[Updated 2019.11] Bank of China’s overseas cashback promo has been very rewarding, and it works for online purchases as well. I paid several rent bills online, and the cashback posted about 3–4 months later. This screenshot shows the 10% portion:

And the card itself also earns 1%:

After everything, even combined with Plastiq’s recent 1.5% off discount, the actual fee paid was very low.

The previous round of Bank of China’s promo has ended and a new round has started. Since the 10% online rebate is very strong, and Bank of China also increased the cap on participants (from the first 10,000 to 20,000), I’m giving this article another update. See the Bank of China section below for details.

[Updated 2019.9] With China’s National Day holiday approaching, major Chinese banks have gradually rolled out a new round of overseas credit card cashback promos, so today I’m updating them all together. Added third-party promotions from WeChat, Alipay, etc. and overseas promotions from UnionPay as a card network; also added Q4 promos from Postal Savings Bank of China, Hua Xia Bank, Ping An Bank, Bank of Shanghai, 广发银行, Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Bank of Ningbo, and China Everbright Bank.

About Chinese Credit Cards

Hello everyone, I’m KUKU. Many thanks to ymlulu for inviting me to share some of my personal experience. I hope this will help the readers here, at least a little. This is my first blog post, so I thought I’d start with a topic that, perhaps, no US blogger has written about yet.

We all know there are many ways to maximize US credit cards. Credit cards in mainland China have their own unique ecosystem and strategies, each with its own strengths, so I won’t go into that here. I believe many readers of this site either hold mainland Chinese credit cards, or earn RMB while spending USD in the US, or travel to the US for tourism or business. If that’s you, and you’d like to save (or earn) a bit of money, this post may be helpful.

When using Chinese credit cards in the US, some China-specific perks—such as hospital appointment booking, dental cleanings, car washes, and movie benefits (mainland cards really can be very down-to-earth lol)—usually aren’t useful. And without promos, the cashback rates on domestic Chinese cards are nothing special. They’re really worth using only when there is a promotion. Among all promos, overseas spending offers tend to be the most generous, so this article mainly summarizes overseas cashback promotions on Chinese credit cards. If you happen to have one of these cards, using it in the US and enrolling in the promo can sometimes yield surprisingly high cashback!

[Note] Some of the spending techniques mentioned in this post are not guaranteed to trigger cashback promos at every bank 100% of the time. If you don’t receive cashback, it may be because the quota was used up, the bank hasn’t posted the cashback yet, or the MCC may not meet the bank’s requirements.

I recommend using these only for spending you actually need, and staying disciplined. If the loss isn’t significant, don’t contact the bank—and there’s definitely no need to pick a fight with the bank.
Please credit the source if reposting

WeChat, Alipay, PayPal, and Other Third-Party Payment Promotions

WeChat Pay and Alipay usually offer better exchange rates for overseas transactions than mainland Chinese credit cards. They’re convenient and easy to use. That’s also why WeChat and Alipay can attract mainland users overseas even without running promos. Most overseas merchants now support WeChat and Alipay as well, especially in East Asia, Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia. In the US, places that support WeChat and Alipay are mainly airports, outlet malls, and areas with large Chinese communities such as California and New York. There are also many small promotions (red packets), so feel free to explore if you’re interested.

WeChat Promotion

Overseas WeChat Pay requires either account balance or a linked UnionPay single-network or dual-network debit/credit card.

[Updated 2019.11] The October offer was renewed, so it looks like this may become a long-term promotion.

This WeChat promo is called “WeChat Pay Overseas Travel Gift Pack — Overseas Universal Coupon,” and runs through October 30, 2019. My guess is that it may be extended again in the future. You can search directly in WeChat for the mini program “WeChat Pay Overseas Travel Gift Pack” to view the promo details.

There are 5 coupons in total. The value of the first one is random, and each later coupon doubles in value. You need to scan the promo at a participating overseas physical store displaying the campaign tag. After scanning, the coupon can be used for any overseas in-store purchase that accepts WeChat Pay. Example:

When I made purchases in Japan, I had bad luck and got a 4 RMB coupon after scanning, but the effective rebate rate was still 13.3%.

  • Coupon #1: get 4 RMB back after spending the equivalent of 30 RMB
  • Coupon #2: get 8 RMB back after spending the equivalent of 60 RMB
  • Coupon #3: get 12 RMB back after spending the equivalent of 90 RMB
  • Coupon #4: get 16 RMB back after spending the equivalent of 120 RMB
  • Coupon #5: get 20 RMB back after spending the equivalent of 150 RMB

After completing one coupon, you need to scan the store’s promo QR code again to unlock the next one. You can also take a photo and scan it later at your own pace. The discount is applied directly at checkout:

Alipay Promotion

Overseas Alipay payments require account balance, Huabei, or a linked UnionPay single-network or dual-network debit/credit card. Some overseas Alipay promotions specifically require using Huabei, so pay attention. At checkout, you can see the discount amount first and then decide whether to proceed.

If you don’t yet have an Alipay account, feel free to register using our link and receive a red packet of a certain amount (mainland China phone number required, 10 RMB): Alipay registration link.

[Updated 2019.10, expired] The promo was called “福利锦囊越付越省.” Entry point: in Alipay, search for “出境”. The promo had a short validity period and lasted through October 7.

The good part: you only need your purchase amount to exceed the coupon amount by 0.01 RMB to trigger it. Here is what I received:

After completing the first one, you can claim the second one, and so on. If you calculate the exchange rate well, it’s basically free money.

Note: Alipay Huabei spending also has overseas red packets, and the first few are often more generous. Feel free to explore on your own.

PayPal Promotion

PayPal China can be linked to mainland Chinese credit cards and debit cards for payment. As more and more overseas merchants adopt WeChat and Alipay, PayPal has basically lost its edge and now only has limited cross-border online shopping discounts left. For completeness, I’m still including PayPal here. Entry: https://www.paypal.com/c2/webapps/mpp/online-shopping?locale.x=zh_C2

UnionPay / Master / Visa / JCB / Amex Card Network Promotions

[Updated 2019.10] This quarter’s card network offers are fairly average. For small purchases, WeChat and Alipay promos may suit you better.

Card network promotions are discounts offered by the payment networks themselves, and they can be stacked with promotions from the bank card itself. Promotions from third-party payment platforms usually cannot be stacked with the bank card’s own promotions.

UnionPay Promotion

UnionPay promotions usually require a mainland Chinese credit card starting with 62, which means a single-network bank credit card only. You also need to link the card to the 云闪付 App. If you don’t yet have a 云闪付 account, feel free to register using our link (mainland China phone number required, with a red packet of a certain amount):

[Updated 2019.10] The offers are fairly average, but still better than nothing. Access: 云闪付 App.

Offer 1: Get a red packet rebate for overseas spending, but you must pay with a QR code. New users get 50 RMB back, existing users get 20 RMB back. For merchants in the U.S., you can check under “Select Destination.”

Downside: participating merchants are limited to designated stores, and the rebate amount is small.

Offer 2: National Day travel season promo — buy airline tickets through 云闪付 and get an instant discount of 40-162 RMB.

