I know the subject has been discussed a million times before on this forum but my searches did not result in something useful except for the list of 3 (Minsheng Bank; CITIC Bank; China Merchants Bank) plus Pingan Bank (low charges on withdrawals).

I would need a debit card that can be used online internationally and I want to have a good internet banking service to control the account. I hear ICBC has a great ib service but don't know much about their debit cards and the ability to use them online. The 3 banks in the list above presumably offer cards that can be used online but there is not much info on the ib services they offer.

Is there a bank that is strong in both areas? I'm sure not all the users here are using credit cards so there must be some that have debit ones. Please share with the world, good people!

Thank you for your time and info!

I just got a new job and in this country and am a bit excited about it. But the financial management questions keep piling up so I'm trying to clarify things at least partially.

Thanx again everybody!

ICBC does have a Visa Electron debit card. This does not work for online purchases. Minsheng Bank also has one. Again it does not work for online shopping. Which is why I'm still trying for a credit card.

I saw that Minsheng has Visa+Union Pay debit cards but have no idea if they are usable online. Tried to contact them but had no success on the phone (their hot line is a 24hour one only in name).

Can one get a credit card with zero overdraft? It would be, from the bank's point of view, just a fancy debit card but the client would get the advantages of online shopping.

I saw that Minsheng has Visa+Union Pay debit cards but have no idea if they are usable online. Tried to contact them but had no success on the phone (their hot line is a 24hour one only in name).

Not usable online... Only good for shopping in foreign countries(Any, but can have your currency set to a preferred one, mine is set on Euro as I am most likely to make purchases there). As far as online payments go, my card is limit free in China, but not usable for international purchases... Which is a bit of a pain sometimes, plane tickets come to mind...

Does anyone have an input on the zero overdraft credit card issue?

Easier to obtain or just as difficult as a regular credit card?

What do you mean? I have had such credit cards back home. The bank decides what overdraft to offer you, it might as well be zero - especially if you ask for it.

I have dual citizenship. In the US a few of my cards had zero overdraft. Whatever credit the banks decided they wanted to give me, I accepted it and then called and asked them to set my credit to zero. I am not interested in using their money, just mine. The credit I have decided to have access to is strictly for emergencies and I cannot remember 5 times in recent years that I had to use it.

In China I'm trying to do the same thing. My resources, as much as they are, allow me to not need to use the bank's money. But I would very much like to have access to the other facilities that Visa credit cards offer.

In other news: I talked to a guy in one of ICBC's locations and he said I can use their debit cards online. I repeatedly asked if this is true for the large Internet not just for China and he told me it was true. Now I'm puzzled, I tend to not believe him but then again...

freakingme wrote:My resources, as much as they are, allow me to not need to use the bank's money.
But I would very much like to have access to the other facilities that Visa credit cards offer

Excuse me, i don' understand this part. If you need not bank's money why you want loan it for % ?

To the OP. I think you're outta luck. Don't shop online. Do it in person and use cash... Even if you got a Chinese Visa or MasterCard (credit card), many online sites outside of China won't accept them anyway. You're better off getting a normal bank card, signing up for online banking and purchasing and using it in China only...

If you need not bank's money why you want loan it for % ?

I started thinking I might need a credit card from a Chinese bank because apparently that is the only type that can be used to shop online.

overh20, you seem confused and eager to engage in verbal assault. Worry not, I will forgive your childish attempts to attack me.

Any bank will give you zero overdraft, you just need to ask for it. Not many do because people want to spend spend spend. Those who want to spend only what they earn, can temporarily set limits on their maximum credit. Zero is such a limit.

It is entirely possible that in China there is no solution for my problem, I will probably look for another few days, make a few more phone calls and then accept the reality.

Is it still true that the ICBC internet banking site only works with Internet Explorer?

freakingme wrote:Any bank will give you zero overdraft, you just need to ask for it.

I would add what any bank (in China) have credit cards - you just need to ask for it.

Please post results.

I had a pleasant surprise today after giving up all hope of finding anything useful.
Through their online banking, ICBC gives the option of creating a virtual Visa card that can be used for online purchases all over the world. I did not expect a Chinese bank to have this. I have not tested it yet but the card seems like the real deal (you can even enroll it in "verified by Visa").

I played a little with their system and it's better than I expected. Some things, like phone number and e-mail binding, don't work (or I haven't been able to make them work) but in a short while I think I'll be on top of things.

