[quote=“twocs”]I’ve used my Taipei Fubon Visa debit card for online purchases. I just enter the numbers like a regular credit card.[/quote]Cheers, twocs, that’s good to hear. Sounds like they’re definitely worth a try then.
[quote=“twocs”]I’ll tell you that much about my credit card, but you won’t get any more details about my account from me.[/quote]Even if I say there’s a fortune waiting in Nigeria for you?
I got an interesting variation of that spam the other day. Some guy was purporting to be a U.S. soldier in Iraq who’d just happened to find a box filled with U.S. dollars and needed someone to look after the money for him! Makes a change from the usual inheritance story, anyway.
My Taipei Fubon Visa Debit Card has “Electronic Use Only” on it. It does have the three digit security number. Maybe the “electronic use only” means that they can’t be used by the old credit card machines that are not electronic. I just made an online purchase of some books to be sent from a US publisher tonight using my Fubon card. I should receive them in about two weeks or so. If there are any problems in getting them (or getting my credit card approved) I’ll be sure to post again in this thread.
[quote=“lupillus”]if the numbers on the debit card are not raised, it’s kind of hard to use them with an old rub-a-copy machines.
My atm/debit card has no raised numbers so that’s what I figure.[/quote]I don’t trust those machines. I don’t really trust credit cards anyway. But I reckon secure online sites are about the safest way to use a credit card, and I normally leave my Changhua bank card at home.
I might be wrong but it seems to me that if the card has the numbers raised, it’s one of the kind that can be used online. At least that’s my experience so far.
Natwest Bank Switch card with raised numbers – could use online until the whole Switch system was discontinued.
Changhua Bank “Combo” card with raised numbers – could use online until through no fault of my own I apparently become a bad credit risk and couldn’t be trusted to spend my own money!
Mega Bank “Visa debit card” with non-raised numbers – can use in ATMs and some shops but not online.
I won’t provide any further details in public, but will be happy to give all necessary info to people who take the time to write me a nice email with details of my long-lost inheritance which only needs a small administrative payment to be released.
So, what’s the point of having a debit card when not being able to use online? It’s the same as saying, well we don’t like foreign clients, but to stay within the law we give them a piece of plastic …
So, basically a debit card has the same function as and ATM card, with added convenience of being able to spend your money in local stores … only …
My Taipei Fubon Visa Debit Card got declined! I"m pretty sure I’ve used it online before. I’ll have to check that it’s because my balance is too low… I haven’t actually used the account for a year so I don’t know the balance. I’ll get back to you on whether that’s the reason it was declined.
[quote=“twocs”]My Taipei Fubon Visa Debit Card got declined! I"m pretty sure I’ve used it online before. I’ll have to check that it’s because my balance is too low… I haven’t actually used the account for a year so I don’t know the balance. I’ll get back to you on whether that’s the reason it was declined.[/quote]Thanks for keeping us updated. I tried to use my Mega bank card online the other day. That also has the 3-digit security code despite having non-embossed numbers and “for electronic use only” printed on it. No go.
I think the first thing I should try is getting a card from Natwest in the UK, if they’ll issue one to people overseas. I’d feel more secure with that in some ways, anyway. They have good fraud protection policies in place, and I could use my existing card protection insurance policy with that too.
[quote=“joesax”][quote=“twocs”]My Taipei Fubon Visa Debit Card got declined! I"m pretty sure I’ve used it online before. I’ll have to check that it’s because my balance is too low… I haven’t actually used the account for a year so I don’t know the balance. I’ll get back to you on whether that’s the reason it was declined.[/quote]Thanks for keeping us updated. I tried to use my Mega bank card online the other day. That also has the 3-digit security code despite having non-embossed numbers and “for electronic use only” printed on it. No go.
I think the first thing I should try is getting a card from Natwest in the UK, if they’ll issue one to people overseas. I’d feel more secure with that in some ways, anyway. They have good fraud protection policies in place, and I could use my existing card protection insurance policy with that too.[/quote]
Hi Joe,
You can’t get a NatWest account without being in the UK but they’re quite happy to set up an account for a UK citizen in person with a foreign address (like mine). I really can’t praise them enough for how they deal with expat customers.
Citibank will definitely give you a full credit card if you have the means to deposit NT$300,000 / GBP5,000 in a fixed account for at least 6 months, and smaller/shorter deposits are a maybe depending on your work and pay. Basically if you can show you have easy access to at least a few hundred k NT$ and have a stable income, you will get a card out of them.
[quote=“llary”]You can’t get a NatWest account without being in the UK but they’re quite happy to set up an account for a UK citizen in person with a foreign address (like mine). I really can’t praise them enough for how they deal with expat customers.
Citibank will definitely give you a full credit card if you have the means to deposit NT$300,000 / GBP5,000 in a fixed account for at least 6 months, and smaller/shorter deposits are a maybe depending on your work and pay. Basically if you can show you have easy access to at least a few hundred k NT$ and have a stable income, you will get a card out of them.[/quote]Cheers, Llary.
An update: Changhua Bank have relented. They phoned me and said that if I put 50,000 in a time deposit account they’ll let me keep the card. I’ll check out the details on the time deposit obviously, but it sounds reasonable. I’m glad that being a longterm good customer does count for something.
