided.

What Kivvo is not

To be clear about our position in the New Zealand financial services landscape:

Kivvo is not a bank

Kivvo is not a registered bank in New Zealand. We do not:

Accept deposits in the legal sense

Hold customer funds on our own balance sheet

Pay interest on balances held toward goals

Offer any form of deposit, loan, or credit product

Your funds toward goals are held through arrangements with licensed third-party payment providers, not by Kivvo.

Kivvo is not a financial adviser

Kivvo is not a financial advice provider under the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013. We do not:

Give personalised financial advice

Recommend financial products

Provide financial planning services

Act as your agent in any financial transaction

Content on Kivvo — including any educational material, goal suggestions, or projections — is general information. It is not financial advice, and it doesn't take your personal circumstances into account. If you need financial advice, please speak to a licensed financial adviser.

Kivvo is not a financial product provider

Kivvo does not offer, issue, or manage any financial product. Specifically, Kivvo is not:

A managed fund or collective investment scheme

A KiwiSaver scheme or provider

A superannuation scheme

An insurance provider or broker

A derivatives issuer

A peer-to-peer lender or crowdfunding platform

Kivvo is not a money remitter or stored value provider

Kivvo does not itself transmit money or issue stored value. Where money moves through Kivvo, it moves through licensed third-party payment providers who are responsible for that activity. Kivvo is the software layer, not the money handler.

How money flows through Kivvo

To help you understand the structure, here is a plain-language summary of how money moves through Kivvo:

You connect a payment method. This may be a debit card, credit card, or a bank account authorised through our payment provider.

You make a contribution. You choose how much to contribute and to which goal.

The payment is processed by a licensed third-party provider. Kivvo does not hold or handle your payment details. The processing is done by the payment provider, whose own terms and disclosures apply.

Funds are allocated toward your goal through the arrangement between Kivvo and our payment provider.

Kivvo records the contribution in your account for tracking and history.

Kivvo charges its contribution fee, which is Kivvo's revenue for providing the service.

Kivvo does not take custody of your funds at any point. This is an important part of our structure and is described in more detail in our Terms of Service.

Regulatory position in New Zealand

New Zealand's financial services regulatory environment is overseen by several agencies, including:

The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) — for financial markets conduct, financial advice, and financial products

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) — for banking, insurance, and non-bank deposit taking

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) — for Financial Service Provider (FSP) registration

The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) — for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism supervision of some entities

The Commerce Commission — for fair trading and consumer credit

Financial Service Provider registration

Under the Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolution) Act 2008, certain financial services must be provided by, or on behalf of, a registered FSP.

Based on our current structure — where Kivvo is a software service and funds are handled by licensed third-party payment providers, not by Kivvo — we do not consider that Kivvo is currently providing a service that requires FSP registration.

If the nature of Kivvo's services changes such that FSP registration becomes required, we will register and update this disclosure.

Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism

Under the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009 (the AML/CFT Act), certain entities are "reporting entities" and must comply with a range of obligations, including customer due diligence, suspicious activity reporting, and record-keeping.

Based on our current structure — where Kivvo does not hold customer funds and does not provide a service that falls within the AML/CFT Act's definition of a financial institution or other reporting entity — we do not consider that Kivvo is currently a reporting entity.

If the scope of Kivvo's services changes such that we become a reporting entity, we will comply with all applicable obligations and update this disclosure.

Fair trading and consumer protection

Kivvo is subject to the Fair Trading Act 1986 and the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 in the same way as any other New Zealand business. We aim to be honest about what Kivvo is and what it isn't, and to provide the service we say we provide.

Dispute resolution

If you have a complaint about Kivvo, we want to hear it. Our Complaints Policy sets out how we receive, investigate, and respond to complaints.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of a complaint, and your complaint relates to a financial service that Kivvo provides or arranges, you may have the right to refer your complaint to a dispute resolution scheme. Kivvo is not currently a member of a dispute resolution scheme because we do not consider we are currently required to be. If that changes, we will update this disclosure and provide details of the scheme.

For general consumer complaints, the relevant dispute resolution body is typically the Disputes Tribunal or the relevant industry scheme, depending on the nature of the complaint.

Not covered by any deposit protection scheme

Because Kivvo is not a bank and does not take deposits in the legal sense, balances held toward goals through Kivvo are not covered by the New Zealand Deposit Takers Act or any similar deposit protection scheme.

If you are saving with Kivvo and want to understand where your funds are actually held and what protections apply, please review our Terms of Service and Bank Payments & Cards page, or contact us via a support ticket.

No guarantee of returns

Kivvo does not pay interest and does not offer any investment return. Contributions you make toward your goals simply accumulate toward your goal amount. The only additional value Kivvo may provide is:

Cashback, where you are eligible. Cashback is limited to Kivvo+ members and to users who contribute at or above our minimum monthly threshold. It is not available to all users yet, and its availability and calculation may change.

Price watching for items you want, which Kivvo is exploring as a future feature. This is not currently offered.

Nothing on Kivvo represents a promised return, yield, or guaranteed outcome.

Statements about future features

Kivvo is an early-stage product. We may describe future features, planned expansions, or intended developments on our website, in this disclosure, or elsewhere.

Describing a future feature is not a promise that it will be delivered, or delivered on any particular timetable. Features, pricing, and eligibility may change. We'll update our public information when the position changes materially.

Honesty about our size and stage

Kivvo is currently a very small New Zealand company with two people. We're building this in public, and we'd rather tell you honestly where we are than overstate our size, our regulatory position, or our capabilities.

If you have questions about our regulatory position, this disclosure, or how we operate, please submit a support ticket via the Support page. We don't use email for support.

Changes to this disclosure

We'll update this page when our regulatory position changes materially, or when new requirements apply to us. This page was last reviewed in October 2026.

Where to find more detail

For more information, see:

Fees & Charges — what Kivvo charges for

Payouts Policy — how cashback eligibility works

Tax Information — how tax generally applies

Bank Payments & Cards — how payments flow through Kivvo

Complaints Policy — how to raise a concern

If you have a question that isn't answered here, please submit a support ticket via the Support page.