Only China Southern, China Eastern, Sichuan Airlines, XiamenAir, and Shenzhen Airlines are included. Both domestic and international tickets qualify. Skipping the image here.

Visa Offers

Portal: https://www.visa.com.cn/

Master Offers

Nothing especially exciting this quarter. Portal: https://www1.mastercard.com/content/moments/china/zh_cn/campaigns.html

JCB Offers

JCB offers are usually geared toward overseas spending in Japan or Southeast Asia; deals for Europe and the U.S. are generally mediocre. Portal: https://www.jcbcard.cn/campaign/index.html

JCB also has a promo with Hotels.com: book with a Mainland China JCB credit card and get 8% off. Code: JCB8CN. Link: https://www.hotels.cn/page/jcbglobal/

AMEX Offers

AMEX also has quite a few offers, though probably not many readers will be able to use them. Portal: https://www.americanexpress.com.cn/product/overseas/index.html

[collapse title= "     Expired card-network offers summary"]

Visa Offers

Visa mostly has various benefits. This year is Hilton’s 100th anniversary, and Visa in Asia-Pacific has had some pretty good Hilton promos, such as:

For our U.S. readers, if you already have the amazing AMEX Aspire card that gives Hilton Diamond status, you may not care much about these Asia-Pacific Visa offers. However, if you book Asia-Pacific Hilton properties through the Chinese app, the extra 2,000 Hilton Honors may still be worth considering. The list of participating hotels is here. You can also register for this offer: Extra 5,000 points after two stays at Conrad or Waldorf Astoria in North America.?

Master Offers

On 2019.08.01, Master’s offline-spending mobile top-up promo was ended 5 months early by the card network.

China Master card-network promo: overseas roaming data perk for Mastercard overseas spending, with free roaming usage overseas (in practice, it is a mobile top-up rebate, applicable to China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom). This offer applies to master cards issued by banks in Mainland China (both single-branded and dual-branded). After registration, for every 200 USD in overseas in-person spending on the registered Master card, you can receive a 30 RMB mobile top-up rebate (roughly a 2%-2.4% return). It can also stack with any other issuer’s in-person offers! The amount is small, but it was easy enough to register.

A. Registration link: click here, or scan the QR code below in Wechat. You can scan to read the official description; the terms are especially long, if you are interested.

B. One phone number (it does not have to be yours and can be a virtual number) can register only one Master card. The rebate can be sent to any physical SIM card that can receive mobile top-ups (it does not have to belong to you, but the rules explicitly require a real-name registered physical SIM). After linking, you can change it once, but the benefit will be reduced after the change.

For example, I could use my dad’s phone number (SMS verification required) to register my card, then send the rebated mobile top-up to my mom’s phone. If you only have one Master card, KUKU recommends registering with your own phone number, enrolling your own card, and sending the mobile top-up to yourself or family/friends. If you have N Master cards to use, then in practice you can register with N phone numbers, and ultimately have the top-ups linked to one single number.

C. Based on card tier, the maximum rebate per card during the entire promo period is: World and above (World and World Elite), 300 RMB (10 times); below World tier: 150 RMB (5 times).

D. Promo period and eligible transaction method: 2019.06.15-2019.12.31 (note: before 2019.06.15, the promo counted online transactions), offline Master channel.

E. Quantity limit: standard Mainland bank boilerplate terms — during the promo period, the amount allocated for the overseas roaming perk is limited. Rebates are awarded in the order transactions meet the requirements, first come first served, while supplies last. Although there is a hidden cap, in practice earlier spending has the better chance.

F. Fulfillment timing: within 15 days after meeting the requirements, the mobile top-up will be credited to the phone account used to register for the promo.

[My own DP]: On June 27, I made $200 of in-person spending in the U.S. on a Master card, with a posting date of June 29; on July 16, I received a text from Master saying I had met the overseas roaming requirement and the top-up would be completed within 3 days; later that same day, the 30 RMB mobile credit posted.

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Offers from the Big Four Banks

There are many banks in Mainland China, and each may have its own overseas offers, so KUKU can’t cover everything comprehensively. Let’s first look at the traditional Big Four (ICBC, CCB, ABC, and BOC), also known as the world’s Top 4 most valuable banking brands:

Bank of China

[Update 2019.11] Bank of China’s previous promo is still continuing, with slight changes. It is still worth doing, and there is also a 10x points promo this quarter. [Note 2019.9] Bank of China may simply have too many cardholders. One time I completed the requirement on the 2nd of the month and still did not make the quota, so I gave up. Correction: everyone who did it eventually received the cashback, just with a 3-4 month delay, so it seems the quota was actually quite ample. The single large-transaction component is gone, though.

You can scan the code below to enter the official WeChat account, view the promo details, and register:

Promo 1: continuation of the previous promo. 2019.11.1-2020.3.31, covering all current Bank of China CC products. For both online and offline purchases, if each transaction is at least 600 RMB and you make at least 5 such transactions, you get 10% back on the qualifying 600 RMB transactions, capped at 600 RMB per month in total. We will not re-calculate the old version here. For V/M, this is limited to the first 20,000 customers; for UnionPay, the first 36,000 customers. Other card types have relatively small quotas and are riskier;

Promo 2: continuation of the previous promo. 2010.5.1-2020.3.31, for special cards, 1% back on every purchase, up to US$500 cashback, including the Her Card (men can actually apply too) and the Great Wall Zhuojun Visa and Master Study Abroad Card (pretty decent-looking, and the designs are quite similar; the Master version is shown below). No annual fee for life, so holding both could be worth considering;

Promo 3: 2019.10.1–2019.12.31, 5% back on study-abroad and exam-related purchases, including travel expenses booked through study-abroad websites (for example, Studentuniverse). Minimum transaction 100, 5% cashback, with a monthly cap of US$50. [Click here for the link]

Promo 4: 2019.10.1–2019.12.31, 10x points on special card types. [Click here for the link]

All of the above promos can be stacked if you meet the terms.

[collapse title= "     Expired Bank of China Promotions Summary"]

Bank of China, often nicknamed the “brick bank,” is actually offering fairly generous overseas cashback promos this quarter. You can scan the code below to enter the official WeChat account, view the promo details, and register.

Promo 1: 2019.7.1-2019.10.31, for UnionPay and V/M credit cards (including both single-network and dual-network cards). For online or offline purchases, a single transaction of at least 5,000 RMB qualifies for 10% cashback. Each person can participate only once per month, limited to the first 10,000 customers each month, first come first served, with cashback capped at the equivalent of 800 RMB. In short, during the promo period, you should be able to do this 4 times for a total of 3,200 RMB cashback.

