Hey everyone,
This will come off weird, because it is weird. Coming to Taiwan I focused on everything I needed to get into the country but forgot the most important thing, namely a debit card that actually works in Taiwan. I do have enough cash to survive for a bit after leaving the quarantine hotel, but I wonder if there is a fellow European that has faced a similar predicament and has any tips on this? I have already asked my family to send a working card but this will take some time.
Taiwanâs a cash country anyways. Your debit card wonât work here besides pulling cash from the ATM. If you have access to your account online, perhaps send your family cash or if your online banking supports it, wire the money here to your Taiwanese foreign currency account.
Itâll be faster and youâll have the money in hand in your Taiwanese account sooner.
SOME places take that kinda phone payment thingy, but cash remains king here.
If your debit card is a Mastercard or Visa Debit variety, usually it can just be the case of asking your bank to authorise transactions from Taiwan.
Credit cards allow this automatically (they usually already know where you are going) but debit cards they keep a bit more secure.
Well I do have access to my online banking account, but I donât have a Taiwanese bank account or any friends/family I can wire money to in exchange for cash.
I do have a Visa debit card, but itâs Vpay which isnât compatible here in Taiwan. The ATM locator also told me there are a lot of Visa ATMs around but none that accept Vpay. Iâm screwed in that regard.
Create one. You need one anyways. Theyâre free.
Everywhere I see that I need a fixed address and an ARC, as Iâm a student that just arrived I have neither. Or is there still some way I can open an account?
Respectfully have a question here:
Is it still case that âCash is Kingâ? Just asking since Ill be there in a month or so and was worried about this. I dont like dealing in cash in these COVID days.
I know if i go to a night market I might not have a choice, but for everyday shops can I use an American Credit card?
Again, not trying to contradict anyone here (you guys are there!) but just trying to get prepared.
Cheers 
Generally speaking, cash remains king.
Credit cards can be used in larger establishmentsâdepartment stores, Din Tai Feng, etc. I wouldnât do so with smaller merchants.
And out of the available credit cards, I would think that American Express (as opposed to Visa and MC) would be the least frequently accepted among merchants.
Thatâs my view. Corrections/amendments from other forumosans welcome.
Guy
To the original poster: yes I would follow @Marco 's advice and open a local bank account ASAP.
If you donât know how to do this, contact your local universityâs office of international affairs for help. They should be able to advise you, as your situation is common among new arrivals.
Good luck getting this sorted out!
Guy
Are you using one of those EC cards from the EU? They donât work here except at ATMs. Unless your card has a visa/master card logo.
Mobile payments are an option if you dont like cash. I see more and more small places like drink shops or breakfast places etc, accept Line Pay, or Jkou (but not credit cards).
Mostly no. You can generally use it in hotels, department stores and some higher end restaurants.
But at many other places only local cards are accepted, sometimes only cards from designated banks. Some more prominent places that come to mind are McDonalds and PX Mart.
If you are from Revolut supported county then you can open account with them and order debit card to Taiwan address. Top up your Revolut account with your bank account or old debit card
Check Chinatrust. Get yourself a record of ID number from the National Immigration Agency.
Same with Cathay. The biggest ones should be most accomodating. Go to branches in Xinyi, Zhongzheng or Daan for highest likelihood of English services.
or, if he has the stamp, he can go to the post office. They have the visa debit card with also Ipass function and I like their app, and the website for online banking is in (funny) English.
Just wash your hands every so often. The risk is low from cash anyways.
But yes. Everything is cash. Few things are electronic.
No. Itâs Cash.
Even some stores that take credit card only take the card with the bank of which they have an agreement.
Donât worry. Youâll memorise the ATMâs UI so well you wonât even need to learn Chinese to use it. 
Lots of âblackâ money going around.
We have a credit card system via the bank that takes all cards, VISA, Master, AE, UNIONPAY (China), JCB, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Android Pay ⌠and separate LINE PAY, Taiwan Pay.
But sometimes payments donât go through for some foreign cards for reasons unknown, or you need a pin code.