Originally Posted by
kebosabi
This is the Passbook savings account. It comes with a CNY savings account should you want it, but you can just toss C$ into it and start using it with UnionPay merchants just like that.
Originally Posted by
JEFFJAGUAR
There has to be a way, in the interests of all concerned, that we can come up either with one standard that everybody would use or the ability to have verification systems that can adapt to all methods. I think, although it has not gone completely well for the reasons we've discussed here, the US banks are reaching out to meet their needs (for whatever the reason that's chip and signature at the present time) with capabilities to use different methods (chip and pin, offline or online) in places where chip and signature doesn't work. So the bigger complaint is why can't we have 100% compatability (and while from a pragmatic point of view, 95% cmpatability will be good, if you're in a situation where the other 5% prevails, you will scream bloody murder.
Of course, that's utopia and it probably won't happen.
The more practical way might be to get the Canadian banks to offer their Canada-market products to US customers who want an offline PIN-priority card. Thus, for example, instead of sitting and waiting for BMO-Harris to start opening up Diner's Club again, you'd just ask them to apply for a Bank of Montreal US$ credit card (or their shiny new World Elite card if you want rewards even if it means having to pay your bill in C$). Or for just a few what-ifs, you'd ask TD Bank to get you a basic Canadian savings account with a chipped Visa Debit card, toss some money in there, and use as needed. You'd have your US-issued Chip+Sign card and your Canadian Chip+PIN cards and your bases covered.