UnionPay FAQs
Barak Elisha avatar
Written by Barak Elisha
Updated over a week ago

In this section you will find a list of all the support needed to redeem your Prepaid CNY UnionPay card.

Refined Card Using Tips

So far, UnionPay cards are accepted for cash withdrawal at 1.7 million ATMs outside mainland China, covering major travel destinations like Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Southeast Asia, United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Europe and the United States. Cardholders can withdraw cash from local ATMs. The amount of transactions made in local currency will be directly converted into RMB based on the market exchange rate, and debited from your RMB account by the issuer accordingly.

In accordance with relevant requirements of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, an individual withdrawing cash overseas with domestic bank cards is allowed to withdraw a maximum of amount equivalent to RMB10,000 every day with each card, and is allowed to withdraw a maximum of amount equivalent to RMB100,000 in total every year for all bank cards (including supplementary cards) issued under them. In case that the yearly cap aforementioned is reached, no further cash withdrawal overseas is allowed any more in the current year and the next year. Please click here for details. And limits may be set separately by issuing banks to credit cards due to credit line and other causes. For details, cardholders may consult issuing banks. The cap of ATM withdrawals varies from country to country and from region to region, depending on local machine tools.

How to Identify ATMs that Accept UnionPay Cards?

All ATMs with the logo

accept UnionPay cards. Due to the practice of some countries, UnionPay logo may only be shown on the screens of ATMs, which requires cardholders’ particular attention. Some ATMs may not have put up the UnionPay logo, you can judge from the logos of cooperative institutions on ATMs. Cardholders can inquire the logos of local banks in the corresponding country at “Global UnionPay Card”.

UnionPay cards accepted by ATMs outside mainland China for cash withdrawal

Debit cards (including wage cards, savings cards, etc.) with the UnionPay logo

or

issued by all financial institutions.

Note: Dual logo cards cannot be used to withdraw cash via the UnionPay routing from some ATMs in some countries and regions.

ATM Operation and Surcharges

The procedure of cash withdrawal at ATMs in some countries and regions is different from that in China. The card may be returned before cash is given. Please pay attention to this.

ATMs in the following countries and regions provide interfaces in the Chinese language:
Hong Kong, Macau, Japan (some ATMs), Korea , Singapore , Malaysia , Thailand , Russia , Kazakhstan , Vietnam , Cambodia , Turkey , USA , France (some ATMs), etc.; Citibank ATMs (in some countries) and etc.

ATMs may not return card in case of malfunction or misoperation or negligence. In this case, cardholders can get the card back at the branch in charge of the ATM by providing valid identify documents (such as passport) within 3 days since the incident (postponed in case of holiday). If the card is not taken back by cardholder within 3 days as prescribed, the card will be destroyed and the cardholder need to apply for a new one with the issuer after returning back to China. If no cash is taken from ATM but a certain amount has been deducted from the account, cardholder may apply for a dispute to the issuer after returning back to China.

Surcharges may be charged for cash withdrawal at some ATMs outside mainland China. Yet it has nothing to do with UnionPay. Some ATM screens may display additional surcharges and the charging standards. For specific charging standards, please refer to the information shown on local ATM screen, or call Customer Service Center at 95516.

Note: Cardholders are recommended to use the UnionPay debit cards for cash withdrawal since overdraft interest will apply when using a credit card.

Advantages of withdrawing cash with UnionPay cards:

Safe

-Avoid carrying large amount of cash, ensures personal and financial security.
-PIN-based authentication makes transactions and accounts more secure.

Cost-effective

-Low commission fee is charged.

Convenient

-RMB settlement without the need to purchase foreign currency.
-No need to apply for a new card. Almost all UnionPay cards issued in mainland China can be accepted overseas.
-Provide hotline service in Chinese; interface in the Chinese language provided by ATMs in some countries and regions.


Redemption Using an ATM

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. 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 When the ATM breaks down or cardholders commit maloperations or forget to take back their card, the card will be captured by ATM. In these cases, please claim your card from the outlet to which the ATM belongs with valid certificates (such as passport) within 3 days (subject to postponement during festivals and holidays) since the day following the capture. If the card is not claimed within 3 days, it will be cut and the cardholder will have to apply for a new card from the issuing bank when they’re back in China. 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.


Overseas Hotline Numbers

Please note, these may not be toll-free numbers

+ 86-21-95516

+ 86-21-20556900

+ 86-21-52295600


Questions About Digital Wallet

Any questions about the digital wallet can be directed to prepaid digital solutions through their "Contact Us" form at www.prepaiddigitalsolutions.com

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