Job Discussion Forums

noyb · Joined: 22 Feb 2003 Posts: 93

"Great Wall Card" is a generic term that can mean just about any of the myriad of cards issued by BoC. I think, however, for realistic purposes, that the term Great Wall Card means the MasterCard branded version of their RMB credit card wannabe.

The BoC international debit card has the "Maestro" logo in the front and "Cirrus" and "Great Wall" on the back.

To open a foreign currency account you need a passport and, depending on the mood of the teller, a valid visa. From what I have seen, the vast majority of the tellers only look to see if the passport is valid and don't bother looking for any visa. That said, I have personally seen two instances where the teller refused to allow account opening because the passport holder had some visa problem.

Actually, BoC now has a system where you have multiple currencies in one passbook. You can just open up an RMB account and then deposit U.S. dollars (or some other specified foreign currencies) into the same account.

Disclaimer: What I have said is valid for Guangzhou. Other provinces should find it applies to them, too, but no guarantees!

Bratty · Joined: 11 Apr 2003 Posts: 9

so in other words you can get a BoC international debit card that is tapped into your RMB account? therefore the card can be sent overseas and subsequently funds can be withdrawn as long as it has 'cirrus' or 'plus' on the back? correct me if i'm wrong! Confused

and all this can be applied for when opening up a new account with the BoC?

noyb · Joined: 22 Feb 2003 Posts: 93

Wrong.

You can have multiple currencies in one BoC passbook. The international ATM card is in no way connected to your RMB funds in your account. The card can *only* be used in conjunction with the US dollars or Hong Kong dollars actually deposited into your account (although you can have other currencies as well in the one passbook, only HKD or USD are used in conjunction with the ATM card).

Card *only* works with Cirrus ATMs and *not* Plus.

By the way, if I used the term international "debit" card when talking about the BoC card, I made a mistake. BoC only has an international ATM card. ICBC has an international debit card.

arioch36 · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 3589

The amount that can be legally converted is up to the school (though the provincial bureau might "suggest" what that standard should be) . Again, my FAO's, even the one I didn't like, were able to convert as much as I wanted. Sending it home has been such a hassle, I just save it all and take it with me.