Promo 2: 2019.5.1-2019.10.31, covering all current Bank of China CC products. For both online and offline purchases, if each transaction is at least 600 RMB and you make at least 5 such transactions, you get 10% back on the qualifying 600 RMB transactions, capped at 600 RMB per month in total. We did not bother calculating it before, but starting this month, if you act early you can probably do this 4 times, for a total of 2,400 RMB cashback. (This part can be stacked with Promo 1.) V/M is limited to the first 20,000 customers, UnionPay to the first 36,000 customers, and some card types have relatively small quotas, so they are a bit risky;

Promo 3: 2010.5.1-2020.3.31, for special cards, 1% back on every purchase, up to US$500 cashback, including the Her Card (men can actually apply too) and the Great Wall Zhuojun Visa and Master Study Abroad Card (pretty decent-looking, and the designs are quite similar; the Master version is shown below). No annual fee for life, so holding both could be worth considering;

Other stackable promos: Bank of China previously had a 10x points promo: “Global Highlights, One Card for Everything” — 10x points on overseas online purchases made with all-currency international chip cards, from April 1, 2019 through September 30, 2019. Registration is still open, limited to all-currency CC cards. Click here for details.

New round of 10x points promo

You need to claim a coupon in the BoC app: Colorful Life app → Featured → Coupons → Overseas 10x Points (requires spending 5,000 points to redeem). What can Bank of China points be used for? Some airline miles transfers (for example, HNA), or everyday items like tea, rice, and cooking oil. The transfer ratio is what it is. HNA is actually not bad. If you are not interested in 10x points, keep reading. I recommend using a Master all-currency card, so you can also trigger the Master network phone-bill promo, Bank of China 10x points, and Bank of China cashback at the same time.

So this is what the so-called 21% Bank of China cashback means: if you use one of the special cards above, the 21% only applies in theory to the first 800 RMB of monthly spend, where you can stack 10% + 10% + 1%. As for the total return, everyone can do their own math. To maximize it, you would of course use a World version or above Master all-currency card, to achieve 10% (800 RMB back) + 10% (600 RMB back) + 10x points in a single month.

KUKU is not going to calculate the final return here; just get in early if you want it. You can aim for the start of the month (U.S. time is recommended): first make one purchase equivalent to 5,000 RMB (suggested $750+), then try to make 4 additional purchases equivalent to 600 RMB each (suggested at least $90+ each, with the total reaching 6,000 RMB). If you can spend offline, prioritize offline purchases to also get the extra Master network phone-bill benefit.

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Agricultural Bank of China

The promo is the same as in Q3 and is still called “Enjoy Travel the World.” The webpage link is not available yet, so you need to register through the official app or the WeChat mini program:

  • Promo name: Enjoy Travel the World
  • Promo period: 2019.10.1～2019.11.30,
  • Registration path: official app or Agricultural Bank of China Credit Card WeChat mini program
  • Promo details: You need to claim a coupon. Both online and offline spending count. UnionPay/VISA/Master can each participate once separately. After successfully claiming the coupon, you can join the 3% cashback-on-every-overseas-purchase promo. During the promo period, each cardholder can receive up to RMB 800 cashback through the UnionPay clearing network, and up to US$120 each through the Visa and Mastercard clearing networks. At the same time, there is also an extra US$200 equivalent threshold bonus: if you hold any ABC credit card and your cumulative transactions through the UnionPay clearing network within a calendar month reach RMB 40,000 or more, you can receive an additional one-time RMB 1,400 cashback reward; if your cumulative transactions through the Visa or Mastercard clearing network within a calendar month reach US$6,000 or more, you can receive an additional one-time US$200 cashback reward for each network. Transaction totals are calculated once per calendar month, and during the promo period each cardholder can receive one reward through each of the three card-network clearing systems.
  • Cashback summary: In each calendar month, if UnionPay spending reaches 40,000 RMB, you get 2,200 RMB back. If V/M spending reaches US$6,000, you get US$320 back. The cashback rate is roughly 5%-5.5%.

[collapse title= "     Agricultural Bank of China Expired Promotions Summary"]

For promo details and registration, click here or scan the QR code below:

Promo name: Enjoy Travel the World

Promo period: through 2019.9.30,

Offer details: Both online and in-store purchases qualify. The three payment networks—UnionPay/Visa/Mastercard—can each be used once separately. For each network, you must spend either 40,000 RMB or $6,000 in a single calendar month to qualify; if you do not meet the threshold, there is no cash back.

Cash back: In each calendar month, spend 40,000 RMB on UnionPay to get 2,200 RMB back; spend $6,000 on Visa/Mastercard to get $320 back. The rebate rate is roughly 5%-5.5%.

Terms: There are a lot of details, so readers should review them carefully. No cap on the number of participants was mentioned.

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China Construction Bank

Starting last year, CCB's overseas cash back promos had been very generous. In particular, in the first half of 2019, a single regular Visa card (all Visa cards counted together, with no enrollment cap) earned 8% cash back per person per month on both online and offline spending, with separate caps of $100 each. During the promo, after total spending reached $5,000, you would get another $160. With just one Visa card, you could earn $200 X6 + $160 = $1,360 total. Because quotas were ample and the rebates were substantial, this also gave rise to some shady DLB-related arbitrage chains, which in turn led to major cutbacks in later promos.

CCB's Q4 2019 overseas cash back promo is the same as in Q3 (you must first meet a spending requirement, only offline purchases count, and the rebate amount is lower). Scan below for the official WeChat promo page and registration:

  • Promo name: Travel the World, Shop the Globe
  • Promo period: 2019.10.1-2019.12.31
  • Offer details: You must use your Long Card credit card to accumulate 20,000 RMB of domestic spending (including at least one POS transaction) in order to qualify for 8% cash back. You only need to complete the 20,000 RMB domestic spending during the promo period; it does not have to occur after your overseas spending. Registration is through the CCB app, opening on October 1. For the enrollment cap, just see the image below:
  • How to complete this if you live in the US: For this CCB promo, both primary and supplementary cards can be used (the primary cardholder registers, and spending on both primary and supplementary cards is counted under the primary card). There is no required order between the 20,000 RMB domestic spending and the overseas spending, so it is not especially difficult. Quotas are limited, so the earlier you complete it, the sooner you can secure the cash back.

There are two CCB cards that I personally think are quite strong, especially when paired with CCB's good cash back promos, although this round of the promo is less exciting:

The first is Bonus+, available through the end of this year for now (and likely to be extended): every thing 1%, cash back up to $500/month.

The second is Muse. For people who shop overseas in person, this card can also be good if you pick the right dates and shop at designated duty-free stores (though with CCB's weaker cash back this quarter, the card is indirectly less valuable). When it first launched, it could be applied for separately. Later, it was changed so that it had to be applied for together with the UnionPay version of the Global Shopping card, and activating supplementary cards also became less convenient. This card comes in two designs, both quite attractive:

【2019.9 update】Muse has been cut back to a 1% overseas cash back card (2019.10.1–2020.9.30). See the official WeChat post.

[collapse title= "     Summary of expired China Construction Bank promos"]

Q3 2019

In Q3 2019, CCB started adding restrictions (you had to meet a spending threshold, only offline purchases counted, and rebate amounts were reduced). Scan below for the official WeChat promo page and registration:

Specifically: From 2019.7.1-2019.9.30, you had to use your Long Card credit card to accumulate 20,000 RMB of domestic spending (including at least one POS transaction) to qualify for 8% cash back. You only needed to complete the 20,000 RMB domestic spending during the promo period; it did not have to occur after your overseas spending. This threshold is really something—worth sharing an image, and hopefully other banks do not copy it. Just see the image below:

If you are in the US, you can basically ignore CCB's cash back promo for this quarter, unless you are a DLB exploiting loopholes.

