I am really ****' tired of UnionPay.
I want to be able to buy/pay sh1te online. I have few US VISAs and Mastercards (US Bank, Key Bank, etc), but its very troublesome to deposit money there.
I need chinese one. I dont care if its credit card or debit card or whatever card, as long as its internationally accepted one (VISA, MC), and I can use it online.
I do have RP, HR said that they can issue me a Salary Certificate (or whateverthefuck that means), but no credit history

Suggestions?

overh20 wrote:

minyanville wrote:I am really ****' tired of UnionPay.
I want to be able to buy/pay sh1te online. I have few US VISAs and Mastercards (US Bank, Key Bank, etc), but its very troublesome to deposit money there.
I need chinese one. I dont care if its credit card or debit card or whatever card, as long as its internationally accepted one (VISA, MC), and I can use it online.
I do have RP, HR said that they can issue me a Salary Certificate (or whateverthefuck that means), but no credit history

Suggestions?

You have come to the right place.

My first suggestion is to stop being a dickhead, but I will also give you the ins and outs of solving your credit question. Fair enough?

Seriously, banks here do not want to grant credit to expats. They almost all believe that our sole mission in life is to come to China and steal 5,000 RMB. At least in your case, I do not think that is your goal.

Generally speaking, with no credit history as reported to the People's Bank Credit Reference Center, it can be difficult to obtain credit unless you either:

1. Own real estate;
2. Own a car;
3. Work for a major multinational;
4. Use a Chinese spouse as an "in";
5. Have a significant amount of money on deposit locally; or
6. Have connections.

Let's assume that the average expat does not meet any of the above requirements and has no credit history. There are sometimes one or two banks that will approve a credit card based on a long-term (1 or 2 year) employment contract with related legal working documentation. At times -- but not always -- Bank of Communications and China Merchants Bank will do this. I do not think they do now, mind you, but give it a shot. Another possibility is dealing with a bank that your company has a strong relationship with.

If none of the above works for you, then there is an alternative; get a secured credit card. Bank of China, for example, has the Great Wall International Credit Card which they will issue to you against a deposit (certificate of deposit) for an amount equal to the credit limit on the card. Also, other banks will often do this, but you have to go in and convince them to do it.

The advantage of a secured card is that it does report to the People's Bank and you can build up a credit history. Then after a couple of years you can get the bank to release your security deposit and give you a normal credit card that is not secured.

If you have any questions or need further help, send me a PM. I can connect you with the right people in most banks.

yeah, I forgot that sometimes, when you r not being a d1ckhead, you can actually be quite helpful Thanks, its good info.
Few questions tho.

1) Define "Have a significant amount of money on deposit locally"

2) The secured credit card concept in China is little bit confusing for my "pig farmer" brain. Correct me if I am wrong, but that's what I got:
basically, they will issue me a "credit card" that will use my debit/checking account amount as a collateral? OR
I need to make the CD investment which would define my credit limit? what are the basic terms?
Is there a minimum?

I've said this before but I found CMB to be very easy. I applied and they gave me a card with very little fuss. Maybe I was lucky but I'd say it's worth a try. Just supply everything they ask for (employment proof, income, bank statements etc). I now have an ICBC card too but that was sheer luck after finding one of the few people in the organisation who had some common sense instead of just saying no straight away actually referred my application to her boss. I've since spent over half a million RMB on the card, so she's looking pretty god right now.

Alright, I will give it a try. will post results later.
Thanks Over

Any info on getting a Visa DEBIT card??? You know, just like back home? I'm tired of bloody Union Pay too! What are the regs for getting a debit card? I have a white face if that helps.

overh20 wrote:What I would strongly suggest is getting a secured credit card. It's almost like using your own money, but you can also build a credit history with the People's Bank.

Lol i'm sure that kinda talk got the UK into it's financial black hole!!!

Thanks for the info!!!!!

there is no secured credit card.

abc1 wrote:there is no secured credit card.

