6 digit if its in Taiwan and using those smart card ATM, 4 is for international that only has a magnetic reader (since it only supports 4 digit)
Yes, you must remember both pins (4 and 6 digits). BTW, some places in Europe refuse to take signed cards now…not only Europe, S.Africa and other countries also. In addition never 100% depend on your Taiwanese card to work overseas, always have some spare cash, another card if possible.
I take that to mean that cards that come with the magnetic strip only (cards from countries other than Taiwan without embedded chip) can therefore not be used at ATMs in Taiwan. I’ll get a Taiwanese card anyway, as soon as i move to Taiwan, since i want to reduce the stress of the sales staff at those shops where they don’t deal much with non-Taiwanese customers. 
Interesting - here in Japan you have a choice of using either PIN or signature. I wonder whether this refusal applies to shops that usually have relatively untrained staff (convenience stores and the like). If those shops lose a few customers because of such a restriction they might not care since it would be more expensive for them to train their staff in credit card fraud prevention procedures. On the other hand, i suspect that even today the staff in stores selling big ticket items would accept a customer’s passport to verify name and signature on the credit card.
In any case, it looks like a Taiwanese Post Office VISA debit card will be all i need for living in Taiwan. 
[quote=“yuli”]according to page 24 of
proj1.sinica.edu.tw/~tigpcbmb/CB … ndbook.pdf
it sounds like the Post Office, too, lets people open an account with a passport only.
Does anybody have first-hand information?
(I am interested in opening a Post Office bank account myself after moving to Taiwan.)[/quote]
Found the answer:
post.gov.tw/post/internet/u_ … nk_a_1.jsp
I was refused a debit card today because I am a foreigner. I have had an account with the Post Office for five years. Does anyone know which rule stipulates that foreigners cannot be issued with debit cards, or how to complain and get one issued?
I can see the logic of refusing credit cards due to the risk that someone might do a runner. But for debit cards?
You’ll find most places will prefer cash anyway.
Well, that might make me feel i was still in Japan. 
Time to try extraordinary measures, maybe. 
taipeitimes.com/News/biz/arc … 2003454895 might come in handy in this case. How about you print out that article and mark the following section with a highlighter:
“[color=#0000FF]We hope every one of our account holders above the age of 18 will apply for this debit card to help manage their finances while enjoying shopping,” company president Hu Sheue-yun (胡雪雲) said at a launch ceremony yesterday.[/color]
Then you go back to the post office and request the application form for the debit card. If they tell you you can’t have the card you make a sorrowful face, show them the article, and ask them to explain which part of “every one of our account holders” does not apply to you. 
Oh, and let us know how things went, OK?
(I have a decidedly un-Japanese habit: when someone tells me “you can’t” or “no” i ask them very politely for an exact and detailed explanation of the reason(s). It’s amazing how often it turns out there is actually no reason.)
So, neither card is available to those on normal ARC’s/forigners?
OP apparently got one. I don’t have a savings account at the Post though so I can’t try.
So did anyone else get a card. I am planning to write a letter to the Post Office asking why I was refused a card. There is no possible valid reason, as the “he might run off with a load of unpaid debts” reason obviously doesn’t apply in the case of a debit card.
I just tried to get one today and got denied. The lady at the desk told me that I should complain to the PO higher-ups.
I already complained. I got a reply today promising that they would apologizing for the inconvenience and promising they would “discuss my recommendation.”
Complaints can be sent to: eyes@mail.post.gov.tw . The more people that complain the more effective it will be. If they don’t do anything then maybe we can try whichever government agency supervises the post office.
This is the Chinese letter I wrote with the help of a Taiwanese friend. Anyone who wants to is welcome to use it as a template for a complaint.
你好
我是個(insert nationality)人，已經住在台灣(insert how many years you have been in Taiwan)年了。我在9月22日媒體報導中讀到中華郵政宣布在10月首度發行Debit
Card（記帳金融卡）。根據聯合報的報導，中華郵政總經理胡雪雲指出，郵政現有兩千多萬戶存戶，持有提款金融卡的有效用戶就達一千多萬戶，一旦中華郵政
Debit Card發行後，將歡迎所有持金融卡用戶都來換發。9月30日中華郵政推出記帳金融卡。胡雪雲說，希望儲戶用戶都能轉用申請Visa金融卡服務。中華郵政將提供免費轉換服務。
在(when you opened your post office account)我就開了中華郵政的帳戶。而我在(when you went to ask about the debit card)前往(name of post office)郵局，詢問辦理記帳金融卡的手續時，郵局職員居然跟我說:「外國人不能申請記帳金融卡」。
我實在很疑惑，中華郵政不是宣布所有持金融卡用戶都可以來換記帳金融卡嗎？難道我不是持金融卡用戶嗎？想請問外國人不能辦理記帳金融卡的理由是什麼呢?尤其中華民國政府現在有追求「友善國際生活環境」的政策，而中華郵政又是國營的企業，我認為有多配合此項政策的必要，能夠開放外籍人士申請記帳金融卡。
Thanks, I just sent them an e-mail.
I’m guessing it’s YMMV. I applied for one and the post clerk processed my application and told me that it would be ready Monday (as in yesterday). I went to the branch though and the other clerk couldn’t find it and told me to give it more time as “the main office is all backed up”.
I hope that it’s not a polite way to turn me down or deny my application.
[quote=“catfish13”]I’m guessing it’s YMMV. I applied for one and the post clerk processed my application and told me that it would be ready Monday (as in yesterday). I went to the branch though and the other clerk couldn’t find it and told me to give it more time as “the main office is all backed up”.
I hope that it’s not a polite way to turn me down or deny my application.[/quote]
It will be rejected if they are following their own terms and conditions.
If it is rejected send them an email to complain.
[quote=“smithsgj”]
Yuli, you always need a PIN when you buy anything in Europe. You key the PIN in on a machine that they have at the checkout.[/quote]
Not true if it is a Visa card. In Germany if you use the debit card (EC Karte) you have to enter in your pin. If you use something that says Visa you get to sign. Some stores(Mediamarkt, certain Saturns) let you sign on debit card purchases.
Most places only will accept cash or EC karte though.
[quote=“Mawvellous”][quote=“catfish13”]I’m guessing it’s YMMV. I applied for one and the post clerk processed my application and told me that it would be ready Monday (as in yesterday). I went to the branch though and the other clerk couldn’t find it and told me to give it more time as “the main office is all backed up”.
I hope that it’s not a polite way to turn me down or deny my application.[/quote]
It will be rejected if they are following their own terms and conditions.
If it is rejected send them an email to complain.[/quote]
I went down to the Post Office to pick up my card, and they told me that they couldn’t issue me one so I guess you were right. Had to reapply for a debit card though because they deactivated my old one. Thank goodness they were waiving the fee for their mistakes.
BTW I looked it up, and “本國自然人” refers to individuals with ROC nationality. 自然人 refers to individuals and not corporate or organizational entities. So if you have an ARC and are allowed to legally reside in Taiwan you are not a 本國自然人 but instead a “外國自然人”.
I don’t understand this whole issue of not giving foreigners Visa debit cards. It really seems like only Taishin, Fubon and Mega Bank are the only places willing to issue one on the spot, in spite of some restrictions.
[quote=“catfish13”]
I don’t understand this whole issue of not giving foreigners Visa debit cards. It really seems like only Taishin, Fubon and Mega Bank are the only places willing to issue one on the spot, in spite of some restrictions.[/quote]
Write them a quick email to complain!
eyes@mail.post.gov.tw
The post office is 100% government owned, so they should in theory be more responsive if enough people complain. What about the “friendly international living environment”?