Join Now Recruiting Volunteer
  Forum FAQForum FAQ   SearchSearch   PreferencesPreferences  Watched TopicsWatched Topics  Watched ForumsWatched Forums
Log in to check your private messages Log in to check your private messages    Log inLog in   Ignored Users

Using Unionpay in the UK

 Tags : property, business, travel, technology, nightlife, events, food, food, expat_services
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Shanghai Expat Forum Index » City Living Forums »  Questions and Answers
Post new topic   Reply to topic
View previous topic Printable version Log in to check your private messages View next topic
Author Message
Humac
FooJay
FooJay


Joined: July 07, 2007
Posts: 1619
Post  Posted: Mar 09, 2009 - 01:28 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top
Post subject: Using Unionpay in the UK
This from China Unionpay's website last year:

On Sept. 19th in London, China Unionpay (CUP) officially signed a cooperation agreement with LINK, the largest ATM operator in UK. CUP cards will realize money-drawing services on ATMs in UK in the near future.

Does anyone know if it's now possible to draw money out at LINK ATMs throughout the UK with a Unionpay card? I emailed LINK but they didn't know anything about it, or said they didn't. Wondered if anyone had tried yet?
View user's profile
chingiskhanOffline
Low Seater
Low Seater


Joined: Apr 24, 2007
Posts: 3347
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
Post  Posted: Mar 09, 2009 - 02:00 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top
It was supposed to go live in "early 2009" so it should be okay now but if not, I remember specifically someone here was saying there were still some machines that could take them, for example, some place in Mayfair. But now I have a Chinese credit card it's much less of an issue for me.
View user's profile
jzzzzzzzOffline
Veejay
Veejay


Joined: July 07, 2006
Posts: 2037

Status: Offline
Post  Posted: Mar 09, 2009 - 02:03 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top
I'm back in the UK at the end of next week so will give this a try.
View user's profile Visit poster's website
chingiskhanOffline
Low Seater
Low Seater


Joined: Apr 24, 2007
Posts: 3347
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
Post  Posted: Mar 09, 2009 - 02:28 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top
Tut Tut Humac, we've covered this before:

http://www.shanghaiexpat.com/MDForum-viewtopic-t-85807-start-25.phtml

I knew this sounded familiar. Citibank in Mayfair apparently and also at The Strand.
View user's profile
Humac
FooJay
FooJay


Joined: July 07, 2007
Posts: 1619
Post  Posted: Mar 09, 2009 - 02:33 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top
chingiskhan wrote:
Tut Tut Humac, we've covered this before:

http://www.shanghaiexpat.com/MDForum-viewtopic-t-85807-start-25.phtml

I knew this sounded familiar. Citibank in Mayfair apparently and also at The Strand.

Yep, sorry. I know about the two London branches but my query was about the new LINK machines agreement. They're all over the UK. I wondered if anyone had tried them and if they gave out cash using a China Unionpay card. Not really cost effective for me to travel to London when I'm in the UK.
View user's profile
chingiskhanOffline
Low Seater
Low Seater


Joined: Apr 24, 2007
Posts: 3347
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
Post  Posted: Mar 09, 2009 - 02:45 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top
Yeah, due in early 2009 but there's no way of knowing for sure unless someone here can verify it. Great news though if and when it starts.
View user's profile
melloyelloOffline
Talker
Talker


Joined: Feb 25, 2009
Posts: 75
Location: XuJiaHui
Status: Offline
Post  Posted: Mar 09, 2009 - 03:43 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top
check the weblink for more info;

http://www.link.co.uk/press/2008/mn_press_release_20080919.htm

_________________
King Kenny, back at Anfield. YNWA
View user's profile
Humac
FooJay
FooJay


Joined: July 07, 2007
Posts: 1619
Post  Posted: Mar 09, 2009 - 03:49 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top
melloyello wrote:
check the weblink for more info;

http://www.link.co.uk/press/2008/mn_press_release_20080919.htm

Thanks, they're not specific about the date either. But I'll try another email. Last time they professed not to know anything about it!
View user's profile
melloyelloOffline
Talker
Talker


Joined: Feb 25, 2009
Posts: 75
Location: XuJiaHui
Status: Offline
Post  Posted: Mar 09, 2009 - 03:51 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top
I'll ask some of my chinese student friends in the UK.