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Industrial and Commercial Bank of China

【2019.9 update】The previous offers are still valid.

ICBC updated its overseas cash back promo on July 26. Scan the QR code below to view details and register:

Promo name: I GO GLOBAL

Promo period: July 26, 2019 to February 29, 2020

Eligible cards: Visa and Mastercard, and corresponding channels. Third-party routed payments do not count (it does not specify which third parties).

Offer 1: For overseas online and offline Visa/Mastercard purchases, each month a single transaction of at least 1000 RMB gets 12% cash back, i.e. 120 RMB. Online and offline channels each have a separate limit of one 120 RMB rebate per person per network. In other words, each month, if you hold both Visa and Mastercard, you can get up to (120+120) X2 = 480 RMB in cash back. Monthly total quota is no less than 10,000 spots, first come first served. (First time I've seen “no less than” used for a quota...)

Offer 2: For overseas online and offline Visa/Mastercard purchases, if each card has 6 transactions per month and each transaction is at least 300 RMB, one random transaction gets 9% cash back. For online and offline channels, the maximum rebate is 300 RMB per person per month per network, so across the two networks, you can get up to (300+300) X2 = 1200 RMB. Monthly total quota is no less than 9,000 spots, first come first served.

Note: ICBC specifically emphasizes that participation is based on the cardholder. The primary cardholder must register, but the cash back is tracked separately! Even if you are a supplementary cardholder, you and your primary cardholder each have separate cash back eligibility. You can both participate and calculations are separate. (Very generous this time!)

In my view, if you keep participating throughout and max out the rebate cap each time, each person could get up to (480+1,200) X8 months = 13,440 RMB in cash back.

ICBC is also promoting several cards that earn 1% cash back on every purchase both domestically and overseas. If interested, you can look into them as shown below:

Among them, the first series—the ICBC Guangmang credit cards—also earns 1% cash back on purchases within mainland China. There is a cap, but no spending-category restrictions (including WeChat Pay and Alipay).

Other state-owned bank promos

These two are not on the same scale as the Big Four, but they are indeed state-owned enterprises. Their promos are pretty average.

Bank of Communications

There is only a limited points promo, “Overseas Super Red Day.” Points are not actually worth much in mainland China, but it is better than nothing. Click here for the official WeChat page or scan below in WeChat:

Postal Savings Bank of China

New I have never seen such a complicated promo. The terms are unbelievably long, and they vary by country and region. Hopefully the card department sees this and improves it. Entry page: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/BdzSw7A79PDWHTcUFuH-Fg

Promos from major commercial banks

China Merchants Bank:

As the largest commercial bank in mainland China by scale, China Merchants Bank also has the nickname “the little prince of card issuance,” with the largest credit card customer base. Quite a few mainland DLBs also try to game CMB; some pushed it too far and confronted CMB head-on, and some even ended up in jail while doing it (see Flyert). CMB has also been making the news lately, for example, not honoring a promo bug price (see here), and appearing to shift blame after a wealth-management product blew up (see here). So if you want to play the CMB game, don’t get too reckless on the one hand, and on the other hand, don’t complain that CMB is “stingy.” It’s not worth going toe-to-toe with the little prince over a tiny amount of money and possibly getting yourself in trouble. Of course, as long as readers complete their overseas spending in a compliant and legal manner, there should be no issue at all.

【Update 2019.9】The new promotion is similar to last quarter’s. It no longer includes the suitcase, but adds a few 1% offers. Scan the QR code below to access it:

Promotion details:

Promotion period: 2019.9.1～2019.10.31

Terms (offline/in-store portion):

A. You must claim a coupon first; starting from the day you successfully claim it, you can participate in the overseas offline cashback promotion; the coupons are not that easy to get; on the first day after claiming the coupon, there is also a small offer: spend 100 RMB and get 19 RMB back;

B. 5 card networks: UnionPay, AE, Visa, MASTER, JCB. Cashback is tracked separately by card network.

C. For each card network, spend 40,000 RMB and get 5% cashback, up to 2,000 RMB;

D. After the promotion ends, among the above 5 card networks, the one with the highest spending gets an additional 700 RMB cashback;

1% cashback on every purchase:

2019.9.1～2019.12.31, limited to China Merchants Bank Diamond Credit Card and UnionPay Platinum Credit Card, at designated merchants. It is pretty underwhelming, so you can ignore it.

Online portion (basically negligible):

After successfully claiming the coupon, online purchases earn 5x points (1x base + 4x bonus), up to 10,000 points. Points are valid through December 31, 2020.

[collapse title= "     Summary of expired China Merchants Bank promotions"]

2019 Q3

Although CMB has had a bit too much negative press lately, its overseas cashback promo this quarter was quite strong! Please refer to the official CMB WeChat post or scan the QR code below in WeChat:

Promotion name: Very Global, Refresh the World

Promotion period: 2019.7.1-2019.8.31; (UnionPay, V/M/AE/JCB all included)

Terms (offline/in-store portion):

A. You must claim a coupon first; starting from the day you successfully claim it, you can participate in the overseas offline cashback promotion; the official language uses the word “grab,” which suggests coupon quantities may be limited; on the first day after claiming the coupon, there is also a small offer: spend 100 RMB and get 19 RMB back;

B. 5 card networks: UnionPay, AE, Visa, MASTER, JCB. Cashback is tracked separately by card network.

C. For each card network, spend 40,000 RMB and get 5% cashback, up to 2,000 RMB;

D. After the promotion ends, among the above 5 card networks, the one with the highest spending gets an additional 700 RMB cashback;

E. Physical gift: if you hold a CMB Platinum Card (including UnionPay Platinum, all-currency Platinum, and any credit card at the Platinum tier or above), then after cumulative spending of 80,000 RMB, you can receive a Samsonite suitcase (possibly subject to a quantity cap);

F. If you hold the little prince’s credit cards across multiple card networks (including one Master Platinum or above), and your credit limit is high enough, this could be a very substantial rebate (19 RMB + 10,000 RMB + 700 RMB + a suitcase + 300 RMB mobile top-up for the Master card network)!

G. This promo from CMB was generous enough. KUKU’s advice remains the same: don’t casually go head-to-head with CMB.

Online portion (basically negligible):

After successfully claiming the coupon, online purchases earn 5x points (1x base + 4x bonus), up to 10,000 points. Points are valid through December 31, 2020.

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SPD Bank:

【Update 2019.9】The old promotion is still valid.

Overall it is still pretty good. Click here for the official WeChat post or scan the QR code below:

Promotion: Spend around the world, enjoy different cashback rates; registration must be completed in the official app.

