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 when you are abroad:
Low cost
-No currency conversion fee
-Spending in local currency and repaying from the RMB account to avoid multiple currency exchange losses.
- 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. From January 1st 2016 onwards, cumulative annual cash withdrawal overseas for each mainland China-issued UnionPay RMB card shall not exceed the equivalent of one hundred thousand RMB. 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.
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.
Compared with other bankcard networks, the 1%-2% currency conversion fee is waived when paying or withdrawing cash by UnionPay card via UnionPay network overseas.
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 (card number starting with “62”) 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 (card number starting with 62) 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.
