Going to Xiamen in a few weeks, should I get RMB:

1> Ahead of time at my local bank (spendy!) for just enough cash to last until the first ATM I encounter at the XIAMEN airport

OR

2> Wait and use the ATM once landing at Xiamen airport?



Thanks

Neither. Take some USD/EUR/HKD (whichever is easier) with you and get them changed locally if the ATM doesn't work.

Situation with ATMs during my recent visit to CAN (and Panyu which is a smaller Guangdong city): Cirrus/Maestro does not appear to be very common and VISA, while theoretically accepted by most ATMs, doesn't work everytime. Moreover, outside of hotels/restaurants catering to foreigners, don't expect to be able to use (non-Union Pay) plastic to pay for goods/services.

My experience is that ICBC ATMs would be your best bet in Xiamen. Have always been most reliable when i use foreign cards.

if you have a Bank of America account, China Construction ATM usage will not result in any fees. I have also never had a problem with any China Minsheng Bank machines or at Bank of Telecommunications machines. BoC is touch and go, and while ICBC is a bit better, there has been the odd machine that has not accepted my card. Agricultural Bank machines are worthless.

I will say that my experiences have been in Beijing, Shanghai and Dalian for the most part, but not Xiamen. Be sure to tell your bank you will be in China. Cheers.

Thanks for the tips/ideas.

I'm a bit nervous about my first business trip to China...

to take enough money is always a good advice.

My experience in many places in China, you can find a machine that will do. Maybe not as convenient to find as in the USA but manageable.

I don't know the setup of your trip, but generally you don't need much - unless you go for some kind of massage

Breakfast in the Hotel and Hotel can be paid with International CC
Lunch: invitation, jummy Chinese lunch box (take some Ketchup for the taste) or pay your own lunch but can not be expensive (10$ to anything)
Dinner: invitation or self pay (same as lunch).

Taxi is cheap too.

If you go for souvenirs or sightseeing you may need more.

Depending of the duration of your trip you can manage with cash taken from your country and change in the Hotel etc.

No worries.

There's no problem whatsoever in travelling in China with only an ATM card. The only people who have problems are those who just assume that any machine will work, and fail to check what network their cards are on (Cirrus, Plus, Maestro, Mastercard, Visa, JCB all work). They won't work in every machine, but there are plenty of working machines if you just look at your card issuer's website to find out which they are (and then there are more) and plan to carry enough cash if entering black spots. Most reliable are larger branches of the Bank of China, and until recently that was indeed the only choice amongst Chinese banks, but others are joining in, at least in metropolises. But Xiamen has branches of Hong Kong's HSBC which will happily take any card known to man as well as plenty of other working machines. So there's no problem there at all.

Peter N-H

Thanks for the reassurance

In case you use Pudong Development Bank, my experience with them varies. I have experienced two occasions where money was taken off my account without actually extracting any cash from the ATM. Both times i did get the funds reimbursed onto my account, but you may just want to be careful with their ATMs from my experience.

Karkies, I used to live in China (Beijing and Dalian to be specific) and as much as I enjoyed my experiences, I have to say travelling for business in China is a far different (and comfortable) proposition. Things just get done more quickly and efficiently (save for traffic). Your hotel can take care of almost everything (giving you restaurant and cuisine suggestions, business cards to help you get back to your hotel, addresses writtin in Chinese etc).

Never be worried.

1. Learn some Chinese phrases (hello, thank you, good bye).
2. Don't be afraid to look dumb. If you are not being understood (very few people speak English well), feel free to play charades. The Chinese are patient and play along. No I am not joking. A certain story regarding purchasing hand sanitizer a few years back before I could speak Mandarin comes to mind (PM for details).
3. Be sure to call your bank and CC companies and tell them you'll be in China.
4. PM Jamoldo if you want Chinese food/menu translations (warning: its very exhaustive and you probably don't need it, though I can personally give you a few characters to look out for if you have specific dietary needs/desires).

some ATM cards, such as from USAA and most credit unions, don't charge a fee for using any ATM. and typically ATM owners don't charge a fee either. there may be a currency exchange charge though.

the only one I look out for is the moon 月,.... in any part of a food item description

Some, ok alot of Chinese banks won't change your money if you dont bank with them. I have a few friends that had problems in Shenzen and Dong Guan. ATM cards work beautifully at most cash machines.

But, almost any hotel an FTer would fathom staying at, will (and no lines to deal with).

And those hotels rob you blind on the exchange rate.