How to open a debit card in China

How to open a Chinese bank account for a foreigner?

Key words: bank, debit card, credit card, Alipay, Taobao, China.

Many people go to China for work or to travel for a long period. In China, it is more convenient to use various services with a local bank card that connects to all paid applications. But this case has its own nuances. A Chinese bank card is needed for basic monetary transactions in China. Whether it’s transferring money to suppliers, buying goods from Chinese vendors , or paying for public transport and buying food in a store, you will definitely need a bank card issued in China.

For some people, it was a revelation that Visa and Mastercard cards are not accepted in most Chinese establishments. It means, you can withdraw money from ATMs, but pay – is no longer possible. The absence of these international payment systems in the Celestial Empire has its own Chinese answer – Unionpay cards.

We will tell you how foreigners can open a bank account in China and get a card, as well as what documents are required for this.

If you have Chinese friends, you can take them with you to help with translation, but this is not necessary. It is better to learn how to do it yourself, since you will have to do banking operations more than once.

Apparently, bank branches have staff who know English, but not everyone can speak it well. Especially in provincial cities.

The list of documents is quite standard, almost the same as in other banks:

When all this is – you can safely go to the bank.

There are a huge number of Chinese banks to choose from:

Between these banks, we would recommend that you , based on personal comfort, choose the most suitable one . What bank branches and ATMs have you seen near your office, university or home? They are worth choosing.

If you are a student or came for work, then the welcomers in China will help you make your choice. Most often, they simply send you to the one where other foreigners have already opened accounts before you.

Registration process

Having these documents and a Chinese phone number with you, you go to the Bank.

The first place where you should stop is the information board, then ask the bank staff for the electronic queue number. Then tell them that you would like to open a bank account, they will help you fill out a special form.

Say: “我想开一个银行账户” – Wǒ xiǎng kāi yīgè yínháng zhànghù (“I want to open a bank account”)

The form to fill out will be in English, but unfortunately the address of your temporary residence will need to be written in Chinese characters. Ask the bank staff to complete the information in Chinese for you.

The application must indicate:

During the registration process, an employee from the window will ask you to come up with a pin code for the card consisting of 6 digits, such are the rules. To the left or right of you there will be a small terminal (like a tablet) with a stylus, in which you will enter the PINcode.

Connecting to Internet banking can make your life a lot easier . Especially if there is a need to pay for purchases via the Internet. As a rule, on the largest Chinese Internet resource Toabao (www.taobao.com), you can pay for your purchase with cards from Chinese banks of the China UnionPay payment system. By the way, for some time now, you can pay with a VISA card, but you won’t be able to pay on 1688.com.

USB key

You can also connect a USB key.

Thanks to this device, you can make banking transactions no matter where you are.

If you are satisfied with the limit of 10,000 yuan per day, and you are not going to use online banking, then this is the end of your little journey in opening an account.

But, if you want to fully use the Chinese card for all the money, then we recommend that you issue a crypto key to remove the limit for transfers and online banking.

Well, at the end of the card issuance, the employee will ask you to sign on the electronic form, also with a stylus on the terminal screen.

After all this, the employee will solemnly issue you a debit card valid for 10 years.

You can contact the same manager who was at the reception and ask for help with online banking and a crypto key.

You go to an info-ATM, insert a card and a crypto key, you need to come up with a password for accessing Internet banking (and a crypto key) and enter it on the terminal. Next , you need to go through Alipay and WeChat Pay verification.

Having a Chinese bank card opens almost all doors for living and working in China.

For example, before it was not necessary to have a bank card, since WeChat Pay worked even after confirmation by cards from other countries and you could easily pay for everything up to 200,000 yuan per year. But, due to the tightening of rules for non-residents in China, and financial control in general, neither WeChat Pay nor ALipay no longer work without a working Chinese card.

Therefore, if you are going to work with China, live or study in China, and even if you arrive in China for just a couple of weeks, you will definitely need WeChat Pay / Alipay payment systems, and they cannot work without a bank card.

Trust us , it’s worth it to exert oneself once, make a card, and forget about money problems in China.

Already in 2017, China took the 1st place in the world in terms of % of online purchases and payments in general.

