Use TnG as Plan A or B

Can I just rely on Wise for payments in Japan?.

OMG...then i have to prepare cash. But VISA card still can be used right, especially for Hotel. I have booked Hotel via Agoda using VISA.

Can i use Maybank App while in China? Because in case not enough money, i still want to transfer from Maybank to WISE, like what i did in Japan. Will Maybank app be blocked by the Great Firewall of China? 😅

Some places don't accept cash.
Most of the places do not accept foreign card. They prefer Unionpay only, not Visa/Mastercard/Amex.
Use roaming to bypass firewall.
You can use Maybank MAE App to scan their Alipay QR and pay.

This post has been edited by ClarenceT: Oct 3 2024, 01:00 PM

You still need cash for public transport, some of them accept Alipay which you may use TNG Wallet to scan & pay.

Thanks. I have also just found out myself that can use MAE to pay Alipay QR, but the transaction will be at the mercy of Maybank exchange rates, which i don't like. I prefer use WISE exchange the CNY and pay exactly in CNY.

I have never explore Unionpay before...haha. only heard of it but never know what it is.

Updated:

https://m.unionpayintl.com/cardholderServ/g...10060372?type=2

This one? So it'a debit card from Bank of China like WISE?

This post has been edited by CommodoreAmiga: Oct 3 2024, 01:39 PM

Same scenario for peer to peer transfer with added 1% overseas charge.

You can but its better to have with you also another backup credit card.

Buy simcard from lazada/ shopee it bypass local firewall. Bought in China simcard will be severely restrictive. Maybank if use secure2u should be no problem if using lazada simcards.. Ambank cards will have problems as it sometime use otp.

Purchases on Agoda for flights/ hotels have to make sure no added charges using credit cards as i encounter a few months ago.

In China almost impossible to find moneychanger so make sure you change more than necessary.

Credit cards are difficult to use in China.


This post has been edited by magika: Oct 3 2024, 01:56 PM

Easiest is buy international roaming with your telco.

Yes but more expensive.

Funny thing when i link my Wise Card into Alipay and the details of the card there say "TNG Visa"

Then i link my TNG Visa into Alipay later, the details shows "Wise card"

What the =.=

You are right...i have one Ambank card. I think i will remove it from my AliPay and put another card there. Probably Maybank.

I think so too. If use my Telco's international roaming, shouldn't be problem to use Malaysia's Banking app right? Worse case scenario, AliPay don't work, they don't accept VISA/MC, ran out of cash, i will use Mabank MAE QRCode.

My WISE just says "VISA" in Alipay?

Btw, i have created the ALIPAY account this morning, then went for lunch try to use. It says "ID is not verified"(in Chinese, restaurant taukeh told me, i can't read no Chinese). I dig a bit and apparrently needs some time to verfiy the ID (usually max 24 hours)? I have already uploaded my passport and all the information.

This post has been edited by CommodoreAmiga: Oct 3 2024, 03:11 PM

CommodoreAmiga A thing to take note is, some QR code you see on merchant (e.g. Food court, street food?) might use their own personal QR to accept payments from customers, rather than a proper business merchant QR. This is also happening in Malaysia actually.

If it's a personal QR, then it'll be considered as a peer to peer transfer (just like transfer money to your friend/family). Alipay and WeChat don't allow such transactions if it is linked through international bank cards.
The acceptance of TnG ewallet in China, also depends whether the merchant supports Alipay+ or not.
If it supports only Alipay but not Alipay+, then you'll see "invalid QR" error on your TnG ewallet app.
In China, unfortunately, you need to manage your expectation that card terminal machines are not found in every places, unlike in Malaysia here. Even if that merchant/shop in China has a card terminal machine, VISA and Mastercard may or may not be supported, and it may only accepts if it's under UnionPay (银联), so better that you ask the merchant staff whether it accepts VISA or Mastercard or not. If it doesn't, then your Wise card or whatever Malaysian bank cards also won't work.

China don't block banking apps one, so it's fine.

You said you booked a hotel via Agoda, you've paid it or you'll pay it at the hotel physically? If you'll pay there physically, assuming the hotel room fee definitely exceeds 200 CNY, or whatever stuff that you want to pay that exceeds 200 CNY, then the sequence of the preferred payment method if one fails, shall be:
Card payment (Wise Card, GX Bank, BigPay,...) > TnG ewallet > Alipay (bcuz of the 3% fee) > Cash

Alipay or WeChat Pay is accepted pretty much everywhere there, so making sure that your Alipay app is linked with bank cards (Wise) will be very helpful.

If you don't have enough cash, you can use China's ATM to withdraw cash using your Wise card.
Make sure don't exceed 2 ATM withdrawals in a calendar month, or cumulative equivalent amount to RM1000 in a calendar month. Else, there will be additional fee from Wise from 3rd withdrawals onwards or exceed RM1000.

I see. Understood. So looks like need cash for these worst case scenario.

I see...wondering should i apply for a UnionPay card now....

My Agoda booking is currently just a booking, no charge yet. It says the payment will be charged to my card 1 month beore my arrival date. So this means the Hotel bill was settled with my VISA card, correct?

What is this Alipay 3% charge? Every transaction i made in China with Alipay will have 3% charge?

Some merchants accept local Unionpay card only, not foreign Unionpay. Try to open a Savings account at Bank of China (Malaysia) or ICBC Bank Malaysia and ask for Unionpay debit card, it may be accepted in China.

Agoda is not a China company, you pay to Agoda Singapore in RM with Visa. However the hotel may ask you to pay deposit when you check in, then you need to pay in cash (refundable when check out) if international card is not accepted.

Starbucks and Disneyland accept Visa/Mastercard. But don't expect McD and KFC accept Visa/Mastercard.

Now Beijing's urban transit accept Visa/Mastercard, not other cities yet. Just enabled a few weeks ago.

This post has been edited by ClarenceT: Oct 3 2024, 05:09 PM

Thanks bro. You just helped this new save more money

I find Wechat pay more readily available.

May you can try Trip.com or even better, Ctrip.com

They are sister company and Trip seem to be headquartered in Singapore and in English. Whereas Ctrip is China based and in Mandarin. Their prices is generally competitive with other booking apps like Agoda or Booking.com or whatever

China-issued UnionPay card would work well, provided if it is issued in China.

Even if you apply UnionPay card from Malaysia banks, it may still be treated as an international bank card in China also.

Open a China bank account and get a China-issued UnionPay card would make better sense if you intend to stay in China for long time, like for study or work. Otherwise, you can forget about the option of getting a UnionPay card.

What is this Alipay 3% charge? Every transaction i made in China with Alipay will have 3% charge?
If you link a non-China issued bank cards (such as Wise card) and make payment of more than 200 CNY in a single transaction, Alipay/WeChat Pay themselves will charge you 3% foreign transaction fee of the entire amount.

To avoid this fee, make sure the amount doesn't exceed 200 CNY, or you split your payments, provided if the merchant is okay with that. Meaning, if the payment costs 280 CNY, so you pay 200 CNY first, and then pay 80 CNY.

Even if Agoda has charged my card, they will still ask me for deposits???


I will only be there for short trip, looks like UnionPay is not worth the hassle as there is no guarantee it will work either. Looks like sufficient amount of cash is a must. What about if i pay direct with QRCode from my Maybank? Does it have 3% charge also?

You pay to Agoda just for accomodation, not consumable items. All the while hotel require a deposit, normally we just let the cashier swipe Visa/Mastercard and cancel it when we check out.
But nowadays some hotels stop asking for deposit.

This post has been edited by ClarenceT: Oct 4 2024, 08:38 AM