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Q: How can I pay for a flight in China if I don't have a credit card?
Paying for international flights has become such a headache because I don't have any funds left in my overseas bank account and obviously don't have a Chinese credit card. How is a foreigner living in China supposed to pay for a flight then?!!! Urghh!
10 years 39 weeks ago in Money & Banking - China
You could try the old fashioned way and take a wad of cash to a ticket office. Also, some websites allow the use of Chinese bank issued Unionpay. Try Qunar for instance (although unless you can read Chinese fluently, you may need the help of someone who can). It seems that some airlines are set up to accept Unionpay transactions and some aren't.
Start regularly wiring some funds to your overseas account and/or (probably AND) get a credit card from your home country. Online account management makes things pretty easy to take care of, even from China.
I use CTRIP. You can book tickets and pay cash as long as you p/u the tickets at their office the same day as you book them. They also accept PayPal.
happywanderer:
CTRIP are awesome - I've traveled with them a lot. Err well not personally... But they're good!
Iron12:
I couldn't buy a ticket in under 24 hours with a foreign credit card. I used a Chinese friends credit card and paid her cash.
You could try the old fashioned way and take a wad of cash to a ticket office. Also, some websites allow the use of Chinese bank issued Unionpay. Try Qunar for instance (although unless you can read Chinese fluently, you may need the help of someone who can). It seems that some airlines are set up to accept Unionpay transactions and some aren't.
If you live in even a moderately large city, you can go directly to the airline ticket office and pay in cash. Heads up though--finding the ticket office can be frustrating. They don't take old information offline, so a lot of the 'addresses' are no longer in use...and Chinese run offices never pick up the damn phone.
Ask Chinese friend to use his/her ATM card, and pay back in cash.
I have China Merchants Bank debit account with Visa logo. I opened Gold Visa/MC account with 1000 Rmb deposit. If balance on the account is lower than 50 000 Rmb, CMB charge me 50 Rmb fee per month.
Gold Visa/MC card comes with USB stick for online purchases. Bank's website is in Chinese (English version is in making....), and USB stick works only on Windows OS computers.
You can use Bank's computer for online purchases, with help of English speaking employee.
However, I just looked into 'how to purchase online' possibilities. I have never made online purchase with my Gold Visa/MC CMB Card.
CMB is very good for unlimited currency exchange. If your employer deposit your salary direct to your account, and you are legal resident in China, Bank will make unlimited Rmb conversions to any currency you desire with 'spot exchange rate' applied, or exchange rate without additional banking fees.
elong accepts paypal
coffaholic:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you need a Western debit or credit card to pay your bills on Paypal?Or can I use my Chinese debit card?
You need a solution to this problem.
May I suggest you get a credit card if you don't already have one.
or
Have someone pay for it for you and make out a promisory note that you will pay them back. Family members are best for that.
i use bank of China card usb. If you use Qunar.com and use google it translates the page for you so you can search for flights and once you have its set up just enter your passwords and then its gets deducted from your account
Try Elong.com.
Use either a China Construction Bank or ICBC card. They accept one or two other Chinese bank cards.
