May 18, 2019, 4:15 am
Last edit by: Deltus
As of May 2019, this thread is closing in on its 9 year anniversary. A lot has changed during the course of the past 9 years. In particular: 1. WeChat Wallet and Alipay have risen to prominence, and 2. banking related security measures have become much more intense. #2 is especially relevant to foreigners in China because many --if not most-- banks are reluctant to open accounts for people on standard tourist or business visas.
The objective of this thread is to help people navigate these waters. Please feel free to add your own data points to the Google Sheet in the following link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lBOLufpsS_YypVd4Yv75aDVNLK2K0t8GHtbV7-O9Hqw/edit?usp=sharing
For an account of using HSBC Premier in China, see post 188.
The objective of this thread is to help people navigate these waters. Please feel free to add your own data points to the Google Sheet in the following link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lBOLufpsS_YypVd4Yv75aDVNLK2K0t8GHtbV7-O9Hqw/edit?usp=sharing
For an account of using HSBC Premier in China, see post 188.
Banking and Good banks in the PRC Discussion
Jun 22, 2023, 9:55 am
#316
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,041
-one uses "first middle last" and the other uses "last first middle"
-Alipay is fine with both formats, but WeChat prefers one (ICBC in my case, but if I had tried BOC first maybe that would be their default in my case)
Jun 22, 2023, 11:11 am
#317
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,228
In WeChat I’m only able to add my ICBC debit and credit cards since that’s the only bank where my name is the same as I have on the app. In Alipay I can add all my bank cards (ICBC, CCB and BOC) despite using different ID’s and name order at each bank. Both are needlessly cumbersome to set up but for payment, Alipay is just better.
Jun 22, 2023, 11:34 am
#318
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,041
Alipay is more flexible. WeChat makes the bank name match precisely to your name in the app.
In WeChat I’m only able to add my ICBC debit and credit cards since that’s the only bank where my name is the same as I have on the app. In Alipay I can add all my bank cards (ICBC, CCB and BOC) despite using different ID’s and name order at each bank. Both are needlessly cumbersome to set up but for payment, Alipay is just better.
In WeChat I’m only able to add my ICBC debit and credit cards since that’s the only bank where my name is the same as I have on the app. In Alipay I can add all my bank cards (ICBC, CCB and BOC) despite using different ID’s and name order at each bank. Both are needlessly cumbersome to set up but for payment, Alipay is just better.
Jun 23, 2023, 1:09 am
#319
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: HKG
Posts: 1,315
My HSBC China credit card started out its life as First Middle Last. This caused no end of troubles with WeChat Pay. I eventually ended up getting HSBC China to change it to Last First Middle as required by WeChat. It's been working perfectly since. Other banks have also slowly converged onto the Last First Middle convention and apparently this is the format specified by the PBOC.
Jun 23, 2023, 1:15 am
#320
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: HKG
Posts: 1,315
This is not the case with Alipay. I have two credit cards linked to it with names in opposite orders (Last First Middle and First Middle Last). WeChat on the other hand requires (Last First Middle). You may succeed in adding a card with (First Middle Last) to WeChat but it will never pass real-name verification and you'll forever be prompted to upload your passport details (sometimes once for every transaction).
Jun 23, 2023, 2:14 am
#321
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,803
This is not the case with Alipay. I have two credit cards linked to it with names in opposite orders (Last First Middle and First Middle Last). WeChat on the other hand requires (Last First Middle). You may succeed in adding a card with (First Middle Last) to WeChat but it will never pass real-name verification and you'll forever be prompted to upload your passport details (sometimes once for every transaction).
Apr 20, 2024, 2:25 am
#322
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: PVG
Programs: MU Platinum, HH Diamond
Posts: 829
I confirmed at a Bank of China branch today that foreign passport holders are allowed to exchange RMB for US$500 (or equivalent other currencies) per day with no tax receipt requirements.
Do this 200X a year, and that's $100k.
The teller did recommend that one doesn't do this more than 3X a week.
Do this 200X a year, and that's $100k.
The teller did recommend that one doesn't do this more than 3X a week.
Apr 20, 2024, 2:25 pm
#323
Join Date: Jan 2020
Programs: Marriott Titanium (Lifetime Gold), Caesars Diamond
Posts: 1,402
As a tourist (but a tourist with an active SIM card), I can only satisfy requirement 2: real-name verification of your SIM card that has been active for more than 6 months.
Initially they told me that I either had to choose the Y50k account today or wait 6 months to activate the account, but after asking seven more employees and texting the Shanghai branch, we settled on that I could activate it today with a Y50k limit and then switch it to unlimited after 6 months.
They requested a fapiao (receipt) with my real name on the SIM card receipt. Since I have had service for less than a month, I didn’t have any bills yet. The workaround is using Alipay to top up your balance by Y10, which gives you a fapiao in your phone service app (e.g. China Mobile).
Initially they told me that I either had to choose the Y50k account today or wait 6 months to activate the account, but after asking seven more employees and texting the Shanghai branch, we settled on that I could activate it today with a Y50k limit and then switch it to unlimited after 6 months.
They requested a fapiao (receipt) with my real name on the SIM card receipt. Since I have had service for less than a month, I didn’t have any bills yet. The workaround is using Alipay to top up your balance by Y10, which gives you a fapiao in your phone service app (e.g. China Mobile).
They also said the requirement got more strict and 12 months of phone bills would be better. So I got a new Y8 number and am waiting it out
Apr 20, 2024, 9:42 pm
#324
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: HKG
Posts: 1,315
I confirmed at a Bank of China branch today that foreign passport holders are allowed to exchange RMB for US$500 (or equivalent other currencies) per day with no tax receipt requirements.
Do this 200X a year, and that's $100k.
The teller did recommend that one doesn't do this more than 3X a week.
Do this 200X a year, and that's $100k.
The teller did recommend that one doesn't do this more than 3X a week.
Apr 20, 2024, 11:54 pm
#325
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,803
Apr 21, 2024, 1:40 am
#326
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: PVG
Programs: MU Platinum, HH Diamond
Posts: 829
The info they gave could be wrong, but I specifically asked and they said there's no annual limit, just the daily $500 limit.
Apr 21, 2024, 10:50 pm
#327
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: HKG
Posts: 1,315
Apr 21, 2024, 10:54 pm
#328
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: HKG
Posts: 1,315
When I tried to do this 10 years ago with BoC, I ran into the annual limit. I'd already done a large exchange using documents (which is unlimited in itself, but this pushed me much closer to USD50,000), afterwards I did a number of undocumented exchanges at USD500 per day at various banks, and got refused after a certain number of days because I'd reached the USD50,000 limit.
Apr 21, 2024, 11:01 pm
#329
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,041
Apr 22, 2024, 1:24 am
#330
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,803
Bit confused here - who's eligible to use an egate? I thought it would be Mainland ID holder, HRP and Taibaozheng holders and maybe Residence Permit holders at most.
PRC passport should use Mainland ID?
So how would a visa holder get egate?
(I still have not been back in Mainland since pandemic. I'm going to do it in July, I promise. I assume my existing HRP will work in egate.)
PRC passport should use Mainland ID?
So how would a visa holder get egate?
(I still have not been back in Mainland since pandemic. I'm going to do it in July, I promise. I assume my existing HRP will work in egate.)