Chinese inlaws want access to their bank account here. Is this doable?

[homerjay1011]

So the Inlaws are coming to visit for the first time! Woohoo!

 

Her dad was wondering about the best way to access his money or exchange it? When I was in China, I always used CCB to withdraw money, cause I had BoA. I’m wondering if there’s a simple and easy way for him to be able to do the same kind of thing with his bank card in the states?

 

My wife seems to think that if he gets a visa checking card from a Chinese bank it will be no problem, but I’m slightly skeptical. What do y’all know?

 

Thanks as always for the help!

[Randy W]

China VISA and US VISA are two different things - generally no connection.

 

Some of the BofA branches around San Francisco used to honor the CCB connection, but that seems to be a thing of the past.

 

Wire transfers work in that direction also.

 

Union Pay might be their best bet - http://www.unionpayintl.com/en/

 

UnionPay International (UPI) is a subsidiary of China UnionPay focused on the growth and support of UnionPay’s global business. In partnership with more than 1800 institutions worldwide, UnionPay International has enabled card acceptance in 170 countries and regions with issuance in 48 countries and regions. UnionPay International provides high quality, cost effective and secure cross-border payment services to the world’s largest cardholder base and ensures convenient local services to a growing number of global UnionPay cardholders and merchants.

 

 

Maybe someone can help with their own experience.

[PnL]

You can still use BoA atms to withdraw cash from a union pay bank card. There was a small fee, but nothing big like a USA bank would charge. I could never use a Union pay card in a store though. I did read somewhere that anywhere discover card is accepted you can use union pay, but it never worked for me.