Guide5 min readUpdated 8 September 2026

Online versus in-person readings

Online or in person? How video, phone, email and face-to-face readings compare in New Zealand, what each costs, how to stay safe online, and which suits you.

Ten years ago, most readings in New Zealand happened across a table. Today many happen on a phone or laptop. Both work. The right choice depends on where you live, what you want from the reading, and how you like to talk. This guide lays out the trade-offs.

The four formats

In person. You visit the reader’s studio, home or a market stall, or they visit you. You see the cards, the room and the person.

Video call. Zoom, FaceTime or similar. You see the reader and, usually, the cards. You are at home.

Phone. Voice only. Simple and private. Some readers prefer it because there is nothing to distract them.

Email or written. You send a question, the reader replies in writing, sometimes with photos of the spread. There is usually no back-and-forth.

Why choose in person

• Presence. Many people find it easier to relax and open up with a person in the room.
• Seeing everything. You watch the shuffle, the spread and the reader’s face.
• Fewer distractions. No dogs, kids or dodgy wifi.
• Healing and readings together. Some practitioners combine a reading with hands-on work, which only works face to face.

The main drawbacks are travel and choice. If you live in Westport or Gore, the nearest reader may be hours away. In a big city, the best-known readers may be booked out for weeks.

Why choose online

• Choice. You can book any reader in the country, or the world. If you want a specialist, such as a medium or an astrologer, online opens the field.
• Convenience. No travel, no parking, no childcare.
• Privacy. Nobody sees you walk into a psychic’s studio. For some people that matters.
• Comfort. You are in your own space, with your own cup of tea.

The main drawbacks are technical and personal. A dropped call in the middle of a reading is frustrating. Some people find video calls flat. And it is easier to be misled by a stranger on the internet than by someone in your own town.

Which suits which reading?

• Tarot and oracle: all formats work. Video is close to in person because you can see the cards.
• Psychic and clairvoyant: phone and video both work well. Many readers say they do not need to see you.
• Mediumship: video and in person are the most common. Phone works for some mediums. Email is rare.
• Astrology and numerology: work well by video or in writing, since they are based on your birth details.
• Healing sessions: in person, with rare exceptions. Some healers offer “distance healing”, which is a different thing. Ask what it involves before paying.

Cost

Online and in-person readings of the same length usually cost about the same. Email readings are often cheaper. Some readers charge a little less for phone. See what readings and healing sessions cost.

Staying safe online

Most online readers are honest people running small businesses. A few are not. Netsafe lists common signs of a scam: unexpected contact, requests for upfront payment, pressure to decide urgently, and requests to pay by untraceable methods. Apply those to readings.

Be careful if:

• A reader contacts you first, especially on social media, saying they have “a message” for you.
• They ask for payment by gift card, cryptocurrency or a money-transfer service.
• They create urgency: “book today or the energy will close”.
• They say you have a curse, a block or a dark attachment that they can remove for a fee.
• They ask for personal details they do not need, such as your date of birth for a tarot reading, your address or your bank details.
• Their profile is new, has no reviews, and links to nowhere.

Do:

• Book through a reader’s own website or a reputable platform, and pay by card or bank transfer so there is a record.
• Check the reader has a real presence: a website, a business name, listings that go back a while.
• Read the cancellation terms.
• Keep messages and receipts.

The government’s Own Your Online guide has a simple rule: “if something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is”.

Your information

A reader will learn personal things about you. Under the Privacy Act 2020, businesses must tell you why they are collecting your information and how they will use it, and must keep it safe. That includes recordings of video readings. If a reader records the session, ask where the recording is stored and who can see it. You can ask for a copy, and you can ask for it to be deleted.

Your rights are the same

Whether you book in person or online, the Consumer Guarantees Act applies to services bought in New Zealand. The reader must use reasonable care and skill, and the service must be fit for the purpose you made clear. If a reading is cut short by the reader’s technical problems, it is fair to ask for the time to be made up.

Tips for a good online reading

• Use headphones. The sound is better and the call feels more private.
• Find a quiet room and tell the household you are busy.
• Test your connection ten minutes before.
• Have a notebook. You will forget things.
• Ask the reader at the start what happens if the call drops.

Making the choice

If you can easily reach a reader you like, in person is hard to beat for a first reading. If you cannot, or you want a specialist, online gives you the whole country. Many people use both: in person for the once-a-year sit-down, online for a quick check-in.

Search the directory by region to find readers near you, or read preparing for your first reading for what to do before either kind.

← All guidesSearch the directory →