_________________
King Kenny, back at Anfield. YNWA
View user's profile
Humac
FooJay
FooJay


Joined: July 07, 2007
Posts: 1619
Post  Posted: Mar 23, 2009 - 10:51 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top
jzzzzzzz wrote:
I'm back in the UK at the end of next week so will give this a try.

melloyello wrote:
I'll ask some of my chinese student friends in the UK.

Any update on this? Anyone tried to use their Unionpay card at a bank in the UK? Apart from the two in London we already know about, that is.
View user's profile
kidrokOffline
Rocker
Rocker


Joined: Feb 09, 2009
Posts: 694

Status: Offline
Post  Posted: Mar 23, 2009 - 12:52 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top
never done it but if their website professes they can it wud be very unlikely they cud screw that-up (except yes i know its china, look forward to a few thousand fake notes and no accountability hah)

_________________
Thats the way the (insert racial epitath" laughs
View user's profile
Humac
FooJay
FooJay


Joined: July 07, 2007
Posts: 1619
Post  Posted: Mar 23, 2009 - 01:44 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top
kidrok wrote:
never done it but if their website professes they can it wud be very unlikely they cud screw that-up (except yes i know its china, look forward to a few thousand fake notes and no accountability hah)

No, no problem with fake notes. You'd be withdrawing sterling from a UK bank, not rmb. LINK and Unionpay say they've signed an agreement but, so far, I've heard of no one who has tried to withdraw money from their Chinese bank account using their Unionpay card in a LINK atm in the UK (apart from those two Citibank machines in London).
View user's profile
chingiskhanOffline
Low Seater
Low Seater


Joined: Apr 24, 2007
Posts: 3347
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
Post  Posted: Mar 23, 2009 - 02:28 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top
It's beginning to look like the only way to know is go over and try it personally. Surprising that nobody has been back recently and tried to use the ATM card. I won't be going till the summer so I'm betting someone else here will beat me to it.
View user's profile
Humac
FooJay
FooJay


Joined: July 07, 2007
Posts: 1619
Post  Posted: Mar 23, 2009 - 03:06 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top
chingiskhan wrote:
It's beginning to look like the only way to know is go over and try it personally. Surprising that nobody has been back recently and tried to use the ATM card. I won't be going till the summer so I'm betting someone else here will beat me to it.

Hope someone can try it. I'm not home until October. Was hoping to know before then. Don't want to be stuck in the UK with all my money in a Chinese bank and no way to get it!
View user's profile
chingiskhanOffline
Low Seater
Low Seater


Joined: Apr 24, 2007
Posts: 3347
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
Post  Posted: Mar 23, 2009 - 03:48 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top
Humac wrote:
chingiskhan wrote:
It's beginning to look like the only way to know is go over and try it personally. Surprising that nobody has been back recently and tried to use the ATM card. I won't be going till the summer so I'm betting someone else here will beat me to it.

Hope someone can try it. I'm not home until October. Was hoping to know before then. Don't want to be stuck in the UK with all my money in a Chinese bank and no way to get it!


I'll definitely be there before then, but I find it hard to believe by October they haven't got it sorted. They said "early 2009" so if it's not working now they could argue it's still early in the year.

Otherwise getting a local to exchange RMB here for pounds works well and that's what I did before.
View user's profile
hundanOffline
Lurker
Lurker


Joined: May 08, 2008
Posts: 25

Status: Offline
Post  Posted: May 25, 2009 - 02:09 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top
I wrote this in Banking and Finance, but no one saw it:

I am back in England for a bit. Let me confirm: the China UnionPay card can be used in the 5 citibank ATM's in London, incl the Hanover Sq ones near Oxford Street. But the agreement to roll out CUP card use to all ATMs in the LINK network has not been implemented yet. I know the website said that it woudl be early in 2009, but I phoned the LINK in England and they said it hasn't been actioned yet, and all they can say is that it will happen later this year, and the announcement will be on their website. So there are 5 locations in the UK where you can withdraw money on a CUP card - all in London.
View user's profile
Humac
FooJay
FooJay