(1) 1% cashback on every overseas purchase: 2019.4.1～2019.12.31, for primary cardholders (excluding government cards), online and offline, with no cap and no quantity limit;

(2) Q3 overseas cashback promotion: 2019.7.1～2019.9.30;

Visa version: 7% offline, capped at 700 RMB cashback per person per month, limited to the first 8000 participants; 4% online, capped at 300 RMB cashback per person per month, limited to the first 5000 participants; once cumulative spending during the promo reaches 20,000 RMB, the portion above 20,000 earns 20%, capped at 1000 RMB per person per quarter, once only, limited to the first 10,000 participants;

Master version: 7% offline, capped at 700 RMB cashback per person per month, limited to the first 5000 participants; 4% online, capped at 300 RMB cashback per person per month, limited to the first 2000 participants; once cumulative spending during the promo reaches 20,000 RMB, the portion above 20K earns 20%, capped at 1000 RMB per person per quarter, once only, limited to the first 6000 participants;

AMEX version: 7% offline, capped at 700 RMB cashback per person per month, limited to the first 2000 participants; no online offer; once cumulative spending during the promo reaches 20,000 RMB, the portion above 20K earns 20%, capped at 1000 RMB per person per quarter, once only, limited to the first 1500 participants;

CITIC Bank:

【Update 2019.9】The old promotion has been extended.

CITIC has always been relatively friendly to beginners applying for cards. Its overseas cashback this quarter is still decent, with up to 30% cashback on a single transaction. For details and registration, see the official WeChat post or scan the QR code below in WeChat:

At the moment, only Visa and Master cards still have overseas cashback offers left. The quotas are getting smaller and smaller, which is a bit of a trap.

How to register: WeChat registration or SMS registration

Visa details: (2019.8-2019.10)

It is divided into base cashback and elevated cashback. The elevated cashback is more of a look-only benefit. The base cashback quota is limited to 1000. For education, dining, fashion department stores, and lodging categories (watch the MCC), a single transaction can earn 30%, cash back up to $150. That is still quite strong: use it for dining, hotels, and shopping, and the cashback can be very meaningful. You could simply make one $500 purchase at the beginning of the month and be done. Excluding Hong Kong, the regional cashback cap is $150,000 total, i.e. 1000 spots. (This promotion will probably keep getting extended; the only issue is that the quotas keep getting smaller.)

Mastercard promotions are as follows: (the old Q3 promotion has been extended, 2019.10.1–2019.12.31)

Standard cashback: 10% back on each online or offline transaction of $100+, capped at $10 back per transaction, cash back up to $120, with a limited number of spots.

High cashback: Each customer who accumulates $4,000+ in offline spending within a calendar month will receive $400 back. Each user can enjoy this only once per promotion period. Cashback will be awarded based on cumulative spending, ranked from highest to lowest transaction totals. The total monthly cashback pool for all customers is capped at $50,000 per calendar month (125 spots worldwide... yes, you read that right).

Industrial Bank

This promotion has been severely devalued and is now only 1%. Scan the QR code for details:

[collapse title= "    Industrial Bank expired promotions summary"]

2019.5.1-2019.8.31

The promotion is fairly average, and the quota is also quite small. But if you have a real need, it may still be worth considering, especially for small transactions (thanks to reader wanmson for the reminder). Scan the official QR code below for details and registration:

Promotion name: Global Vitality

Promotion period: 2019.5.1-2019.8.31

UnionPay version: During the promotion period, Industrial Bank 62 UnionPay credit cardholders can earn 5% cashback on every overseas online and offline transaction, plus an extra 5% during holiday periods. In addition, UnionPay platinum cardholders can earn 30% back on each transaction at designated merchants in designated countries/regions (excluding the U.S.). During the promotion period, cashback is capped at 100 RMB per transaction, and each customer can receive up to 2,000 RMB total cashback (for example, you could make 20 transactions of 2,000 RMB each and receive 20 x 100 RMB cashback). Spots are limited, first come first served, while supplies last. (It does not say how many total spots there are.) There is currently only one holiday period left: Qixi Festival (8.7-8.9).

Mastercard version: During the promotion period, Industrial Bank USD-denominated Mastercard single-logo cards can earn cashback on overseas online and offline spending processed via the Mastercard network, for every transaction of at least $19, up to 5% back (the 5% rate applies only in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand). The per-transaction cap is $50, and the total cashback cap during the promotion period is $100. Unfortunately, in the U.S. you can only get 2% cashback. If you have a genuine spending need, you could consider simply making two $2,500 transactions to max out the $100 cashback. Since 2% is relatively low compared with peers, and exchange-rate fluctuations also matter, I would not recommend forcing spend here unless you really need it. Spots are limited, first come first served, while supplies last.

Visa version: After accumulating $600 in overseas online and offline transactions, you can receive a 200 RMB JD E-Card (similar to an Amazon gift card, basically cash-like). For every additional $200 spent beyond the first $600, you get an extra 100 RMB JD E-Card. During the promotion period, the total cap is 1,000 RMB in JD E-Cards per person. Holiday bonus: during holiday periods, if cumulative spending reaches $5,000, you can receive up to an additional 1,000 RMB JD E-Card. Spots are limited, first come first served, while supplies last. (Note: Industrial Bank states that the Visa version uses an exchange rate of 6.8.)

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China Minsheng Bank

China Minsheng Bank's promotion is actually quite strong, but there are very few eligible card products, so I'm not sure how many readers can use it. I don't personally have a Minsheng card. The previous two older promotions also seem to still be valid:

Promotion 1: See here for the Minsheng single-logo foreign-currency standard Visa card promotion:

Promotion period: 2018.12.1–2019.11.30

Promotion details: 1% back on every overseas purchase, 10% back on offline dining spend

Cap: Cashback capped at $200 per customer per month, and $1,000 per year;

Promotion 2: See here for Minsheng premium credit card overseas promotions:

Promotion period: 2018.12–2019.11.30

Visa single-logo standard luxury platinum card: (1) Base cashback (online and offline), 1% on transactions processed via the Visa network; (2) Offline cashback: an extra 2% for offline spending outside Greater China; (3) Dining cashback: an extra 9% on top of the base cashback. During the promotion period, the total cashback per customer is capped at $1,000.

Visa single-logo standard diamond card: (1) Base cashback (online and offline), 1% on transactions processed via the Visa network; (2) Offline cashback: an extra 4% for offline spending outside Greater China; (3) Dining cashback: an extra 9% on top of the base cashback. During the promotion period, the total cashback per customer is capped at $2,000.

Note: For all of the above Minsheng promotions, dining is limited to these participating MCCs: 5921, 5441, 5462, 5812, 5813, 5811, 5814; no quota limit is mentioned.

【2019.9 update】Promotion 3: Overseas cashback on Visa cards. This one is pretty good and can be stacked with the above promotions. Scan the QR code to continue.

Promotion period: 2019.7.1–2010.10.31

6% on every transaction: For Visa online and offline transactions, get $12 back on every transaction of at least $200. Each person is limited to the first 3 qualifying transactions per day, up to $120 per person per month. Limited to the first 8,000 transactions each month, first come first served.

National Day extra 10% back: For overseas offline Visa spending, if your monthly spending exceeds $4,000, the amount above that threshold earns 10% back, up to $100 per person per month, with no quota limit; qualifying spend will be rewarded automatically. Put simply, if you spend $5,000, you get $100 back. Including the 6% promotion, the total can be as much as $220 (not including cashback from other promotions or card-specific benefits). If you can line up the first 10 transactions well for the 6% promo, this is pretty decent.

