Where UnionPay Doesn't Care to Tread

A major benefit of 100 million Chinese travelers going overseas each year is that their payment method of choice – UnionPay – has gone with them. For so many of us who are paid only in RMB and therefore rely on UnionPay networks to access funds outside of China, where that magic symbol appears, and where it doesn't, has become of great concern.

Well, greetings from a place that appears to be off the UnionPay map: the Dominican Republic. A series of unfortunate events conspired to put me in a slight payment bind here, namely that my US ATM card decided this was a good time for the stripe not to work. I called my hotel to see if they accepted UnionPay, and the silence on the other end of the phone was enough to know they did not. After I arrived, I scurried across the road to a branch of ScotiaBank, but they aren't down with UnionPay either, it seems.

It makes sense, though. The Dominican Republic (the eastern side of Hispaniola, shared with Haiti) maintains diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (also known as Taiwan), and if a traveler from China is looking for a tropical retreat, they probably have better, if not more convenient, choices, than flying 16 hours to come here.

For other UnionPay-constrained travelers, which bank you use can be an advantage or a hindrance. First, check the UnionPay website to see if it shows connected ATMs where you're going. That should at least give you an idea if you'll have any access to money while away.

Generally, Bank of China and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) cards are easiest to use abroad because they also belong to non-UnionPay international networks. Smaller banks may not feel the need, and by smaller, we're talking about even prominent financial institutions as the popular China Merchants Bank. Anyway, I'm glad I was able to make a US dollar withdrawal before I left that country, otherwise this might have been an uncomfortable trip. Piece of advice: whether your employer pays into it or not, get a Bank of China account. It is the easiest way to move money abroad if necessary, and it reduces fees significantly on money domestic payments and money transfers. It's worth the time it will take to set it up.

Seems some passengers from Beijing got visa-free entry into Canada: even if they didn't apply for it. Apparently the passengers, who were directed to the domestic terminal instead of customs clearing, were eventually located and cleared properly, not all of them did. It's amazing how simple it is to get past these checks when you want to.

By the way, did anyone else see this news item about the US Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) missing 95 percent of dummy weapons that were put through to test the system? "The TSA is incompetent, hostile, abusive, and a den of thieves," wrote The National Review. Anyone who has ever taken off their belt and their shoes under the instructions of these Burger King rejects applauds that statement with glee. Until the Israelis run US airport security, it's a farce.

See you Thursday.

More stories by this author here.

Email: stevenschwankert@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @greatwriteshark
Weibo:​ @SinoScuba潜水

Photo: UnionPay