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Posts: 194

Shifu

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Q: Can Chinese bank cards be used as debit cards abroad?

I have one of those bank cards with the union pay symbol on it and I know I can use it to withdraw money from abroad, but do shops and restaurants also accept them as debit cards or are there only a select number which do?

10 years 30 weeks ago in  Money & Banking - China

 
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Each country seems to have different banking arrangements with China, and vice-versa. For example, NO bank in China recognizes my home country so i can't transfer from ANY bank here to my bank account at home. However, the 'Union Pay' cards can be used to withdraw money at specified locations, but not as a debit card.

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10 years 30 weeks ago
 
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I have never used UnionPay card outside of China, and I don't count any Bank in EU or USA would accept my Chinese UnionPay card.

 

However, I hold Chinese Merchants Gold Bank account with Visa/MC logo. I can hold funds in Rmb or any other currency. If I use ATM card abroad, my funds get deducted from Rmb holdings on the account, with the 'spot exchange rate' applied. 

I can use $, EUR or GDP only as cash. Best future of CMB Gold account is unlimited 'spot exchange rate'.

Online banking with CMB Gold ATM card is complicated. CMB online website is in Chinese, only. I can use ATM card for online purchases only on the Windows OS based computer (with translator).

I can withdraw foreign currency holdings only in cash at the Bank, where I opened my account.

Rmb withdrawals around China higher than 1000 Rmb are free, or 5 Rmb fee for withdrawals lower than 1000 Rmb.

I opened Gold account with 1000 Rmb deposit. If balance on the account is lower than 50 000 Rmb, there is 50 Rmb monthly fee applied.

Gold CMB Visa/MC ATM card is the only Chinese bank card I know, you can use abroad.

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I northern Europe it is quite easy to find places to use Union Pay. You can't count on being able to use it everywhere, but if you go to places that sell stuff Chinese tourists buy, then you can use it. But also some super market chains accept Union Pay

mikael84:

My wifes UnionPay didn't work anywhere in Denmark even though all ATM's carry the UnionPay symbol, but it worked fine in Germany and France.

I have friends who have succesfully used UnionPay in Denmark too though.

10 years 30 weeks ago
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Scandinavian:

I've used it successfully in both Denmark and Sweden. That actually reminds me I never investigated how much it cost to use. 

10 years 30 weeks ago
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10 years 30 weeks ago
 
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Governor

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As mentioned in the comment above: In Denmark all ATM's and a lot of shops have the UnionPay sign, but my wife was not able to use hers. I heard other Chinese could, so my guess is that it depends which bank the card is from. My wifes is from Agricultural Bank of China.

My wife succesfully used hers in Germany, France and UAE (only a few ATMs in UAE accepts it though).

 

Anyway, for your original answer, check this wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_UnionPay - It should answer everything you need. If you need more information you can also try UnionPay's website. 

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Union Pay works in Thailand! I have not tried this in other countries.

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I have used mine in the UK, any cash point that has the LINK logo

