Frequently Asked Questions
In what countries can UnionPay Card be accepted by merchants and ATMs?
Currently, UnionPay network has extended to a lot of countries and regions, including Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan Region, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, USA, France, Germany, Britain, Switzerland, etc..
In these countries and regions, ATMs and merchants are gradually connected to UnionPay network. Therefore, not all ATMs and POS terminals accept UnionPay Card. But sure enough, UnionPay Card can be accepted by all ATMs or POS terminals labeled with UnionPay logo. In some areas such as the USA, UnionPay logo may not be present on ATMs even UnionPay cards are accepted due to local practices, and cardholders may need to inquire of whether or not Unionpay cards are accepted.
Due to local customs of some overseas countries and regions, UnionPay logo is only shown on the screens of ATMs that accept UnionPay Card (such as in Europe), which requires particular attentions from cardholders. Besides, ATMs accepting UnionPay Card in some countries need to be identified by some bank logos. For details, cardholders can inquire the card-using tips for each country in “Global UnionPay Card”.
How to use UnionPay Card abroad?
To cater for the spending customs of the Chinese, most of the ATMs that accept UnionPay Card in Thailand, Singapore, Korea and Japan have been installed with the operating interfaces in Chinese. Most overseas POS terminals connected to UnionPay international network have PIN pad through which you can swipe your card before inputting PIN like what you do in China; when no PIN is available, please press the confirm button directly, or input 6 random numbers under the guide of cashier before pressing the confirm button (such as in German, Switzerland, etc.). In some countries (such as in America, Korea, etc.) where POS terminals do not have PIN pad, the transactions can be successfully processed without inputting PIN.
Secondly, when using UnionPay card abroad, cardholders can purchase in local currency and have the equivalent RMB amount deducted from their account, i.e. Unoinpay International will convert the amount of local currency into that of RMB based on the exchange rate of the current day, which brings cardholders more privileges. When using UnionPay debit card, you don’t have to worry about the embarrassment caused by credit line issues so long as your RMB account has sufficient balance.
Which cards can be used on UnionPay network abroad?
First, cardholders are required to check if overseas acceptance service has been activated for their cards by calling UnionPay customer service center (95516) or the customer service center of the issuing bank. All cards with UnionPay logo are acceptable overseas, including debit card, credit card and semi-credit card.
What special attentions need to be paid when using dual-logo cards abroad?
Transactions by dual-logo cards may be switched by UnionPay network or other networks. UnoinPay International converts the transaction amount of local currency into that of RMB based on the exchange rate of the current day. Therefore, in most cases, it is more favorable for cardholders to pay through UnionPay network.
Cardholders are recommended to ask the cashier to choose the UnionPay network, so as to ensure the enjoyment of the various favorable services provided by the UnionPay network.
In what countries and regions is UnionPay International’s overseas service hotline accessible?
The countries and regions other than Mainland China where UnionPay Intermational service hotline is accessible include: Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, France, Singapore, Thailand, Germany, America, Macao, Malaysia, Australian, New Zealand, Switzerland, Italy, etc.. The service hotline in each country and region is different. For details, please refer to the webpage of “UnionPay International Overseas Service Hotline”.
What can be done if emergency circumstances occur during overseas card-using?
If the card gets lost overseas, you should immediately report the loss of your card to the domestic issuing bank and a new card will be issued by the issuing bank after you return home.
If a UnionPay credit card holder loses his/her card overseas and is in urgent need of cash, he/she can apply for UnionPay emergency cash service. Cardholders are recommended to inquire of the outlet and procedure for withdrawing emergency cash by calling the local UnionPay service hotline. For more details, please refer to the webpage of “UnionPay Card Overseas Emergency Cash Assistance Service”.
ATMs may not return card in case of malfunction or misoperation or negligence. In this case, cardholders need to consult the bank in charge of the ATM by providing valid identification documents (such as passport) as soon as possible. If the card is destroyed, the cardholder need to apply for a new one with the issuer after returning home.
Why a cardholder of a credit card without PIN cannot complete the transaction by directly pressing the "Enter" button but is required by cashiers to input PIN while using the card in some parts of the world?
When using UnionPay credit cards without PIN in some parts of the world, cardholders will be required to input 6 random numbers and then press “Enter” to complete the transaction (DummyPIN) due to local industrial regulatory requirements or functional restrictions of the system. In some regions, for convenience purposes, the cashier will directly tell cardholders to input 6 “0”.This is a common procedure. Cardholders are recommended to complete the transaction under the guidance of the cashier.
If the transaction is successfully processed by inputting 6 random numbers when paying by UnionPay credit card without PIN, will this affect subsequent use of this card?
Not at all. For credit cards without PIN, even though random numbers are input as PIN, the issuing bank will make no judgment of the PIN during authorization. Therefore, this will not affect the subsequent use of the card.
In what countries and regions a transaction can not be completed by directly pressing the “Enter” button whening using a credit card without PIN (DummyPIN)?
By August, 2013, DummyPIN still exists in Korea, Singapore, Russia, , Germany, Switzerland, etc..
In case of the abovementioned DummyPIN, is signature required in transactions in which random numbers are input as PIN? In case of a fraudulent transaction, which will be used to judge if the transaction has been completed by the cardholder in person, PIN or signature
Signature is required and will be used to judge whether the transaction is completed by the cardholder in person.
What should I do if I use the Mainland-issued UnionPay card for withdrawal at ATMs abroad when the deduction is done with no cash receiving?
Under this circumstance, cardholders may contact the issuing bank for the transaction cancellation, and the issuing bank will contact the local bank to which the ATM belongs via UnionPay system. Once all information is confirmed, the refund will be returned to cardholder’s bank account.