UnionPay card and UnionPay overseas network provide you
with convenient, affordable and secure overseas payment service. Almost all
bankcards with UnionPay logo in your wallet are accepted by overseas
participating merchants and ATMs.
Three benefits of paying through UnionPay network or withdrawing cash from
ATMs by UnionPay card (card number starting with 62) when you are abroad:
Low cost
- Low commission fees for ATM cash withdrawal.
-Eligible for UnionPay special offers.
Convenience
-RMB settlement without having to purchase foreign exchange for repayment.
- No need for a new card. Almost all domestic bankcards with UnionPay logo can
be accepted in our overseas network.
- Hotline services in Chinese, and ATMs with convenient Chinese interface in
some countries.
Safety
- Save the trouble of carrying about large amounts of cash and ensure
personal and financial security.
- PIN-based authentication makes transactions and accounts more secure.
Attention: Overseas ATM cash withdrawal by UnionPay debit
card incurs a lower commission fee than by UnionPay credit card. Since debit
card transactions are subject only to the balance of the account instead of the
line of credit, debit cards are preferred in high-value transactions.
According to the requirements of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange,
a cap on annual cash withdrawal overseas (including Hong Kong, Macao and
Taiwan, the same applies hereinafter) is newly imposed for UnionPay RMB cards
issued in mainland China, in addition to the currently cap requirement of ten
thousand RMB equivalent on cash withdrawal per card per day. , please visit link for details. The issuing banks may set limits individually for credit
cards due to credit limits and other reasons. The cardholders may consult with
the issuing banks for details. Besides, countries and regions overseas may have
different caps on ATM cash withdrawal per transaction and the applicable cap is
subject to the prompts on local ATM machines.
From 2009, UnionPay cards are accepted at all ATMs in UK through LINK network.
UK regulations require the separation of VocaLink (UK payments infrastructure
operator) from LINK Scheme( a UK processor). Since VocaLink is not qualified
for acquiring business, UnionPay needs to work with different ATM operators in
UK and sign agreements with them individually. UnionPay has already signed
agreements with most of the operators and we are doing our best to restore
access to the full network of UK ATMs. Meanwhile, from 3 a.m. March 30, 2016
China Standard Time (8 p.m. March 29 in UK), some ATMs in UK may temporarily
experience interruption for UnionPay card service. Cardholders could use other
ATMs nearby or make payments directly with UnionPay cards. With more and more
ATM operators confirmed to join, the number of affected ATMs will decrease
correspondingly.
According to UnionPay Merchant Supervision Regulations, it is forbidden to use domestically-issued UnionPay cards to purchase properties in overseas markets.
UnionPay cards issued from mainland China are allowed to be used to buy pure insurance products (accidents, deaths, and illnesses), but are not allowed to buy any other insurance products. Meanwhile, a single transaction of UnionPay cards issued from mainland China at overseas insurance merchants is capped at the equivalent of 5,000 USD.
According to UnionPay Business Regulations, all UnionPay cards are prohibited from making direct or indirect payment at gaming merchants.
Please check your UnionPay cards before departure
Make sure there is a “UnionPay” logo on the card face. If not, please apply
for a new card with the issuing bank.
Please sign on the signature stripe at the card back of
your debit or credit cards if you have not already done so.
In order to ensure the card acceptance, please inquire
the issuing bank in advance of whether overseas card services via UNIONPAY
network are provided. For more details, please refer to the list of issuing
banks.
UnionPay Card Overseas Acceptance Network
Coverage
UnionPay network has extended to many countries and regions frequently visited
by the Chinese, including Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia,
Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, France, Germany. Please refer to
the international business schedule for more information. UnionPay cards do not
allow overseas counter transfer or withdrawal or cash withdrawal from POS
terminals
Identifying Overseas Merchants and ATMs that Accept UnionPay Cards
Merchants and ATMs with “UnionPay” logo can all accept UnionPay cards.
Due to local practices in some cases, UnionPay logo may only appear on ATM
screens which may require cardholders’ particular attention. In cases where the
logo is not present cardholders may inquire the cashier of whether UnionPay
cards are accepted. Meanwhile, they can also tell from logos of our partner
institutions on ATMs. For more details, please refer to “Card-using Tips”
disaggregated by country or call the UnionPay customer service hotline (95516).
Pay by UnionPay Card in Local Currency and
Repay from an RMB Account
While paying or withdrawing cash by UnionPay card via UnionPay network
overseas, the expenditure in local currency will be directly converted into
that of RMB based on the market exchange rate, and debited from the cardholder’s
RMB account by the issuing bank accordingly.
Charges
No commission fee is charged for swiping
UnionPay card in participating merchants. (Unless otherwise stipulated in local
regulations)
Issuing banks will charge a certain amount of commission fee for cash
withdrawal in ATMs by UnionPay cards. Please inquire your issuing bank for
further information. A small amount of surcharge may also be imposed by some
ATM owners in some countries. The extra commission fee for the ATM service will
be charged on case-by-case basis.
Make the best of Credit Cards and Debit Cards
When paying by credit cards overseas, cardholders can enjoy overdraft and a
certain interest-free period but are limited by the line of credit. Debit cards
are more suitable for high-value transactions, as they are subject only to the
balance of the card (except for individually set consumption limit). When using
a credit card for cash withdrawal overseas, overdraft interest will apply in
addition to a certain amount of commission fee. Therefore, cardholders are
recommended to use the UnionPay debit card for cash withdrawal while abroad,
which only requires a certain amount of commission fee.
Signature and PIN
Please sign your name on the signature strip at the back of both your debit and
credit cards. When swiping a UnionPay card, please sign on the sales slip so
that the cashier can verify your identity. Please input you PIN while swiping
your card no matter it is a debit or credit card; if there is no PIN set for
the card, press “Confirm” or input 6 random numbers to complete the payment.
Never set too simple a PIN for your card. You are advised to cover the PIN pad
when inputting PIN to prevent your PIN being captured by a remote camera.
When paying with UnionPay card that has a
preset PIN at overseas merchants, the transactions can be authorized by means
of “signature+ PIN”; otherwise, transactions can be authorized by signature
only.
Attention : From February, 2011, some
merchants in the US, South Korea, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Germany, Austria,
Spain, Japan, Australia, Bahamas, Brazil, France, Switzerland, Great Britain,
the Netherlands, Ireland, Greece, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Russia and
Kazakhstan accept signature-based payment without PIN via UnionPay card even if you have set a PIN.
Loss Report
If the card gets lost overseas, please
call your issuing bank immediately to report the loss and complete a written
report after you are back in China.
Card Capture by ATM
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 back to home.
Account Error Handling
If the amount has been debited from the
account but cash is not dispensed by the ATM, or excessive fund is deducted
from the account in transactions or other account errors occur, cardholders are
recommended to apply for account error handling service to the issuing bank
when they’re back in China.