Some banks agreed to give me a credit card but I would have to deposit 100,000 RMB with them and they would keep this. I think that's what secured means. (Obviously I said no).

Well well well, aren't we the fountain of information today?

Got my first CC (Visa, Int'l use) through CMB, not secured but they needed all the info as stated above - they did not report to authorities.
Got my second CC (MasterCard, Int'l use) through B of Comm, not secured but they needed all the info as stated above - they did not report to authorities.
Got my third CC (Amex, Int'l use) through CMB, they only needed RP and Visa CC info as it was the same.
Paid cash for car and house, have CD's in BoChina & BoComm, small savings account in CMB.
It is advisable to have a local help fill out the forms with you for several credit selections.
(online statements, purchases/amounts, txt messaging, etc)

Maybe I'll try that as a fluke, it never hurts to have another CC.
BTW - NOTE TO ALL CC HOLDERS FROM US BANKS;
My US CC were cancelled due to lack of use, most included small balances (<$20) for automatic monthly charges & some carried annual fees!
This was done because of the financial crap that occured there.
So have a backup plan/cash/other CC before you travel anywhere.
Happened without any prior notice given, I found out accidentally for a purchase in the States.
Amex - 32 years, poof gone
Visa - 34 years, poof gone
Mastercard - 28 years, poof gone
Discover - 20 years, poof gone
Expect the unexpected & you'll be better off.

overh20 wrote:

abc1 wrote:there is no secured credit card.

There is. You are just too stupid to understand the concept.

go call boc dumbasss! theres none.

This is too precious of an information. I too need a Chinese credit card. I'm tired of all the foreign processing fees, not to mention that I got to change USD and deposit them to the US account to pay the bill.

No secured credit cards? Then what is the ICBC Peony Secured Credit Card?

(II) Peony COFCO Credit Card – Secured Credit Card
The credit cards can be used for cash deposits and withdrawals, interest-earning deposits, spend on credit and self-services. Other functions included are: PIN entry, SMS alert, financial planning and bonus points reward, used at overseas CUP merchants, binding account for auto-repay.

http://www.icbc.com.cn/icbc/bank%20card ... reditcard/

And so folks we have once again gone full circle...
What started out as a open, friendly, informative thread has mutated into a crap throwing flame war. Ahh, the irony of it all!

overh20 wrote:

rickettyrabbit wrote:No secured credit cards? Then what is the ICBC Peony Secured Credit Card?

(II) Peony COFCO Credit Card – Secured Credit Card
The credit cards can be used for cash deposits and withdrawals, interest-earning deposits, spend on credit and self-services. Other functions included are: PIN entry, SMS alert, financial planning and bonus points reward, used at overseas CUP merchants, binding account for auto-repay.

http://www.icbc.com.cn/icbc/bank%20card ... reditcard/

Wabbit, don't confuse the phuktard.

I would never do such a thing. I promise.

But I still think he should apply for a SHExpat refund since he's unhappy with the service, and Vic gives them out . . . eventually . . . but only to those who apply.

allright, so little update for you suckas...

Went to Merchant Bank, got boned. Its actually funny, cause I do have an account with them with some sum on it. Punks.

Went to Bank of Communications. Was about to get boned. THen I started bitching that my HR told me this and that, and you bs'ing me, basically, threw a fit. Poor girl started calling some numbers. After about 30 mins on the phone, she said that its possible, but someone has to come to my office/work and check it out.
Whatever.
So, on monday (yesterday that is), some d1ldo called me up saying in broken english that he will be at my office in 30 min. As promised he showed up, talked with my HR little bit, we filled all the applications/papers/copies/documents/etc. He took a pic of me (:)), and left saying that my card should be ready in about 2 to 3 weeks.

and that's how I roll

overh20 wrote:

minyanville wrote:allright, so little update for you suckas...

Went to Merchant Bank, got boned. Its actually funny, cause I do have an account with them with some sum on it. Punks.

