Why do ATMs and shops in China just keep declining my wise card. It worked fine in other countries
Good to know it’s not just me! I tried Wise at multiple ATMs in Chengdu-nothing worked. Same story in restaurants, malls, even Starbucks. I spoke to a hostel manager at Flipflop Lounge Hostel, and he said foreign debit cards don’t go through unless they’re UnionPay-branded. What worked? I used Wise to top up my Revolut USD account, then used that to load Alipay with a virtual card. From then on, smooth payments everywhere.
Actually had some success in Guangzhou-found a Bank of China ATM near the Garden Hotel that accepted my Wise Mastercard, but only after selecting ‘No’ to the DCC prompt and withdrawing in RMB. It was the only ATM that worked during my two-week trip. Tried in shops later? No dice. Card payments here are still mostly mobile-based. Suggest using Wise to top-up AliPay Tour Pass-smoothest option by far.
I was in Shanghai in May and couldn’t use my Wise Visa anywhere. ATMs like those from ABC (Agricultural Bank of China) and Bank of Communications all gave generic ‘transaction failed’ messages. Even 7-Eleven refused my card. Ended up opening a tourist Alipay account, loaded it via Wise, and paid for metro, food, and even at FamilyMart using my phone. That was a total game-changer. You can’t rely on physical cards here.
Just finished a trip through Beijing and Xi’an-Wise Mastercard got declined at ICBC, Bank of China, and even at China Construction Bank ATMs. Also no luck at any retail stores, even bigger chains like Carrefour or Watsons. Locals explained most systems here rely on UnionPay, not Visa and Mastercard, and international cards are often blocked. I had to rely on cash from money changers at the airport, then switched to WeChat Pay via a linked international card-that finally worked.