Could I use ATM Cards Issued by US Bank In China?

I'll be leaving in two weeks for China. Beijing, Xian, Shanghai and Hong Kong and Guilin. Can I used ATM cards isuued by US banks in China? Is it convenient to use ATM in China?

You can use your ATM cards in Chinese Bank,especially The Bank of China. You won't have any problems finding an ATM in the bigger cities in China, although you probably won't be able to find one in remote areas or the smaller towns. However, this situation is changing, and ATMs are gradually spreading out across the country.

Be alert when using an ATM in China.  There have been reports of various ATM scams including the use of fake ATMs that take the user's card. ATM robberies are also common. It is recommended you use ATMs when accompanied and during daylight hours to reduce associated risks.

If you have a bank card with a "maestro" or "ec" sign on you can get money at every Bank of China ATM. You probably won' t be that lucky with other banks. As far as I know only the Bank of China machines accept foreign bank cards. I tried it with Bank of Communications and the Agricultural Bank and none of both works.

Before going to CHina you should ask your local bank if there is a withdrawl limit if the card is used in a foreign country. Some banks have this limit and it can be pretty low.

I would suggest you to take your normal credit card with you as a precaution. Sometimes you cannot get money from ATMs because the system is a bit woggy.. it happes seldom, but if it happens you cannot get money for one or two days.  

My husband and I just got back from Beijing in February.  Here's what you need to do:   First of all, you MUST call your bank and credit card companies and give them the dates you will be away and where you will be traveling -- otherwise you won't be able to use your cards.  You also must set up pin numbers for your credit cards if you plan on using them for cash advances before you leave the US.   Even after we did this, we still could not access our money for the first few days we were there.  I've met a few other people who've traveled there, and they ran into the same problem, so I'd recommend you take some cash with you for the first few days.   We also ran into some problems with US Bank after we returned home.  It seems those first few days when we attempted to get cash from ATMs and didn't, the China banks still posted as withdrawals.  We're still fighting US Bank over this.  Keep all your ATM receipts, so you'll know which transactions were legitimate.  There is also a lot of fraud there, so make sure you use either Bank of China or China Construction Bank.

Does anyone know of a United States banks that has direct relationship with any of the banks located in China?

It must be Bank of China.

I used my ATM card a few weeks ago and had no problem.  I normally go to a Bank of China branch office.  Yes keep your receipts and if for some reason you did not withdraw funds, normally you will get a receipt that indicates "rejected" with astericks written in. Yes for sure call your credit card companies and tell them the dates you will be out of the country and what countries you will visit. Then they can monitor any domestic charges while you are gone. I have had some problems with Chase as their security is pretty tight. I call them collect on my cell phone and that was a mistake as the cell phone roaming charges were almost $ 60 USD.  Be sure to have the retailer call the toll free number they have then talk with your credit card company on the merchants phone. Be sure to take more than one credit card and wirte down all the pin numbers. I did not call my bank and had no problem getting cash out as soon as I arrived. I think I was able to get cash out from Agriculture Bank or Construction Bank also at their ATM.  Sometimes the ATM machines run out of rmb and a security person will most likely tell you that.  Happened last visit with Bank of China. Also more retailers are accepting out of the country credit cards for purchases so keep that in mind. I have a Chinese girlfriend in Guangzhou and we use my cc at the Lotus Superstore all the time, Mei Wenti.

Mickey Masdeo,

You are an expert of China!!

Bank of America is related to China Construction Bank.  No fees for withdrawals.