Randy W Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 (edited) I didn't know this, and don't have a Discover card anyway, but Discover has a partnership with UnionPay - Using Discover in China Where can I use my card in China? You can use your card anywhere you see the Discover acceptance mark or the China UnionPay acceptance mark throughout mainland China.If decals displaying the Discover acceptance mark or the China UnionPay acceptance mark are not visible, you may still present your card for payment if the merchant accepts cards. Some merchants (primarily hotels) don't always display acceptance decals. They will usually expect you to enter a PIN when using a credit card in China. Just tell them 'No pin', or hit enter on the machine. Edited December 16, 2012 by Randy W (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy W Posted May 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2013 You should be able to use your Discover card anywhere that displays the Union Pay logo, which is just about everywhere, and without a foreign transaction fee, like VISA or American Express usually charge at the few mercahnts who will accept it.. http://boardingarea.com/blogs/rapidtravelchai/2012/12/28/is-discover-the-best-credit-card-for-china/ Discover’s partnership with UnionPay promises to solve this, their cards accepted by any UnionPay card reader, and Discover does not charge foreign transaction fees. This is a little pdf card you can use to show the merchant https://www.discover.com/credit-cards/help-center/faqs/assets/DN_CUP_Wallet_Card.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yuehan123 Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 A link to a list of cards without foreign transaction fees. http://www.drcreditcard.net/fr-0-forex.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yuehan123 Posted June 4, 2013 Report Share Posted June 4, 2013 Add another card to the no foreign transaction fee list. Keep an eye on anouncements regarding your card. I'd expect more cards to follow. "Your United MileagePlus® Explorer Card is enhancing your travel experience with a rewarding new benefit. Effective June 1, purchases made with your Card outside the U.S. are no longer subject to foreign transaction fees. Just one more benefit of being a Cardmember." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy W Posted January 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 Well, I've applied for (and was approved) a Discover card, which I'll receive while I'm in the U.S. It'll be more than a month before I can try it out in China, though - I'll let you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwdoetsch Posted January 15, 2015 Report Share Posted January 15, 2015 I've been using my Discover Card fee-free in China and have never been hit with a transaction fee of any kind. The conversion is incredibly fair also, they definitely aren't making any money on the conversion spread. I've actually had less problems using my Discover Card than I have with CCB or China Everbright cards. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy W Posted March 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 Well, I've applied for (and was approved) a Discover card, which I'll receive while I'm in the U.S. It'll be more than a month before I can try it out in China, though - I'll let you know. Finally got to try it at our local 99 Drugstore - it works! I had to read on the Internet to enter '000000' for a PIN. All I had to do was to point at the machine and make a swiping motion - they understood. Looks like it'll come in pretty handy at the grocery store, drug store, etc. A ¥113.60 purchase showed up as 03/28/15 UNIONPAY MERCHANT $18.30 on the Discover web site for a no fee exchange rate of 6.208. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwdoetsch Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 I've never had to enter a pin. I just press the green button when prompted for a pin and it effectively skips the pin stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy W Posted April 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 I've never had to enter a pin. I just press the green button when prompted for a pin and it effectively skips the pin stuff. Yeah - that green button is for PIN entry. You're not skipping it at all- the cards simply don't HAVE a PIN. The merchant usually won't have a clue what the procedure is for a "China UnionPay card that does not require a PIN" (they tell me "You HAVE to enter a PIN") - so you have to enter it (or just hit the green button, if that works for you) yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy W Posted March 28, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2022 (edited) This showed up as a "memory" on Facebook - just a memory. The card worked for about 3 months (in 2015) for general purposes in Yulin, but not in other cities. After about 3 months, they (Bank of China, not Discover) cut it off. I quit trying after it was turned down a few times. Now, of course, I just use Weixin - it's even more convenient. I'm sure the Bank of China just didn't want to bother with it any more. In Hong Kong, they just laughed at my "Diner's Club" card. So now, I just use it for online purchases, along with my 2 other credit cards, none of which are accepted on China. https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=930933366938763&set=a.101362986562476 Edited March 28, 2022 by Randy W (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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