【2019.9 update】 Promotion 4: Exclusive large-spend offer for the Minsheng Visa Elite Platinum Card, from 2019.9.1–2020.2.29, for overseas offline transactions billed in foreign currency through the Visa network. If monthly spending reaches $5,000, the amount above $5,000 earns 20% cashback, capped at $200 per month and $500 during the promotion period. This can be stacked with the earlier promotions, for up to $420 total cashback per month after stacking. If your spending is high enough, this offer is a great fit for you. The card looks like this:

Ping An Bank

New Promotion name: Overseas cashback on every transaction. Registration entry:

Promotion period: August 1, 2019 - October 31, 2019.

Promotion details: After one-click registration, if you make 3 online or offline transactions in a month, each of at least 300 RMB, and your monthly spending reaches 30,000 RMB, all spending earns 3% cashback. If monthly spending does not reach 30,000 RMB, all spending earns 2% cashback. During the promotion period, the maximum cashback is 2,000 RMB, with a per-transaction cap of 100 RMB. Spots are limited during the promotion period.

The cashback rate is fairly average, and when your spending is not high, you also need to manage your per-transaction amounts.

Bank of Shanghai

New Promotion name: Go Far Together. Entry:

Promotion period: 2019.10.1-2019.11.30

Eligible cards: UnionPay 62 cards, Visa, Mastercard, and JCB credit cards

Promotion details:

First purchase cashback: make your first transaction of 100 RMB through any payment channel and get 30 RMB back.

Destination cashback: for offline overseas spending in the U.S. and other destinations, if your spending through any payment channel in a single calendar month reaches 20,000 RMB, you will get 500 RMB back. During the promotion period, each person can enjoy this once per card network, for up to 2000 RMB in cashback total. Cashback slots are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Huaxia Bank

New Promotion name: up to 2300 RMB cashback, Huaxia Overseas Travel Companion (not poetic at all). Personally, I think this promotion is pretty decent. Entry point:

Promotion period: 2019.9.1–2019.12.31

Visa: 2% cashback for overseas transactions through the Visa network, up to $200 per month. During the promotion period, the total Visa cashback pool is $90,000, first come, first served.

Mastercard: for overseas transactions through the Mastercard network, spend a total of $3,000 during the promotion period and get $150 back, equivalent to 5%. Spend a total of $5,000 and get $300 back, equivalent to 6%. During the promotion period, the total Mastercard cashback pool is $300,000, first come, first served.

UnionPay: Tier 1, 3% cashback each month on overseas POS spending (offline) in the U.S. and other destinations, up to 1500 RMB per month. Tier 2, if monthly spending reaches 80,000 RMB, get an extra 800 RMB cashback bonus. During the promotion period, the total UnionPay cashback pool is 2 million RMB, first come, first served.

China Guangfa Bank

There is a promotion, but you need to check it in the official app, “Explore Wonderful.” The bank is nicknamed “Useless Bank” by the points-and-miles crowd. I don’t have the app, so I gave up.

Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank

Promotion name: “Rebate” Around the World, Shop Globally

Promotion link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/YJxUWPUMYVh_6v0k1N0IxQ

Promotion period: July 1, 2019 - December 31, 2019

  • Offer 1: for Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank Mastercard USD Platinum cardholders, overseas online and offline spending through the Mastercard network earns 1% back on every transaction, with a maximum rebate of $100 per customer. Total promotion budget is $50,000, first come, first served, while supplies last.
  • Offer 2: for holders of the Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank World Platinum Xin Card and Mastercard USD World Card, as well as Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank Titanium Xin Card and Mastercard USD World Card. For a single overseas POS transaction (offline) of $100 or more, or equivalent foreign currency, you can get 15% back in statement credit, with a maximum rebate of $300 per customer. Total promotion budget is $600,000, first come, first served, while supplies last.

Some niche banks have promotions on specific cards, and availability is still fairly ample. If you have the card, you can probably get the reward.

Standard Chartered Bank

Standard Chartered Bank always has overseas cashback promotions, though it looked like the Q4 promotion had not yet come out. Now that the Q4 promotion is out, it feels pretty average. It’s just overseas merchant cashback plus a red-envelope drawing for spending. Entry point: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ezPcW818oLcZU5ELuA3t3A

There is also a pretty good Hotels.com promotion right now.

Bank of Ningbo

Bank of Ningbo seems to always have overseas cashback promotions. The previous quarter’s promotion is here: Cashback on every overseas card swipe, up to 5%! Meet the threshold and get another 500 RMB back!

This quarter’s new promotion entry point (2019.10.1-2019.12.31): https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/VGIYvZvu52R8AFwOThdizg

Please refer to the previous quarter’s terms for the promotion details; I’m guessing they are the same. I imagine the number of Bank of Ningbo cardholders is also quite small, so people with the card should probably all be able to get the reward.

China Everbright Bank

Other Banks

There are simply too many banks in mainland China, including a huge number of local banks and foreign banks. If you have a card in hand, you can check the official website or official WeChat account to see whether there are any overseas cashback or points promotions. If you find a good one, feel free to leave a comment and let us know.

How to complete the promotions above

There’s really nothing special to explain here. If you have real spending needs, just go spend. Or you need a friend with real spending needs who doesn’t play the points-and-miles game. If you don’t have a real need, I also don’t recommend forcing spend, in case the bank cracks down on you. Here are a few ways to spend when you do not have immediate organic spend:

  • Use Plastiq to pay expenses that normally cannot be paid directly by credit card, such as rent, kids’ daycare, camp, loans, etc.: for the vast majority of Chinese credit cards right now, the Plastiq fee is mostly 3.5% (for a period in the past, most mainland China V/M single-network cards had a 2.5% fee, while dual-network cards were 3.5%). For an introduction to Plastiq, please see here. If you don’t have an account yet, go register for one!～  (Note: Plastiq is a convenient payment tool for living in the U.S.; it has risk controls and requires a real SSN and real bills)
  • Stock up on hard-currency items such as Amazon gift cards, either for your own use or to resell at a discount. For personal use, it just so happens that Amazon Prime Day recently had multiple promotions. KUKU tested that Amazon gift cards could be used successfully with the recent Assistant $50-$10, $100-$10, MR 20% off up to $50, and MR 60-30 promotions, which made it suitable for buying some third-party gift cards. For example, to complete Bank of China’s 5 purchases of 600 RMB and trigger 10% cashback, KUKU enrolled in Amazon gift cards several times, each time for $90-$100, and then used the MR 20% off offer plus assistant50-10 (double-dipping) to buy $250 in third-party e-gift cards with $189.99 in Amazon gift cards. Combined with Bank of China’s 10% promotion, the effective result was paying $171 for $250 in third-party eGCs, about 31.6% off, plus 10x Bank of China points (registered separately earlier). Similarly, if you double-dip MR 60-30 and assistant 50-10, then the effective result is paying $18 for a $60 third-party gift card, about 70% off. If you also factor in other extra 1% off, points, and other bonuses... and meanwhile... if you have multiple Amazon accounts...For tips on how to trigger Amazon’s MR deal, see here.
  • Pay rent: Many apartment communities accept Chinese CCs for rent payments, usually with a fee of around 3%, which can still be worth it. If you are not sure, ask whether your apartment community accepts CCs for rent—maybe you will be pleasantly surprised. Places that accept CCs for rent often also allow prepayment, so be sure to check carefully with your leasing office;
  • Pay tuition: Back-to-school season is here~ Some schools allow tuition payments with Chinese credit cards. If not, you can use Plastiq as a workaround. In particular, if you are new and do not have any US credit cards yet, go ahead and use your Chinese card for this~
  • Buy Apple phones: They are always in demand, and if you are traveling in the US, you can also bring some back for relatives and friends. Up to 10% cashback is hard to say no to.
  • Prepay your internet, utilities, and phone bills: Internet and phone service are essential expenses after all. Some Chinese cards only require a small-enough charge to enroll (for example, Bank of China and China CITIC Bank Mastercards). The downside is that not all service providers accept Mainland Chinese credit cards; however, you can consider paying in person at a physical store.
  • Stack them during hotel and airline points sales: At the moment, points.com supports payments with Mainland China-issued V/M/AE single-network or dual-network credit cards. If you have real hotel or airfare needs, combining a strong points promotion with cashback from rebate sites such as TopCashback can save you even more. See this reference for points purchase promotions;
  • If you are in Mainland China and making purchases on overseas websites, you may need a VPN. KKU personally highly recommends Express VPN because it is very stable. Click here for details;