Went to Bank of Communications. Was about to get boned. THen I started bitching that my HR told me this and that, and you bs'ing me, basically, threw a fit. Poor girl started calling some numbers. After about 30 mins on the phone, she said that its possible, but someone has to come to my office/work and check it out.
Whatever.
So, on monday (yesterday that is), some d1ldo called me up saying in broken english that he will be at my office in 30 min. As promised he showed up, talked with my HR little bit, we filled all the applications/papers/copies/documents/etc. He took a pic of me (:)), and left saying that my card should be ready in about 2 to 3 weeks.

and that's how I roll

Congratulations, Miny! Bank of Communications partners with HSBC on their credit card and they're pretty good.

Make sure they report your name correctly on their People's Bank credit reporting system so you end up building a solid credit history. With a decent credit history you will get boned less in the future or, at worst, they only use the tip when they bone you.

On your card they put your name as you want: Miny An Ville.

For the account name (which they report to People's Bank): VilleMinyAn

LOL, thanks I guess

once/if I get my card, I will PM you over

abc1 wrote:^ why don't you call them and instead of talking **** giving faluts info... dumb tard ass!
waste people's time.

faluts ?

You are calling Over dumb?

What exactly have you ever contributed to this forum, aside from the entertainment?

overh20 wrote:

minyanville wrote:allright, so little update for you suckas...

Went to Merchant Bank, got boned. Its actually funny, cause I do have an account with them with some sum on it. Punks.

Went to Bank of Communications. Was about to get boned. THen I started bitching that my HR told me this and that, and you bs'ing me, basically, threw a fit. Poor girl started calling some numbers. After about 30 mins on the phone, she said that its possible, but someone has to come to my office/work and check it out.
Whatever.
So, on monday (yesterday that is), some d1ldo called me up saying in broken english that he will be at my office in 30 min. As promised he showed up, talked with my HR little bit, we filled all the applications/papers/copies/documents/etc. He took a pic of me (:)), and left saying that my card should be ready in about 2 to 3 weeks.

and that's how I roll

Congratulations, Miny! Bank of Communications partners with HSBC on their credit card and they're pretty good.

Make sure they report your name correctly on their People's Bank credit reporting system so you end up building a solid credit history. With a decent credit history you will get boned less in the future or, at worst, they only use the tip when they bone you.

On your card they put your name as you want: Miny An Ville.

For the account name (which they report to People's Bank): VilleMinyAn

So one of the winning factors is accepting taking it up the Ronson?

...OK, I'm kinda afraid of asking (the last post seems to be a while ago), but here goes.

Which banks, exactly, offer the "secured card" option? As a college student (doing a full undergrad degree here, so it's not like I'm going to leave anytime soon) I don't think I can get anything else (I already got an ICBC UnionPay-only "student card" with a credit limit of a whoppin' 10RMB- no, I didn't miss any zeros, they said it'd go up to 500RMB after spending 500RMB and paying it off within 3 months, and up to 2K if I did the same again, but it's yet to happen). Also, I'd prefer a chip-and-pin card (that's the biggie- no one in America offers this, and some places I go it's been... an issue; for most other places I have a Minsheng Visa debit card).

I aslo asked at my college's branch of BOC about the Great Wall International Card and they said it was for Chinese students traveling overseas only. Though I'm going to believe the posts of some here and assume that they were mis/under-informed. Or is it really true that they block off everything if you're a student? I'd like to build a credit history here now because it looks like I'll be staying here for the long term (for certain reasons, I see myself more likely to find a job here after graduation) and I'd like to have that established now while I have more time to worry about it (that, and the aforementioned issues with chip-and-pin- if I can get one here and save some headache, why not?).

To clarify: I've been told at BOC that as a student I can only get a credit card from them if my parents are both Chinese citizens and are willing to co-sign. They're not citizens and this is a bit far for them to come just to co-sign for a CC. Or I can have some real estate or something under my name. Also not practical. The third option was to become a VIP customer. 500k RMB. Much as I wish I had that much at once, I don't. But if I can get a secured card for $750, that's not impractical by any means.