Well, now, in 202 2 , with cash in China, everything is even sadder, around everyone they pay Wechat pay or Alipay, now it’s really less and less possible to see that someone in China pays in cash.

Therefore, be in China on a common wave of progress, open a bank card, link it to payment services and use it freely !

A little about how to replenish a Chinese bank card

Through an ATM or an operator in a bank. No commission.

By transferring from a Chinese card to a Chinese card. In some cases they take a commission, but as a rule there is no commission.

International cashless transfer SWIFT. In this case, you need to get the SWIFT code of the bank and bank details in Chinese. According to these data, you can send a transfer from anywhere in the world. The receipt will be in dollars, there are limits, you will need to check with the bank of the sender and recipient. There is a commission. Suitable for transfers of large amounts.

IMPORTANT! Sometimes the payment takes a very long time, from 3-5 days.

Use an exchanger. Cons – sometimes high commission, but usually acceptable. But there are many pluses. Very fast. Usually takes 10-15 minutes.

If they refuse to issue a Chinese card, what to do

As we mentioned earlier, some banks may refuse in issuing cards to foreigners. Sometimes employees just don’t want to “mess around” with laowies. But you can cheat a little.

We come to the bank, where there is a service for renting a bank cell. It is profitable for banks to have clients and most likely they will not refuse you. But, in order to receive this service, you need to make a payment and make a deposit. And without a bank card, there is no way to do this, they do not accept cash.

TIP : DESIGN THE CELL

Here is your way out. Some expenses will be required, but if all banks have refused you, and the card is very, very necessary, you can try using this method.

Annual maintenance of the cell from 400 – 2000 yuan. Depends on the size of the cell, the access of persons (one person or two), bank branch and other factors.

The main thing is to be persistent, if the manager still does not want to “mess around” with you, ask another manager who is more competent in this matter.

We hope that we were able to help you with information about opening a bank card in China.

Good luck with using cards, Wechat pay and Alipay!

If you have any questions – call or write, we will be happy to tell you everything!

Question number 1. I’m new to this and have a lot of questions. I am a resident of China on the basis of a permanent residence permit and I need to open a Chinese bank account in order to transfer money in euros to another person’s account or to my Serbian bank account also in euros. So the question is: which card should I choose? – Multicurrency with UnionPay and Visa or MasterCard?

Answer: In your case, you should apply for a VISA and UnionPay card (one card) at any bank. The card will work both in China and in Europe. As far as I know the limit is $50,000 per year. To make a transfer from China to Europe, most likely, you will have to come to the bank. Personal presence is required, but it is worth clarifying the information at the time of opening, maybe something has already changed.

Question number 2. Please tell me the registration form that is issued at the police station in the place of residence – how will it be in Chinese?

Answer: Yes, full spelling： 境外人员住宿登记凭证.

Question number 3. Is it possible to get a VISA/Master Card from the Bank of China so that I can make international payments on the Internet? e.g. Amazon, Ebay…

Answer: The Bank of China most likely will not be able to receive. They issue only Master Card and only credit cards for residents of China. But if you have an official job, then you can bring a certificate of income from work.

Question number 4. Require some kind of ID *证件号码 * Identification number what is it?

Answer: ID *证件号码* is the passport number.

Question number 4: 1) I have a permanent residence permit by marriage with a citizen of China – this means what kind of visa I have, can you tell me?

Answer: 1. You have a family visa

Question No. 5: Dollars were sent to the yuan card of China Bank. The cardholder is not in China. The money was not credited to the card due to the fact that the bank could not contact the cardholder. There is no opportunity to go to China in the near future. Is it possible to withdraw a payment back? Or what’s the best way to do it? When contacting the bank by phone, they say it is necessary for the cardholder to personally come to the branch. Maybe there is a period after which the money will be returned to the sender?

Answer: If there were no errors in the bank details, most likely the money will not be automatically returned. Probably the transaction “hung” in the Chinese bank, but the transfer to the account was received. Since foreign exchange controls have become stricter in China, you are asked to come to the bank. The money is in the account, but you will not be able to use it until you appear at the bank.