^

Where exactly did you find this? Once you log onto their online banking, what are the steps you take to find this?

Google found something like that for CMB:

http://english.cmbchina.com/personal+bu ... card05.htm

How it works, anybody

Just checked on ICBC's onlinebanking and they do have an e-Card service.

It looks like you can get a virtual Visa credit card number for use in making online purchases, but it says that the merchant must use Verified by Visa during the checkout process. Few merchants that I have seen use VBV.

I wonder if it is an actual Visa card # or their Visa Electron card #. As much as people like to say Visa Electron can be used online, the fact is that while it is possible in theory, in real life it just doesn't happen.

LucyLez, I don't think it is a Visa Electron. But I can tell you that I had a Visa Electron a few years ago (not from a Chinese bank though) and it worked flawlessly for online purchases. There are plenty of stores that accept cards enrolled in "Verified by Visa", I rarely had to give up on purchasing something because of my card being "verified".

I just hope this isn't one of those services you so often see in China (great promises, less than acceptable delivery). Fingers crossed!

freakingme wrote:LucyLez, I don't think it is a Visa Electron. But I can tell you that I had a Visa Electron a few years ago (not from a Chinese bank though) and it worked flawlessly for online purchases. There are plenty of stores that accept cards enrolled in "Verified by Visa", I rarely had to give up on purchasing something because of my card being "verified".

I just hope this isn't one of those services you so often see in China (great promises, less than acceptable delivery). Fingers crossed!

The problem with using Chinese credit cards internationally, according to companies like Witopia and others I talked to about it, is that 1) your address cannot be verified according to their methods, and 2) a lot of people in China try to use stolen or fake cards to make purchases internationally. In short, they don't trust credit cards from China.

This "virtual" card might work though,,, Let us know what you find out in trying to use it internationally.

freakingme wrote:LucyLez, I don't think it is a Visa Electron. But I can tell you that I had a Visa Electron a few years ago (not from a Chinese bank though) and it worked flawlessly for online purchases. There are plenty of stores that accept cards enrolled in "Verified by Visa", I rarely had to give up on purchasing something because of my card being "verified".

I just hope this isn't one of those services you so often see in China (great promises, less than acceptable delivery). Fingers crossed!

I'm not sure in which country the merchant was that accepted online payment with a Visa Electron, but in the US there are virtually zero online merchants that accept a Visa Electron card.

You can call ICBC and ask whether their eCard is a Visa card or a Visa Electron. My guess is it is not an Electron.

KopyKatKiller wrote:

freakingme wrote:LucyLez, I don't think it is a Visa Electron. But I can tell you that I had a Visa Electron a few years ago (not from a Chinese bank though) and it worked flawlessly for online purchases. There are plenty of stores that accept cards enrolled in "Verified by Visa", I rarely had to give up on purchasing something because of my card being "verified".

I just hope this isn't one of those services you so often see in China (great promises, less than acceptable delivery). Fingers crossed!

The problem with using Chinese credit cards internationally, according to companies like Witopia and others I talked to about it, is that 1) your address cannot be verified according to their methods, and 2) a lot of people in China try to use stolen or fake cards to make purchases internationally. In short, they don't trust credit cards from China.

This "virtual" card might work though,,, Let us know what you find out in trying to use it internationally.

I have only had problems in approximately 5% or less of the instances where I have used a Chinese credit card for an overseas online purchase and had problems with AVS (Address Verification System) and I use my cards extensively. In those few cases where I have had a problem, they asked me to call in or to fax them a copy of the credit card.

I'm not sure in which country the merchant was that accepted online payment with a Visa Electron, but in the US there are virtually zero online merchants that accept a Visa Electron card.

I used it in Europe and the US with no problems.

Anyway, going back to ICBC, I'll try and work my way through their customer service sometimes in the next few days.

freakingme wrote:

I'm not sure in which country the merchant was that accepted online payment with a Visa Electron, but in the US there are virtually zero online merchants that accept a Visa Electron card.

I used it in Europe and the US with no problems.

Anyway, going back to ICBC, I'll try and work my way through their customer service sometimes in the next few days.

Which online US merchants have accepted Visa Electron?

Amazon, B&N, BD but also smaller, specialized bookstores I tried to buy from; some watch sellers, fitness equipment sellers, lots of PC components and PC games sellers.