ICBC said that I was lucky to get the student card when I did, and that they don't offer any sort of credit to students anymore. Even Elite Club customers require proof of income.

SPDB/Citi said, in effect, "Student? Nope, sorry." Not even as an authorized user on my aunt's card (well, OK, they said "you can try, but no guarantees"- see CCB below for why I made the assumption about that meaning "no").

CCB said I could try if I had a Chinese citizen co-signer that's related to me, but no guarantees. Asked an aunt (different from the one with the SPDB card) to do this. Requested credit limit of 1000RMB. No dice.

Minsheng people at two different branches told me "We don't accept applications from any non-Chinese." Seeing as how some people mention this bank here I'm going to assume that I've also been misinformed.

Haven't tried the rest, but BOC international card sounds like the best option to look at now if I can do it with a CD of $750.

I also tried with BoComm/HSBC, but... under false pretenses would be putting it lightly (one of the "other aunts" I mentioned owns a company, you can guess where this is going). I'm not going to be touching them again because I'm afraid of being found out, I guess.


EDIT: One more thing- while I'm at it, how do I check to make sure the ICBC student card is reporting correctly?

overh20 wrote:...
Now, as for chip & pin cards, in China a chip card is NOT what you really want. I can tell you from experience that it is not uncommon for the card chip and / or the merchant's chip reader to malfunction and leave you with no ability to pay using that card. What you can do -- and almost every Chinese credit card allows this -- is to set up a PIN for use when making purchases.

Ah. I was speaking more of places outside China where I've had trouble getting plain mag-stripe cards accepted. On the other hand, if it fails a lot that's not much better. I'll put that idea aside, then.

overh20 wrote:...
BOC offers many different types of credit cards. Most people mistakenly believe that BOC only has one central card-issuance center when, in fact, they have dozens. Each province issues their own BOC credit card, BOC Hong Kong issues the Great Wall International Card on the Mainland and BOC HQ Beijing issues a nationwide credit card. Each has different standards for approval and each has their own credit department which makes decisions.

As a student, though, you are generally out of luck except when it comes to the Great Wall International Card which, by the way, is not for use within China.

Another option is to apply for the BOC Shanghai branch UnionPay credit card. Of course, they will not initially approve your application, but when their credit department calls with the bad news you can ask them about placing a security deposit. Often they will make an exception and allow this.

So the Great Wall International Card is issued by BOCHK? It still reports to PBOC on this side of the border, correct?
And if it's not for within China, I can hold on to my ICBC card for local spending, using the BOC card for travel and online spending (the biggie- I thought that the Minsheng Visa debit would work for that, but nope).

overh20 wrote:Try above BOC approach with ICBC. They often accept.

If the BOC card works, I'll just go with them, but if it doesn't, it's nice to know that I can get something more than the "10-kuai card" I have now, though I guess it depends on how much they want from me in terms of CD.

overh20 wrote:Forget PuFa, though they will let you be an authorized user. Hell, my ayi is an authorized user and they never asked anything other than name, address and ID card #.

Thanks. (Though I was thinking of that because my aunt is a VIP account holder and gets the gold card- not something I'm going to reach alone)

overh20 wrote:Not sure why CCB denied your application. Did they not like your aunt? Try asking the CCB credit department for a secured card. I have heard of people who had luck that way.

Funny thing, that. My aunt (I have a huge extended family, I think I've mentioned three already) already has a mortgage with them that she's current on. No reason for them to not like her. I'll keep the secured card in mind as another option (I don't want to end up with a whole stack, so I'll only be going for one or two depending on what I do with the ICBC student card)

overh20 wrote:Minsheng Bank staff lied to you. I am the last person on this planet who could be considered Chinese and I have a Minsheng Bank credit cards. Still, I seriously doubt as a student they will approve and I have yet to hear of them offering a secured card.

OK, so I'll scratch that.

overh20 wrote:Never heard of BoComm offering a secured card. Better not to falsify anything.


