They were useless for me.
They worked for me multiple times. I think it’s because they have a fat file with my name on it lol.
Two banks tried to cancel me and they intervened
Curious, with this ESUN “credit card” or perhaps charge card, can you still make 0% interest installment payments? Is there any fixed credit limit?
This reminds me of how in recent years, the eu has drafted new regulations on ethical ux design. Essentially regulating businesses and websites who intentional make things difficult (like cancelling or finding user agreements, ECT.)
Anyway I want to save this information. Is there a way to bookmark a post?
The problem in Taiwan is that Taiwan has the laws and Taiwan has enforcement. But no easy complaints system. You have to go to court, whereas I’d just go to the human rights commission in Ontario and have it enforced and fined outside of the courts.
So even though something is illegal, they almost never get punished because people give up.
You HAVE to become a Karen. You have to kick, yell and scream because they’re worse than Computer Says No lady.
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I have an E. Sun charge card with Pi points. They set my charge limit to 2x my salary. It does not require direct deposit from my savings account each month. I do the transfer myself or cash payment via ATM.
At the time I applied, I asked about a credit card that allowed a balance for curiosity sake.
They offered me a secured one…meaning it needed a deposit of $25,000 and the limit would be $50,000. The card had no perks. Wasnt worth it. Why carry a balance anyways? I get that it gets annoying that they have one rule for foreigners and another for locals, but consider it a blessing in this case. Keeping a running credit balance is a fast track to financial ruin if you are not careful.
I have used that card many times to do 0% interest installments on PCHome for large purchases. Kind of ironic since the card doesn’t allow a running balance. From what I understand, those installment charges are not charged all at once and then controlled by the bank, but rather are charged by the vendor selling you the item. (I could be wrong).
I got the card because of the Pi points. They add up fast. Especially since I use my Pi card like cash. Just pay it off each month and the points are totally worth it.
If you absolutely must have a credit card that allows you to carry a balance, then go with Cathay.
They gave me an unsecured card, no guarantor, with a 100,000 limit. Has no perks though. I never use it.
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If anyone is interested, Bank of Taiwan also requires foreigners to set up a direct debit to pay their credit card bill. Although, I’ve never even heard of a foreigner successfully getting a BoT credit card.
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I tried with bank of Taiwan many years ago. Multiple years. They will always find a reason to kick it back.
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Even with good credit history?
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I have failed with BOT as well. For many years. I was friends with the manager of my first one ,went to weddings dinners etc with his family. Had all my incomming money, savings go through them. Land purchases through that account. Never would give me a credit card. The only one i ever got was connected to a locals card. I use them to this day and they still wont budge. At least they are polite to me. Its the small wins that make foreigners stick around 
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I wonder if they would knock back a naturalised citizen
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BoT, generally speaking, sucks. The only reason to deal with them is to get otherwise unavailable foreign currencies from their main branch near the President’s Building. Otherwise, why?
Guy
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I never dealt with them to be honest with you… However, their system all looks so old and clunky that I was never attracted to them… I will become a Karen when I want to, but it’s not my job to go around to other banks. If you want to do it then fine.
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Taixin did. Apparently many banks won’t serve anyone, citizen or otherwise, who has a tax liability outside Taiwan.
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they don’t even look at the credit history!
It is so clearly against the law but nobody’s ever tested it in court.
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That’s where my mortgage is… 
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This is the biggest issue I have here. They try to tell me what to write on the ‘self declaration’, so it’s not a self declaration at all.
And they won’t accept that I’m not a tax resident of my country of citizenship (which I’m not) and carry on trying to force me to sign a false declaration regarding my tax status. Even saying they can’t open an account unless I sign the said false declaration. It’s bonkers! Generally I argue with them for 30 minutes, they call someone in Taipei who tells them that I am right and they pretend to be nice after being rude for 30 minutes.
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Take in a letter with the following.
The law regarding CRS is “金融機構執行共同申報及盡職審查作業辦法”
Here is the article referring to the identification of tax residency.
較低資產帳戶應依下列程序之一審查：
一、居住地址審查：申報金融機構依證明文據保存之紀錄，審查帳戶持有人之現居地址。
二、電子紀錄搜尋：依申報金融機構保存之電子紀錄，審查帳戶持有人有無下列指標：
（一）具外國居住者身分。 (I identified myself as living and working permanently in Taiwan. I also am clearly not a tax resident of Australia)
（二）具外國之現居地址或通訊地址。 (Both my mailing and residence address are in Taiwan)
（三）具外國之電話號碼，且無我國電話號碼。 (My telephone number is in Taiwan.)
（四）存款帳戶以外之金融帳戶有約定轉帳指示，將資金轉至外國之帳戶。 (I have ordered no such instructions)
（五）被授權人或被授權簽名人具外國之地址。 (again, big no)
（六）僅具外國之轉信地址或代收郵件地址。 (and no again)
So, this makes me unsure of the competence of staff if they cannot interpret their own laws.
Secondly, as I stated before. I am not a tax resident under Australian Law. Here is a law that backs up my statement.
本辦法所稱外國帳戶，指由外國居住者或具控制權之人為外國居住者之消極非金融機構實體持有或共同持有之金融帳戶。
本辦法所稱外國居住者，指符合外國稅法規定之居住者，及生前屬外國居住者之遺產。無居住者身分之合夥、有限責任合夥或類似法律安排之實體，視為其實際管理處所所在地之居住者。
本辦法所稱外國，指我國境外之國家或地區。
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It’s also because no one really challenges them on this bullshit
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I’ve never signed a false statement and always get my way but it shouldn’t be so hard 
Thanks for that info though!
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