That “controversies” section is getting to the point where it might need its own Wikipedia article. 
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Post office NTUST: my first account in Taiwan. Mandatory as a student.
Cathay Guting: let me open account with only 1000, with my ARC as a poor student.
First Bank Linkou-Guishan: mandatory due to company policy.
Changhwa Bank Linkou: let me open account. great service, but the place always crowded due to located in Linkou Old Street/Market. No English naturally.
DBS Linkou: did not let me open account, reasoning my ARC gonna expired in less than 6 months.
DBS Yuanshan: did not let me open account, reasoning I should go to the nearest branch to where I lived.
HSBC Xinyi: did not let me open account, asking a guarantee that I could maintain 500K minimum all the time. Implied that the bank only caters the richest of the rich, not an average dummies.
Standard Chartered Linkou Guishan: did not let me open account, on account I am a foreigner.
CTBC (was Chinatrust) Linkou Guishan: ignored me and me TW colleague altogether. The CS busy with someone else, no one give us a number or anything and we wait for like 30 mins.
For service,
Most post office: no special impression, just almost certain no English. No major complain either.
First Bank Linkou Second Branch: slow, but no discrimination. They often ask me to go to the original branch to do anything more than things that could be done through ATM.
Changhwa Bank Linkou Second Branch: no special impression.
First Bank Songjiang Nanjing: two branches, both rather slow in service but no discrimination as I can tell.
First Bank Jiantan: great service. Really helpful. Probably the best compared to the other bank branches in Taiwan.
Changhwa Bank Songjiang Nanjing: no special impression, no negative as well.
Foreign banks, HSBC, DBS, Standard Chartered usually treated me the worse. Playing hands off, we don’t want ur business to foreigner.
Local banks, Post Office, Cathay, First Bank, Changhwa give me better treatment.
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I have one and it works well especially their app for quick review.
As Clown said go into it with low expectations.
Their branch service has been reasonably good , telephone service is reliable.
Stuff that took 1 hour to setup in other banks took 10 mins in HSBC cos they dont make you wait while they do their own paperwork in front of you.
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I still remember trying to open a Citibank account in Kaohsiung a long time ago when I first went to Taiwan.
A woman came out and said that foreigners couldn’t open an account there because I couldn’t read the Chinese contract. I said that doesn’t make sense for a basic account but she wasn’t having it
Made a complaint to Citi head office in Taipei and they said this was not their procedure and that they had spoken to the branch to tell them this and I could go in again if I wanted. By this time I already had went elsewhere so I never bothered.
ANZ Taiwan which is also now gone chased me away too
I personally find the government run banks to be the worst. Slow service, discrimination and also foreign run ‘snobby’ banks for the rich. General Taiwan local banks were fine (banks for the plebs)
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I agree that for basic things works well. The app is good and also the online, with good English, albeit very limited functions. As soon as you try to do anything more “advanced”, like a credit card, insurance or, God helps, investing, then it’s utter garbage. They don’t want ur business.
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Fubon is the best local bank IMO.
I have their bank account, credit card, and although technically a separate company I also have life, health and accident insurance through Fubon.
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Megabank is a similar setup.
And Megabank has the better name!
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But the app is Chinese only
I never use the app, it’s kinda clunky. Their website has good English tho
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I just can’t remember the password but on my phone I can use biometrics to log in
Hehe I just sent in my application yesterday and filled in a random address in the middle of nowhere, Saskatchewan 
Banks are all by the book, everything should work if I provide information to tick all the required boxes.
Bank summary:
- Post office bank [2015] - let me open account easily (without an ARC) in ~30 min
- CTBC [2018] - let me open account easily in ~2h
- O-bank [2018] - let me open account easily in ~1h; gave me some trouble with the CRS crap when changing id number in 2022 (didn’t bother updating the others because don’t use them)
- Sinopac [2022] - let me open account easily in ~30m
- HSBC [2022] - walked in to open but they said appointment required despite website saying walking in is ok… booked for a week later, finished in 2h and then the girl called back to clarify things twice the next day, approved the day after that
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I have Megabank and the app is in English too
State of English banking at E.Sun:
No English app - their online banking is translated by maybe 60%.
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Did you discuss this with your Premier agent?
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Try to complain with your agent, if it doesn’t work, lodge an official complaint to this email address: customervoicetwm@hsbc.com.tw
If they still don’t care and you are not satisfied with their reply/handling, lodge an official complaint with the financial ombudsman at https://www.foi.org.tw/Article.aspx?Lang=2&Arti=8096
I got them via this route to give me their credit card, an email of apologies and a nice gift (a nice whisky glass haha).
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Adding another point here:
Cathay [2023]
First went in without appointment, but they said you need to reserve a time slot and let me do it on their computer. Earliest open spot was at a different branch and they said it’s ok to go there (whew, branch closest to home has 2.5 stars, the one I picked has 4.5). Someone actually used the phrase 很嚴格 like someone said earlier lmao, trying to dissuade me from opening.
Today I went in to my appointed branch and at first they were kinda hesitant to open, but as long as you have some sort of job it’ll probably be fine. Took 1:45, most of which I was just reading stuff on my phone; should’ve brought a book.
CRS almost didn’t come up. Went something like this: “Do you pay taxes in Canada?” No. “Why not?” I don’t live there anymore, I live here now. “How long have you been here?” 5 years. “Ok”. Then they filled the form in for me, using option B but adding a note that there’s no TIN because I don’t pay taxes there anymore. I’m sure this is wrong and non-compliant, but it’s the best result I’ve had so far. Usually you need to convince before they let you choose option B.
Probably added an extra 10 minutes due to me not being born in the country of my passport.
Overall 4/5 stars.
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Talking about Cathay: Their iOS app now has an English language setting. So far, it doesn’t support credit cards, though.
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Where? I can’t find it