Can foreigners get a credit card in Taiwan?

I am also interested in getting a credit card here in Taiwan for convenience, but when I asked my bank last year, even the security guard said “Foreigners cannot be given credit cards”. Maybe I’ll try again this year; I hope for success! =)

You’re still a foreigner, just a foreigner with citizenship :wink:

Which is patently false :slight_smile:

What bank?

My bank is Fu Bang (or Fubon) bank. So, maybe there is still hope this year? xD

I have a credit card with Cathay (whom I do my normal banking with)…its just one of their basic cards, a Visa card with some weak but added benefits. I got the card with my ARC, no guarantor, and had a local friend translate what I wanted. My colleague has the same with similar situation to mine.

A few weeks ago, while heading to the MRT to catch a train at City Hall, a Union Bank Credit Card sales person flagged me down. I figured I would quickly get him off my back by speaking a little of my bad Mandarin, but he was undaunted. I showed him my ARC and pointed to my country of origin (the Philippines) - and he said, “ummmm, let’s try?”

So I filled out the form, he smiled, I smiled, and I figured that was that.

Lo and behold, I got it! No guarantor, no prior banking relationship, not a debit card but a credit card. (Maybe the spending limit is ridiculously low :wink: ) but nevertheless, this is my first credit card in Taiwan not nailed down to someone else or to my salary bank account. Cool.

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To the OP’s question, of course you can as long as you convince the bank that you have enough money to cover your credit.
All banks welcome anyone who has money to apply for their credit cards.

Got one with them too.
Very foreign friendly, only pain in the butt is they require yearly new Arc copies to send out a new card. No problem if you are parc but if your Arc expires for any reason, you get cancelled.
Chinatrust for example gives out a normal 7 yr card but they are more finicky with approvals.

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Some banks refuse foreigners . No guarantor, no card. For example Taiwan cooperative, Changhua bank, Entie Bank, Land Bank, and possibly some others will never consider an unsecured or non guaranteed card to foreigners even if you speak to their manager citing the rules

Yes sir we know you paid your bills for your other cards for the past 6 yrs but the rules… They say no
不好意思

Others are good, like union mentioned above, chinatrust, standard chattered,

So, about a month ago, I finally decided to get a Costco card. Went to a Costco store to apply for one when I got approached by a Cathay sales person. He suggested “Why not have a combo credit card + Costco card?” So I replied, “Yeah, why not?”
Few weeks later I got a call in my office to confirm some personal details and done! No guarantor, no deposit required, credit card conceded!

One of my neighbor’s is an agent for Cathay. If anyone wants to test their policies, I’ll supply his phone number, he needs to increase his quota.

Hi Sir Thomas, I tried to apply CC at chinatrust and standard chartered but the disapproved my application since I’m a foreigner. The reason why I want to avail CC here in taiwan because every time i use my Philippine CC it charge me a very high tax because it will be concerted into peso. Maybe you can help me or give me an idea which bank allows a foreigner to avail a CC. Thanks in advance sir.

Hi, would you mind to share your neighbors number to me and i will check if he can help me to avail CC. Thanks

Somehow I managed to get one at Chinatrust without a guarantor. It has a 100K limit. It sure comes in handy for travel.

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As long as you’ve had a job for 2 years (IIRC), you can get one of the Costco credit cards via Cathay Pacific.

Chinatrust is a weird one, from stories over the years they are very hit and miss. I got one there after being declined originally because I went up the chain of command. As I remember chinatrust wants to see $1M in a local bank account for 3 months is what I was told.
Citi also gives cards but they want you to have been living in Taiwan for 5 years as I remember.

Union bank seems to be foreign friendly as is KGI, and as mentioned above the Costco Cathay card.

What I recommend now is go to the banks website and navigate to their credit card page and there is a link showing how foreigners can apply for their cards. I would avoid all the ones that mention a guarantor or deposit, I personally don’t want a card that has a babysitter (guarantor) attached, you want my business then recognize me as a valued client.

Cathay has lost the privilege of cobrand for City Super, so, now I have no card, no points, no discount available because the friggin bank that now has it, a small, no name fly by night entity, does not take foreigners without at least guarantor and then “we’ll call you”. :rant:

How about Post office’s (中華郵政) cash card with VISA mark? Is it a debit card?

I already have a debit card. Ideally credit card is much better when it comes in booking a flight. CC have a reward points unlike in debit, no benefits :rage:

I do not think that is correct. They told me I had to supply may tax, employment, and credit history from my time in TW and the US, along with banking and assets. You have to go to through the actual bank, at Costco, they would not even talk to me. When I asked for an application, they kept saying no.

Even Citibank here will deny me! Keep in mind, I do not even get a chance to fill out an application!

Oddly, I had an ABT coworker, who did not even have a ROC passport, let alone national ID, yet he was able to get a Costco card.