Using Taiwan bankcards overseas

Business Money
1

Has anyone else run into this problem?

I decided to not carry cash this time, but instead use by Taiwan ATM card overseas. Has it set up for 4 digits instead of 6 that is used here and my two banks here told me to go to any ATM in Europe that had CIRRUS. Both cards didn’t work anywhere. I called my banks in Taiwan and they told me everything was fine and it should work. But at every bank I went to in Germany: Deutsche Bank, Lanndesbank Baden-Wurttemberg, Deutsche Postbank and a couple of others. When they saw the “CIRRUS” they said it would work, but when they turned the card around and saw it was from Taiwan they said it would not work. The same thing was was told by ABN Amro and Rabobank in the Netherlands.

Mind you I have a Deutsche Bank ATM card I can use in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Cambodia and even in Pyongyang, DPRK in 2013 with no problem.

2

I have a debit card from HSBC in Taiwan. It works in every country that I’ve tried to use it in; Korea, UK, USA, Singapore, China, Japan to name a few.
I have trouble in Korea and Japan with some bank’s ATMs, but I think those ones don’t accept any foreign cards.
Don’t know if it’s relevant, but my card is not Cirrus, it’s Visa debit. On the back it’s marked as ‘Plus’.

3

I’ve often experienced the same problem. I have a Bank of Taiwan Visa debit card (on the Plus system). Every time I’ve gone overseas I ask my bank if the card will work, and they assure me that it will work on ATMs on the Plus network if I use the alternate 4-digit PIN. And yet, I’ve never gotten the card to work in the U.S., even at major banks like Wells Fargo and Bank of America. Same problem for me in Okinawa and Vietnam. I was able to get it to work at one particular ATM in Macau, but at none of the others I tried.

Lesson learned: When I travel I now make sure I take plenty of cash, and I only rely on my U.S. issued credit card as backup.

4

i can confirm that HSBC usually works abroad. I did try Citibank in Singapore machines. It didn’t work in Japan, but then I forgot the password.

In short, I never rely on such things when I’m abroad. I don’t want to have no cash! TCs, cash, and credit cards. What other ways are there?

5

Yeah my Bank of Taiwan Visa card wont work in Europe either. I’ve been to the bank to sort it out after returning to Taiwan, and as per usual the single digit IQ teller just keeps saying it should work. That’s all they say.

6

Huanan Bank and Fubon Bank (both Visa Plus) worked for me in Europe.
Huanan Bank didn’t work for me on one ATM machine in Dubai (Visa Plus) but worked on the ATM machine of another bank which was beside the non-working ATM machine

7

My visa debit works normally. Lower the withdrawal amount if you run into issues.

As a backup, I have a credit card with a cash withdrawal balance on it for when they cant make a connection with the Taiwan bank.

8

I have a visa debit card from CTBC bank. Used all over Europe no problems.

9

I’m in Japan and neither fubon nor union bank cards work in the ATMs even though the banks assured us they would work fine

10

I know the post office machines in Japan tend to be finicky and also the convenience store ones but did you try an Aeon machine? Those worked for me consistently, that and citibank but I think they left Japan already.

If even Aeon machines don’t work then likely the bank didn’t turn on the international function. Infuriating if that’s what happened

11

Yeah it didn’t work. Sucks because I checked at the ATM and called before I went and was told it would work fine

12

The only other thing is to make sure you are using the 4 digit pin and not the 6 digit Taiwan one. If you’re doing that then I guess the bank screwed up.

Hopefully you have backup cash. It’s ridiculous but I always being 5 cards with me when I travel as I never know which one leaves me stranded.

13

Yeah I tried both I’m just sol I guess. Luckily I still have money on my american debit card

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