I might still look into getting a Natwest credit card at some point. I do have a current account with them, and I agree, they’re good with expat customers.
Hold your horses there… Switch is very much alive and kickin’ but has merged with Maestro. My NatWest-issued Switch-cum-Maestro card still works perfectly well for online transactions and ATM withdrawals. Are you sure your card hasn’t just expired? If you already have a current account, why don’t you just change your registered address to Taiwan and have a new card sent?
My Yushan card has Maestro on it. Is it good for online purchases? Never thought about it before. Guess I could (will) ask the bank. Just thought I’d ask for your thoughts here.
Maestro is essentially the debit card offshoot of Mastercard, so yup. The trick is finding retailers who accept Maestro, which is pretty much all of Europe and now spreading into the US/elsewhere.
I have a Taipei Fubon Visa debit card. When my old ATM card expired and I had to get a new one they issued this one which, I agree, would be much better if it could be used for online purchases.
I checked with them twice, they said no, it cannot be used online. The first time I asked, which was at least a year ago, I was told that it was a service they hoped to offer “soon”.
The card does say “for electronic use only” but that only includes ATMs and POS (point of sale? restaurants, gas stations, grocery store, anywhere that they take Visa).
I have one but the bank told me I couldn’t use it for internet purchases. Have you used yours?[/quote]I have a so-called Visa debit card from Mega Bank, but the number isn’t embossed and I can’t use it online. I really don’t see what the point of the Visa logo is in that case.[/quote]
It’s a Visa Electron card. I think this is the confusion everyone is having. You generally can’t use them where only the VISA logo is displayed but you can use them if you see the VISA ELECTRON logo. There are very few banks outside the US that issue ‘real’ Visa debit cards (which are technically Visa cheque cards). European banks tend to prefer Switch/Maestro cards while Visa Electron cards are issued for customers who can’t pass the regular credit check. Electron cards are the only truly safe debit card for the issuing bank because they are completely blocked for offline transactions. Systems like Switch and the regular Visa debit cards will still allow offline transactions that could make you overdrawn when the swipe or impression system eventually connects to the bank.
Taiwan banks like to issue ‘combo debit cards’ that are quite popular now. These are a Visa credit card with full credit facilities but also have some kind of debit facility on the same card. ATM cards with the Delta logo on the back can also be used on some terminals as a Visa debit card.
To the best of my knowledge the Taiwanese banks aren’t blocking or discriminating here - they just don’t issue Visa debit cards like most US customers would be familiar with. The debit card system is more like how the UK system works - designed for transactions within the country. You can use them online but support among foreign retailers is patchy at best.
Zhanghua Bank just aren’t concerned with anything except local business. Love 'em and leave 'em. The only guys you will get any service out of are the Wai Shang banks (Citibank, HSBC… err can’t think of any others right now).
Citibank will give you a credit card but you will need proof of at least NT$180k-NT$300k on deposit depending on your salary. Their service is good and once you’re in as a customer you will have no problem upgrading your card and credit limit after building up some history.
You can just give your UK bank your address in Taiwan as your new mailing address. They will send everything here, it’s that simple.
PS… deja vu… was this an old thread that’s been merged? I’m very confused.
[quote=“llary”]
To the best of my knowledge the Taiwanese banks aren’t blocking or discriminating here - they just don’t issue Visa debit cards like most US customers would be familiar with.[/quote]
Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Fubon’s regulations specifically state that foreigners’ debit cards aren’t to be used for international transactions: taipeifubon.com.tw/html/oneM … 961120.pdf
[quote=“llary”][quote=“joesax”]
2 What are my longterm options?
a) Are there any local banks which offer a proper debit card, with no guarantor needed? I checked some old threads, but information seems contradictory and out of date
b) If that’s not possible, how about a credit card with no guarantor? I don’t want to borrow money but if that’s the only way to get online payment facilities, I’ll do it.
c) What are the chances of getting a credit card from my UK bank delivered here? I’ll have to ask them myself I guess but does anyone have experience of this?
d) Do you reckon I could set up a UK HSBC credit card account and get the card delivered to an HSBC branch here?
e) Anyone want to be my guarantor?
[/quote]
Zhanghua Bank just aren’t concerned with anything except local business. Love 'em and leave 'em. The only guys you will get any service out of are the Wai Shang banks (Citibank, HSBC… err can’t think of any others right now).
Citibank will give you a credit card but you will need proof of at least NT$180k-NT$300k on deposit depending on your salary. Their service is good and once you’re in as a customer you will have no problem upgrading your card and credit limit after building up some history.
You can just give your UK bank your address in Taiwan as your new mailing address. They will send everything here, it’s that simple.
PS… deja vu… was this an old thread that’s been merged? I’m very confused.[/quote]Cheers, Llary. But this is an old thread that Xiaoma posted in. As I posted a while back Zhanghua Bank turned up trumps in the end for me. 50k in a time deposit did the trick. And I’ve never had a problem using my Zhanghua Mastercard for overseas transactions.
If you already have a current account, why don’t you just change your registered address to Taiwan and have a new card sent?