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regions around the world. Some UnionPay Credit Cards are also affiliated with either American Express, MasterCard or Visa, and they can be used abroad as an American Express, MasterCard or Visa. UnionPay Debit Cards, however, can only be used in the UnionPay network and other networks that have signed contracts with UnionPay. Since 2006, China UnionPay cards can be used in over 100 countries outside China.[4] A 3D hologram of the Temple of Heaven is used on UnionPay credit cards. Afghanistan: UnionPay cards are accepted in 40 ATMs in Afghanistan main cities (fromhttp://en.unionpay.com English Site > Globalization > ATM search ) Australia: UnionPay cards are accepted at National Australia Bank ATMs and selected EFTPOS merchants,[5] andCashcard ATMs (a First Data company). UnionPay cards are also accepted at David Jones. Commonwealth Bank are rolling out acceptance for UnionPay cards as of June 2013 Bangladesh: accepted in Bangladesh, at HSBCbank's ATMs for BDT withdrawals. Belgium: still not accepted at BNP Paribas Fortis' ATMs for Euro withdrawals (although many source pretend the opposite!) Used to be accepted at Citibank, but since Citibank Belgium changed to Beobank, the Beobank ATM terminals no longer accept UnionPay. Accepted in retail stores at Maasmechelen Shopping Village and in DiamondLAND in the Antwerpdiamond quarter Brazil: accepted in Brazil, at Citibank's ATMs andItau's ATMs for Brazilian real withdrawals. Canada: accepted at all Interac bank machines.[6] Cambodia: accepted at Canadia Bank ATMs.[7] Colombia: accepted at Citibank's ATMs throughout the country. Congo: accepted in 2 banks in Kinshasa city. Czech: accepted at Komercni banka ATMs. Denmark: accepted in Denmark, in most shops and ATMs. Djibouti: accepted in 6 banks in the capital (fromhttp://en.unionpay.com English Site > Globalization > ATM search ) Egypt: accepted in nearly 100 ATMs in the main cities (from http://en.unionpay.com English Site > Globalization > ATM search ) Fiji: accepted in Prouds Duty Free shops in Nadi International Airport. France: accepted in Printemps shops in Paris all credit agricole and Caisse d'Epargne ATMs. Georgia: UnionPay cards are accepted at Liberty Bank ATMs throughout Georgia. Germany: some Sparkassen (German credit unions) already accept UnionPay cards at ATMs for eurowithdrawals. Accepted at some outlet shopping malls. Hong Kong: UnionPay cards are accepted at shops and ATMs in Hong Kong. Hungary: UnionPay cards are accepted at OTP ATMs in Hungary. Indonesia: accepted throughout Indonesia at the ATMs of BCA, Citibank, DBS, HSBC, ICBC, and OCBC NISP. Iraq: At the moment UnionPay cards can be used in 20 ATM in Iraq (in Baghdad, Erbil and other cities) atCUP[disambiguation needed] and CSC[disambiguation needed] banks. (from http://en.unionpay.com English Site > Globalization > ATM search ) Italy: Up to now, UnionPay cards could be used on nearly half of the ATMs in Italy and at more than 40000 department stores, brand stores, and hotel and catering merchants (from the UnionPay English site main page news, in the article with the title "UnionPay cooperating with Italy Starhotels to improve UnionPay card" [1] and from UnionPay English Site > Globalization > Merchant search.) Japan: accepted in Japan Post's and 7-11's cash machines and some shops (Matsumoto Kiyoshi is one of the few chains to accept UnionPay cards at all locations; most chains will only accept UnionPay cards at central city locations). Malaysia: accepted in Hong Leong's cash machines. Mexico: Banamex ATMs service UnionPay customers for cash withdrawals in Mexican pesos. Mongolia: Golomt Bank ATMs service UnionPay customers for cash withdrawals in Mongolian tögrögs. Myanmar: Co-operative Bank Ltd ATMs accepts UnionPay customers for cash withdrawals in Myanmar kyats.   Nepal: UnionPay cards are accepted at Himalayan Bank Limited's 72 ATMs nationwide and at more than 1100 ATMs of it partner network. Cards can also be used at more than 900 of the bank's own and 950 partner network's POS centers. New Zealand: UnionPay cards are accepted at theBank of New Zealand's 420 ATM's nationwide and selected EFTPOS merchants. Nigeria: UnionPay cards are accepted at the United Bank for Africa's 1,500 ATM's nationwide and selected merchant locations. They are also accepted in all branches of Heritage Bank in Nigeria Pakistan: Introduced by Faysal Bank . Poland: accepted in Citibank's ATMs . Peru: accepted in GlobalNet's 1403 ATMs throughout this country. Philippines: widely accepted at most ATM's and Retail Stores. Russia: MoskomPrivatBank (PrivatBank Russia),Citibank, Bank of Moscow, VTB and Uniastrum[8] accept UnionPay cards at ATMs and POS-Terminals, Evrofinance Mosnarbank (Moscow) issues cards. Singapore: accepted in ATMs displaying Network for Electronic Transfers Singapore (NETS) logos. South Africa: accepted in ATMs from Standard Bank.[9] South Korea: accepted in some bank's Global ATMs, and BC marked stores. Spain: accepted in La Caixa, Euro6000 bank's Global ATMs, and El Corte Ingles department stores. Sri Lanka: accepted in Commercial Bank's ATMs .  Switzerland: Credit Suisse accepts UnionPay cards at ATMs, merchants of SIX Group can accept UnionPay cards[10] Syrian Arab Republic: UnionPay cards accepted in nearly 100 ATMs in Syria big cities (fromhttp://en.unionpay.com English Site > Globalization > ATM search) Taiwan: accepted in ATMs, retail stores and taxis. Tanzania: CRDB Bank will soon allow cardholders to use its, ATMS, PoS and counters.[11] Thailand: Kasikorn Bank accepts UnionPay cards at ATMs (green in color) for Thai baht withdrawals as well asTMB Bank ATMs (blue and red in color). Most of the thai ATMs accept Unionpay cards, roughly 90% of them except Aeon bank, which is one of very few banks not charging 150THB fee for withdrawal with foreign card. Turkey: UnionPay cards are accepted at the Garanti Bank's more than 2,700 ATMs and other bank ATMs bearing the UnionPay logo (all have Chinese interfaces). UnionPay cards are accepted at tens of thousands of merchants - mainly in major tourist cities and areas. United Arab Emirates: Mashreqbank accepts China Unionpay cards at all its ATMs and point-of-sale machines in its Merchant network. United Kingdom: On August 12, 2009, China Unionpay and LINK, the only national ATM network in UK, jointly held a ceremony to announce the acceptance of China Unionpay (CUP) Card at all ATMs in the LINK network. This cooperation marks the acceptance of CUP Card at all ATMs in UK.[12] United States of America: Citibank accepts UnionPay cards at ATMs for United States dollar withdrawals. In May 2005 Discover Network announced an alliance with China UnionPay Network. The two companies have signed a long-term agreement that allows acceptance of Discover Network brand cards at UnionPay ATMs and point-of-sale terminals in China and acceptance of China UnionPay cards on thePULSE network in the U.S. Wells Fargo accepts UnionPay cards at ATMs for United States dollar withdrawals, recently confirmed in February 2013.[13] As of November 1, 2007, China UnionPay cards may be accepted where Discover Network Cards are accepted in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.[14] However, Discover does not support China UnionPay for e-commerceor card-not-present transactions. As of early 2013 Discover now supports card-not-present transactions. Vietnam: DongA Bank (the former East Asia Commercial Bank), Saigon Bank For Industry and Trade accepts UnionPay cards at ATMs for Vietnamese đồngwithdrawal, and United Overseas Bank Ho Chi Minh Branch accepts UnionPay cards on its merchant network in Vietnam. On October 23, 2008, China Unionpay and VietcomBank, the biggest ATM and POS network in Vietnam, announced the acceptance of China Unionpay (CUP) Card at all ATMs and merchants in the Vietcombank network.With respect to E-Commerce, in March 2010 PayPalannounced a partnership with China UnionPay enabling the use of PayPal with UnionPay member cards.

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