Does any one know of US Dollar Credit or Debit card that Non US residents can get?
I want to be able to fund it in US Dollars.
So here are some thoughts:
First, a Credit Card isn't likely to happen. It often takes a while for even US citizens to be able to gain one due the way the credit scoring systems work in the US. Without a file at all, you're going to be hard pressed to find one.
You mention you visit the US regularly. One option while you're here is to attempt to open an account with a US bank which has a debit card attached to it. I know people have had success in the past with companies such as TD bank, Bank of America, Capital one and the like if you can show a passport and a US address. (Some may not even need a US address). Depending on the exact branch, some may require a utility statement at that address to prove you live there. Others don't have this requirement. So it's a bit hit and miss. And the requirements seem to change from day to day based on government anti-money-laundering regulations and the like.
Another option is to start a business in the US, and then have the business open the accounts. However, this would likely cost you far more than you'd save, so I'd discount this option.
Be cautious about any of the above items because US immigration/border control has pretty deep access to various records, and opening accounts in the US might be seen as the first step toward illegal immigration (whether it is or not), and subject you to increased scrutiny at the border if they happen to have access to those records (although the chances of this are probably rather slim). Also, the IRS is pretty aggressive about collecting taxes from people they think might owe them, and I do know that most banks are required to report at least certain types of account data to the IRS for this purpose.
There are also 'prepaid visa' type products which you can walk into many stores and buy
Like others, I'd recommend looking for a product which is available directly to you. HSBC has a strong presence here and abroad. I'm sure other banks might be similar.
One additional resource might be some of the prepaid products. In particular greendot.com is used fairly frequently by the growing group of consumers in the US which do not maintain a traditional bank account. It looks like there might be some options designed for foreigners.... something to look at.
One final resource which I'm looking at is a transferwise borderless account. This is an account which (according to my undderstanding) is a multi-currency account, which only charges you fees if you change currencies. So as long as you don't move say USD to something else you shouldn't have any fees. However, I'm not sure this is available to you in NZ.