Some of them did not list Visa Electron among the accepted means of payment, but they all accepted the transactions.

freakingme wrote:Amazon, B&N, BD but also smaller, specialized bookstores I tried to buy from; some watch sellers, fitness equipment sellers, lots of PC components and PC games sellers.

Some of them did not list Visa Electron among the accepted means of payment, but they all accepted the transactions.

Strange. Very strange.

I have a Visa Electron and after seeing your post went to both B&N and Amazon and they stated the card was not acceptable when attempting to checkout.

I sent a message to Amazon & B&N, but for now only Amazon replied. They do NOT accept Visa Electron.

I don't know what to say, it might be because my Electron was issued by a non-US bank.

I found out a little bit more about this ICBC e-card. It is a Visa debit card that is supposed to work for international online purchases. I tried to use it for a test purchase but it did not work. It goes through the authentication process but errors out with messages like "bank refused payment". I tried it on Amazon, Apple and Rebtel.

So I went back to the bank and asked what the problem was (never try to use the phone, it's useless if you don't speak Chinese). After over an hour of investigations, the only idea they came up with was that I need to put dollars on the e-card. Now, that card is a dual currency, so it should automatically convert one into the other, as needed for the transaction. But they say this isn't so... I have to actually put dollars on the card. OK, I say, can I use the e-banking to convert my RMB to USD? No, I cannot. Only people that opened the account using a Chinese ID can do that. People that used a passport to open the account have to go to the Bank of China, buy dollars, come to ICBC and put the dollars in the account.
Absurd, in my opinion.

"OK, but can you assure me that this card works for online international purchases?", I ask. Of course sir, it works, it was created for that purpose.

Good, let's try the dollar thing. I do all that, get some dollars on the card. Try all those merchants again... still doesn't work.

So now I will go to their head office and see if I can get this sorted out.
The saga continues.

freakingme wrote:I don't know what to say, it might be because my Electron was issued by a non-US bank.

I found out a little bit more about this ICBC e-card. It is a Visa debit card that is supposed to work for international online purchases. I tried to use it for a test purchase but it did not work. It goes through the authentication process but errors out with messages like "bank refused payment". I tried it on Amazon, Apple and Rebtel.

So I went back to the bank and asked what the problem was (never try to use the phone, it's useless if you don't speak Chinese). After over an hour of investigations, the only idea they came up with was that I need to put dollars on the e-card. Now, that card is a dual currency, so it should automatically convert one into the other, as needed for the transaction. But they say this isn't so... I have to actually put dollars on the card. OK, I say, can I use the e-banking to convert my RMB to USD? No, I cannot. Only people that opened the account using a Chinese ID can do that. People that used a passport to open the account have to go to the Bank of China, buy dollars, come to ICBC and put the dollars in the account.
Absurd, in my opinion.

"OK, but can you assure me that this card works for online international purchases?", I ask. Of course sir, it works, it was created for that purpose.

Good, let's try the dollar thing. I do all that, get some dollars on the card. Try all those merchants again... still doesn't work.

So now I will go to their head office and see if I can get this sorted out.
The saga continues.

Of course they will not let you buy US$ online because of currency controls. If you have their credit card, you can buy US$ online to pay the US$ balance on your credit card.

It's just that getting that credit card is the tough part.

can u use an american visa debit card in China, and can u use it to shop online? will be moving there in a couple of days and any info would be useful.

overh20 wrote:

jamar wrote:It's just that getting that credit card is the tough part.

Unfortunately, true.

How did things go with PuFa?

Still waiting. I made the mistake of trying to submit it all at a branch first. After five of them in various parts of the city refused saying I couldn't possibly get that approved I actually read my e-mail more closely and mailed it in per their instructions.

As for the poster immediately above mine, you can use it offline in some places. Online- not really. I can't think of any shops that take Visa online that aren't foreign-based (Yodobashi Camera's online shop for China, for instance). Though maybe someone else knows better than me?

Back in the day in the UK, you couldn't use a Visa Electron for internet purchases as you can only swipe the card through a machine for payment, not type the number into a EFPOS machine or whatever the merchant was using.

Might have changed now though...it's been about 10 years since i had an electron! I thought they were only for school kids who get their first bank account before upgrading to a proper visa when they start earning???? Or that's how Barclays explained it to me!