Joined: July 07, 2007
Posts: 1619
Post  Posted: May 25, 2009 - 07:07 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top
Thanks for the update. Will keep an eye on the LINK website and provide an update in October unless someone else finds it works before then.
View user's profile
chingiskhanOffline
Low Seater
Low Seater


Joined: Apr 24, 2007
Posts: 3347
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
Post  Posted: July 03, 2009 - 06:41 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top
I can confirm that as of July 2nd 2009, CUP does NOT work in standard LINK ATM machines in the UK.
View user's profile
hundanOffline
Lurker
Lurker


Joined: May 08, 2008
Posts: 25

Status: Offline
Post  Posted: Aug 18, 2009 - 02:54 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top
Hi. CUP cards DO work in standard LINK ATM machines in the UK. I used it today. It was the first time it worked - and I have tried dozens of times since coming home in January.
View user's profile
GC
The Ginger Prince


Joined: Dec 01, 2003
Posts: 22189
Post  Posted: Aug 18, 2009 - 03:30 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top
^in uk just now so will give it a try

_________________
You turned on the lights, Fuelled U boats by night, That
View user's profile Visit poster's website MSN Messenger ICQ Number
Humac
FooJay
FooJay


Joined: July 07, 2007
Posts: 1619
Post  Posted: Aug 18, 2009 - 03:53 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top
hundan wrote:
Hi. CUP cards DO work in standard LINK ATM machines in the UK. I used it today. It was the first time it worked - and I have tried dozens of times since coming home in January.

Outside London? That would be great news!
View user's profile
Humac
FooJay
FooJay


Joined: July 07, 2007
Posts: 1619
Post  Posted: Aug 18, 2009 - 04:15 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top
Ah, just found this...

http://www.link.co.uk/press/2009/mn_press_release_20090811.html
View user's profile
nuthatchOffline
Talker
Talker


Joined: Mar 23, 2007
Posts: 86

Status: Offline
Post  Posted: Aug 19, 2009 - 12:10 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top
I have tried to use my union pay card in the UK several times recently including today. No luck yet.
View user's profile Visit poster's website
hundanOffline
Lurker
Lurker


Joined: May 08, 2008
Posts: 25

Status: Offline
Post  Posted: Aug 19, 2009 - 04:31 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top
I think some cards are not authorised for overseas use. Does your card work in the Citibank ATMs in London?
View user's profile
chingiskhanOffline
Low Seater
Low Seater


Joined: Apr 24, 2007
Posts: 3347
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
Post  Posted: Sep 22, 2009 - 01:48 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top
Right. Unionpay DEFINITELY DOES work now in the UK Link network. I got money out at Barclays and a few other bank ATMs.

The fee of course depends on your bank. Mine is ICBC and it cost 1% plus 12 rmb. So taking out the equivalent of 3000 rmb cost 30 rmb + 12 rmb =42 rmb. Therefore it is better to take out as much as you can in one go rather than many small amounts paying 12 rmb each time.
View user's profile
Display posts from previous:     
Jump to:  
All times are GMT + 8 Hours
Post new topic   Reply to topic
View previous topic Printable version Log in to check your private messages View next topic
Goto page 1, 2  Next
 Shanghai Expat Forum Index » City Living Forums »  Questions and Answers
Powered by MDForum 2.0.7© 2003-2007 MAXdev Team
Credits

Welcome Guest

Username
Password
Remember me
Register Here!
Join the Shanghai Expat News in the Mail
Email:

Latest Newsletters
Events in Shanghai
November 17, 2009

Members
October 27, 2009

Discounts
October 29, 2009

Web ShanghaiExpat

Welcome Guest
Join Us!

Register, it's free!
 Create an account
Members: Online
Members: Members:76
Guests: Guests:668
Total: Total:744

    Home    Sitemap    Terms of Service    Privacy Policy     Contact Us    Advertising 

All logos and trademarks on this site are property of their respective owner. The comments and forum posts are property of their posters, all the rest copyright 1999-2008 by Max Intermedia LTD.

Powered by MD-Pro