There is a People's Bank of China Credit Reference Center in Shanghai where you can walk in, fill out a form and present your passport upon which they will immediately give you a copy of your credit file. Not sure of their exact location since I use a different avenue to check, but you can probably get the address or contact information here:

http://www.pbc.gov.cn/

And again, thanks for the info. I can only seem to find the address for the Shanghai head office and a phone number, though. That'll probably get me there, I guess.

One more question- when I mention wanting to place a security deposit, how exactly would I word that in Chinese? (yes, for being surrounded by a Chinese family, my Chinese is nowhere near perfect- as some on my dad's side put it, I'm "turning into a laowai')

Or should I just try to ask in English?

...So I tried. The BOC people at my branch were remarkably insistent about the security deposit option no longer being available as an option as of two months ago and that my chances of success were near-zero (they said they tried with someone else two months ago, with zero success). I managed to get the application, fill it out, and had the branch manager take it all the same, though I'm hesitant now (she got the phone with who she says is someone at the BOC credit card department who says it's no longer an option either- did something change or is she just referring to a "call center dweeb", as you put it? Though she said the person was definitely working in the risk department, this doesn't quite add up with your experience, it seems). On the other hand, if it doesn't work I've wasted a half-hour and a couple pieces of paper at most, not too much of a loss for me.

Oh well, I was told that it'll be up to 45 days before I get a response. Nothing to do but wait, I guess.

I got the strangest message from my office last week. They told me Master Card China had called and asked me to pay my bill which they had sent to Adrienneleefarrelly@hotmail.com. They were calling from a waidi numbers. Strangely enough I never use my middle name for anything but for bank accounts and my travel agent.

I am really surprised they are targetting foreigners given we rarely get cards here.

But there's always the one in a million so I guess they think it is worth it. Good luck to them. If they find some expat foolish enough to work with them then so be it.

Adrienne

Curious- that's how much I filled in on the "requested credit limit" spot on the form. So that's how much I'm going to be asked to deposit? Or some multiple of it?

Thanks for contacting them if you can.

overh20 wrote:

Adrienne wrote:I got the strangest message from my office last week. They told me Master Card China had called and asked me to pay my bill which they had sent to Adrienneleefarrelly@hotmail.com. They were calling from a waidi numbers. Strangely enough I never use my middle name for anything but for bank accounts and my travel agent.

I am really surprised they are targetting foreigners given we rarely get cards here.

But there's always the one in a million so I guess they think it is worth it. Good luck to them. If they find some expat foolish enough to work with them then so be it.

Adrienne

Are you saying that you didn't pay your credit card bill back home so they called you in China looking for payment?

Most probably it was something like this:

http://www.waybeta.com/news/6593/the-mainland

"Reporter from the information provided by the police found recently, both inside and outside Guangdong police arrested 118 suspects, including Taiwanese criminal suspects and 41, accounting for one third of the criminals. Public Sector, the reason why the people of Taiwan more, mainly because of wire fraud as early as 30 years ago appeared in Taiwan, after 30 years of evolution, more people get taken in this deception. It is understood that in the Taiwanese criminal gang suspected to play a general role of the organizers. As more Taiwanese firms in Dongguan, Taiwanese activities closely, therefore, Dongguan has become more local telecommunications fraud a crime, therefore, the Dongguan police have set up specialized teams to fight against telecommunications fraud."

In Taiwan and South China, it is a plague

Well... you seem to be quite the expert on this topic. Is all this personal experience?

If that sounds too inquisitive I guess you don't have to answer it...

^He also prints his own money in a spare bedroom.

overh20 wrote:

jay_dee wrote:^He also prints his own money in a spare bedroom.

Ah, come on ... money is for old farts.

I make plastic.

You mean you've got one of these?

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&biw=1755&bih=1078&q=stripe+card+reader+writer&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=9217435925826930139&ei=wsH1TJbOH8T_lgeRg_CxBQ&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEMQ8wIwBg#