Research-related payments

If you are a researcher or student, this can also be a great channel for earning cashback or even meeting the spending requirement for a US card welcome bonus. You probably need to publish papers, and some journals charge publication fees (also called Article processing charge; see Wikipedia), especially open-access and online journals. These fees can be quite high, and some journals even charge extra for color figures. Still, to increase a paper's impact, a PI will often choose open access or online publication, and may also want better-looking figures. So when you submit your paper and face these fees, that is a good time to pull out a Chinese card that has overseas cashback offers~

Readers who have submitted papers already know how these charges work. Here are 2 simple examples, without considering various discounts or developing-country discounts (or waivers):

Let us first look at Nature journals:

The fees are substantial; click here to review them. A few representative journals are listed below:

Journal USD Representative Journal
Nature Communications $5,200 —
Scientific Reports $1,790 —
Nature Partner Journals (NPJ series) $1,990~$3,300 npj Biofilms
Academic and society journals $1,945~$4,380 Blood Cancer Journal
Journals with hybrid open access options $3,140~$4,390 Cell Research

Now let us also look at Wiley:

Click here to download the fee information for Wiley journals. In short, Wiley Online Open and Open Access publishing fees range from $600-$5,000, with an average of about $2,000-2,500 USD;

Some smaller publishers also charge hefty fees, but we will not list examples here;

The more papers you publish and the higher the Impact Factor, the more you may need to spend. That also means more cashback for you, and potentially enough in a single transaction to complete a US card spending bonus~!
The key takeaway: objectively speaking, working hard and earning more is the best way to maximize your credit card rewards!~

Things to watch out for

First, remember: banks are not charities. When they run these promotions, there are usually quite a few restrictions (though they are not too hard to figure out). These can include purchase timing, MCC (merchant category code), restrictions on third-party payments, monthly caps on participation, overall caps, payout caps, and more. Even if you understand all the restrictions, you still may not receive the cashback (though the odds are relatively low; YMMV). Quota limits are especially tricky because there is usually no tracking system, and banks are often unwilling to tell you whether the quota has been used up or how much remains. KUKU can only suggest spending early and getting it done early; for those in the US, this is relatively easy to do. I will explain things as comprehensively as possible here. Cashback may include: first-purchase cashback, threshold-spend cashback, bonus points multipliers, and end-of-promotion overseas-spend cashback;

  • Applying for credit cards in Mainland China, like in the US, can involve an HP, meaning a hard pull on your credit report. If you are sensitive to the number of inquiries on your credit report, KUKU does not recommend opening cards just for the sake of opening them. For most people, it is not about having many Chinese cards, but having the right ones. Some cards have annual fees (or annual fees that can be waived with spending), so pay attention to that.
  • All promotions described in this article require registration!
  • When using Chinese cards overseas, protect your card information and pay attention to the payment environment to avoid fraud. If fraud does happen, contact your bank promptly.
  • Banks are not charities. If a bank “fails to honor” a promotion, each promotion has its own appeal method (or may explicitly say there is none). Please read the relevant terms yourself; unless necessary, it is not recommended to fight too hard over it.
  • The author advises readers to use their own cards, participate in promotions legally and in compliance with the rules, stay away from black-market schemes, and avoid getting put in the bank's penalty box.

Which Chinese credit card should I apply for?

If you can apply for US credit cards, prioritize those first. The core benefits on US cards are generally much stronger, the cap limits are usually lower, and the rules are relatively simpler than those for Mainland Chinese credit cards. If you do not know which card to apply for, read more of this site's card roundup and card comparison articles in the menu.

Which Chinese credit card should you apply for before going abroad? If you are about to leave China and earn RMB while spending USD, my suggestion is: if you can get approved and do not care about min-maxing points, prioritize getting V/M single-network cards or dual-network cards from major banks. You can consider holding Chinese cards with 1% overseas cashback. These card products can usually participate in quarterly (or semiannual) cashback promotions, such as Bank of China's “随心女人,” “长城卓隽,” China Construction Bank's Bonus+, and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank's Priceless, among others. These cards are relatively friendly for students and study-abroad users who are about to leave China. If that still does not work, you can get an authorized user card from your parents—for example, several decent 1% ICBC supplementary cards explicitly allow you to participate separately in overseas cashback promotions~

The benefits of using Chinese cards overseas are YMMV: banks may be more likely to view you as a high-quality customer, which can trigger a credit-limit increase. Many banks in China share limits across cards, meaning the credit limit on that bank's UnionPay cards may also increase. Generally speaking, V/M/AE/JCB single-network cards can only be used overseas while in Mainland China, and banks usually do not assign low credit limits to them;

If you really cannot get approved for a regular card, but you own a car in Mainland China, consider riding the current ETC trend and applying for an ETC card. Approval is usually easy, and the credit limits are often not bad either.

How should I manage so many credit cards from different Mainland Chinese banks?

This is actually pretty easy to solve. KUKU recommends two apps here.

1. Yunshanfu. To compete with the surging popularity of Alipay and WeChat Pay, UnionPay launched its own online payments app: Yunshanfu. Yunshanfu is a powerful app that combines transfers (between UnionPay debit cards), credit card payments, and bill/balance inquiry, and all of these functions are completed instantly with no fees. You may even get red packets for making payments or transfers, and there are also many online and offline spending promotions. If you have UnionPay credit cards (including UnionPay-only cards, as well as dual-network cards co-branded by UnionPay with V/M/AE/JCB), you can bind them all in this app and link one debit card you commonly use for repayment. You can bind up to 15 credit cards. If you really have a lot of cards, you can register another account with a different phone number; each user can hold up to two Yunshanfu accounts at the same time. If you have not registered yet, you can scan KKU’s QR code below to sign up and receive a red packet worth up to 2019 RMB:

2. JD Finance. The biggest drawback of Yunshanfu is that it cannot bind single-network V/M/AE/JCB credit cards. Third-party apps can solve this issue well. Alipay can also work, but not every bank supports binding its single-network cards to Alipay (for example, CCB does not). KUKU personally recommends JD Finance, which fully supports binding almost all credit cards issued by mainland banks (except quasi-credit cards), and repayment is completely free. There are often repayment red packet promotions, first-bind promotions, and more. The biggest drawback of JD Finance is that you cannot see your credit card statement date or payment due date. If you use it together with Yunshanfu, it works even better.

【2019.9 update】Starting from 2019/9/1, JD Finance’s monthly fee-free repayment limit will become 10,000 RMB per person per month. Any amount above that will incur a 0.15% repayment fee. If your repayment needs are high, you can open a supplementary card, and the supplementary cardholder can also help make payments for you from their own JD Finance account.

3. Other methods. Of course, there are other third-party repayment apps as well. One recommended option is SF Finance (similar to JD Finance: it can repay single-network cards, but usually does not offer repayment promos). KUKU will not go through them one by one here.

How to cash out these rebates

Most of these rebates from mainland banks are credited 2–3 months later (some are settled on T+1, such as ICBC’s quarterly cashback and CCB Bonus+’s 1%). These rebates usually appear on your statement as statement credit. Aside from spending them down directly, sometimes the rebate amount is large and you may not be able to use it up anytime soon. So how can you withdraw it?

  • For some banks, this amount is treated as an overpayment, and you can transfer it directly in the App or online to a debit card at the same bank or to another UnionPay debit card;
  • If it cannot be transferred to a debit card directly, you can call customer service and ask them to transfer it to your debit card. They are usually very familiar with this and can do it for you in seconds. At some banks (yes, CCB, I’m talking about you), the transferable amount is equal to your remaining available credit limit, so before making the transfer you should make sure the amount you want to transfer is less than or equal to your remaining credit limit;
  • If neither of the above works, go to a branch and ask the teller to help you.

F.A.Q.:

(My understanding of mainland-issued cards is still limited, and I also do not want to open too many mainland cards in a short period of time. Feel free to leave questions in the comments; if I can answer them, I’ll try to reply ASAP.)

Q: What places count as “overseas”?

A: Outside mainland China. This usually includes Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. The bank’s promo terms will generally specify this clearly. Sometimes there are separate or tighter quota limits for Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. For quota-limited offers, using them earlier gives more peace of mind.

Q: Questions about binding mainland cards to WeChat, Alipay, and DiDi for payment and cashback

A: These promos clearly state that WeChat Pay and Alipay transactions do not qualify for cashback. At present, some cards can be bound to WeChat Pay or Alipay and some cannot; even if you can bind them, you still will not get the cashback. As for DiDi, it allows you to bind one overseas credit card. If you are able to bind a mainland-issued single-network V/M/AE/JCB card, the transaction is treated as a Hong Kong online transaction, so in theory it may trigger cashback (YMMV).

Q: Is there a foreign currency conversion fee when using the card?

A: At present, most mainland-issued cards have effectively waived foreign currency conversion fees (especially USD conversion fees), particularly most single-network V/M/AE cards. You can usually see this in the card benefits description. That said, some cards, such as UnionPay-only cards, may still charge a 1.5% conversion fee. Please read the card benefits carefully.

Q: Why do mainland banks offer these high cashback rates?

A: My view is: 1. Merchant swipe fees are high (compared with mainland China), which encourages banks to promote card usage; large retail price spreads also lead Chinese consumers to shop heavily overseas. 2. There are huge numbers of outbound travelers from mainland China, and from a bank’s perspective, people who can travel abroad are more likely to be relatively desirable customers. 3. WeChat Pay and Alipay are gradually expanding overseas acceptance, and a substantial number of Chinese travelers prefer these two mobile payment methods first. If credit cards are not promoted more aggressively, their advantage becomes even smaller.

Q: If a promo has a limited quota and is already more than halfway through, can I still get cashback if I enroll now?

A: In this case, KUKU suggests contacting customer service. They usually will not tell you very much, but they may at least say whether they have not yet received notice that the quota has been used up (for example, CCB). If you have a real need, you can then decide whether it is worth jumping in.

Q: Can I open a domestic Chinese credit card while in the US? If I do, how do I receive the card?

A: It depends. If this is not your first card with that bank, then in theory, yes. Opening the card usually requires SMS verification, so your Chinese phone number still needs to work. That way, you can operate remotely or ask family members to help. If it is your first card with that bank, even if you are instantly approved and the card is mailed out, in the end you will generally still need to go to a branch in person to activate it. As for receiving the card, in principle domestic Chinese banks do not allow cards to be mailed directly overseas, nor do they allow you to forward them abroad privately. If your phone can receive SMS messages, mobile wallet options such as Apple Pay are a special workaround (note: some banks explicitly state that Apple Pay does not count, such as CITIC). If you really need to use the card, the best option is to have someone bring it over for you.

Q: If I cannot open a domestic Chinese credit card while in the US, is there any other way?

A: Yes, but YMMV. A supplementary card may be a workaround. You can ask your parents or spouse/partner to open a supplementary card for you. At some banks, supplementary cards have independent card numbers and account numbers (similar to AE; examples include CCB and CITIC). Whether supplementary card spending qualifies depends on each bank’s specific promo terms. Some allow it and some do not. If it is unclear, you can also ask customer service, though they may not know for sure either, since these decisions are often made by the back-end system.

Q: If I am physically in mainland China, can I still complete the in-person offers?

A: Only if you know how to make shadow clones! If the primary card is in mainland China and the supplementary card is overseas, some banks do allow overseas spending on the supplementary card to count toward the promo, but please confirm with each bank. If both the primary and supplementary cards are in mainland China, there may still be ways. However, the author believes that only reasonable, compliant, and legal spending—staying away from shady schemes—lets you enjoy these bank cashback offers with peace of mind. Otherwise, you may trigger the bank’s risk controls, which is not worth it. “Spend on real needs and play the long game” is the right way to maximize cards. High rollers, do as you like. What’s good for everyone is truly good～?！
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About KUKU

It has been a year since I moved from the US back to mainland China. My US credit history is now 2y8m, and exactly how many US credit cards I’ve churned is a secret. During this year back home, I’ve also picked up quite a few cards in China, including but not limited to: 4 Citi AA cards (N churn; I figured out on my own a way to trigger the system to send a code with 0 mile); AE’s Marriott Bonvoy, Rose Gold (2 churn, including an authorized-user offer), Delta Gold (2 churn), Green (2 churn), Aspire (1 churn + 2x150K upgrades, one including an authorized-user offer), Morgan Stanley Platinum, US Bank’s Cash+ (in preparation for getting the Altitude Reserve), some biz cards, and also the no-FTF PayPal 2% card and Barclays’ Uber card, both of which are suitable for use outside the US. I’ve explored some ways to use US credit cards in China, or to complete spending bonus requirements at low cost, and I hope to share them gradually on this site with everyone (I may have already mentioned some of them above?). I usually like to call myself KKU, but KUKU works too.

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