First UnionPay credit card issued by Chinese bank in the US

[hegemony]

Someone was asking about if there were any Union Pay cards issued in the U.S.

 

Answer is now.. YES!!

 

http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report-first-unionpay-credit-card-issued-by-chinese-bank-in-the-us-2207721

 

I'll GP this one asap.

[hegemony]

http://www.icbc-us.com/ICBC/sy/default.htm

[TheVig]

​Let us know the results of your app.

[mendelssohn]

So how do you apply? I couldn't find an English application page.

[Muffy127]

Can you post the application link

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Burgerwars]

After doing some searching I also couldn't find any link to apply for the card. I wonder how accurate the article is.

[Burgerwars]

One thing I'm thinking of if ICBC USA is issuing this card, you need to be a banking customer first. They have 13 U.S. branches. 10 in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas and 3 in New York City. I live in the San Fernando Valley, but it is a drive to the nearest branch. The website says to apply in person. I won't bother.

Edited April 30, 2016 by Burgerwars

[hegemony]

There is a link online in Mandarin and you have to pick the card up in person at a branch. Great excuse for a trip!

[IndyPoolPlayer]

There is a link online in Mandarin and you have to pick the card up in person at a branch. Great excuse for a trip!

This takes getting Shanghai'd to a whole new level!

[PotO]

I'll be getting this card in a few days. My ICBC account manager in Beijing is getting it for me. They have UnionPay and also Visa.

 

But the rewards suck. Any there could be an AF.

Edited May 1, 2016 by PotO

[PotO]

There is a link online in Mandarin and you have to pick the card up in person at a branch. Great excuse for a trip!

That's for the cards issued by ICBC China.

 

Even though the page says ICBC-US, they just regurgitate the mainland China card site.

[hegemony]

 

There is a link online in Mandarin and you have to pick the card up in person at a branch. Great excuse for a trip!

This takes getting Shanghai'd to a whole new level!

 

NYC branch

[PotO]

Well, my account manager gave me the details.

 

Here is the exact translation:

 

"I'm sorry, the new ICBC USA credit card is only open to certain invited customers, but not the general public. Even if invited, application must be made in person at an ICBC branch in the US."

 

Now here's the *real* meaning of what I was told:

 

"I'm sorry, the new ICBC credit card is only available to Chinese. Period. If you go to a branch they will politely tell you to FOAD."

 

Now, the question is, is it worth cracking this nut?

[hegemony]

Well, my account manager gave me the details.

 

Here is the exact translation:

 

"I'm sorry, the new ICBC USA credit card is only open to certain invited customers, but not the general public. Even if invited, application must be made in person at an ICBC branch in the US."

 

Now here's the *real* meaning of what I was told:

 

"I'm sorry, the new ICBC credit card is only available to Chinese. Period. If you go to a branch they will politely tell you to FOAD."

 

Now, the question is, is it worth cracking this nut?

if denied it sounds like a great case

[PotO]

 

Well, my account manager gave me the details.

 

Here is the exact translation:

 

"I'm sorry, the new ICBC USA credit card is only open to certain invited customers, but not the general public. Even if invited, application must be made in person at an ICBC branch in the US."

 

Now here's the *real* meaning of what I was told:

 

"I'm sorry, the new ICBC credit card is only available to Chinese. Period. If you go to a branch they will politely tell you to FOAD."

 

Now, the question is, is it worth cracking this nut?

if denied it sounds like a great case

A slam dunk. They would lose soooooooo bad.

 

I already have a few ICBC credit cards issued on the Mainland. They should know better by now.

[TampaDude]

Interesting page here: http://unionpayintl.com/en/enproducts/cardApply/index.shtml

[PotO]

Interesting page here: http://unionpayintl.com/en/enproducts/cardApply/index.shtml

Yeah. Quite a few banks in Asia issue UnionPay cards. But in each country acceptance is still hit or miss. The good thing about the US is that UnionPay runs on the Discover network.

 

UnionPay as a card association is sh!t. They tend to have sh!tty products / rewards. And they are racist ba$tard$ -- as are the overwhelming majority of Chinese banks. I'm fixing to LART UnionPay yet again as they never learn.

 

The only reason I want the ICBC US card is to get it reporting on my credit reports with a good limit.

Edited May 4, 2016 by PotO

[Burgerwars]

Well, my account manager gave me the details.

 

Here is the exact translation:

 

"I'm sorry, the new ICBC USA credit card is only open to certain invited customers, but not the general public. Even if invited, application must be made in person at an ICBC branch in the US."

 

Now here's the *real* meaning of what I was told:

 

"I'm sorry, the new ICBC credit card is only available to Chinese. Period. If you go to a branch they will politely tell you to FOAD."

 

Now, the question is, is it worth cracking this nut?

If this is their U.S. bank subsidiary, can they legally exclude ethnic groups?

 

It would be top news if any other bank announced that "whites (or another race) are only eligible to apply for their credit cards."

[TampaDude]

 

Well, my account manager gave me the details.

 

Here is the exact translation:

 

"I'm sorry, the new ICBC USA credit card is only open to certain invited customers, but not the general public. Even if invited, application must be made in person at an ICBC branch in the US."

 

Now here's the *real* meaning of what I was told:

 

"I'm sorry, the new ICBC credit card is only available to Chinese. Period. If you go to a branch they will politely tell you to FOAD."

 

Now, the question is, is it worth cracking this nut?

If this is their U.S. bank subsidiary, can they legally exclude ethnic groups?

 

It would be top news if any other bank announced that "whites (or another race) are only eligible to apply for their credit cards."

 

 

Yup...if they have a physical branch anywhere in the United States, they are subject to US laws. Go ahead and app, and if they reject you for not being Chinese or whatever, then CHA-CHING!!! LAWSUIT!!!

[PotO]

 

 

Well, my account manager gave me the details.

 

Here is the exact translation:

 

"I'm sorry, the new ICBC USA credit card is only open to certain invited customers, but not the general public. Even if invited, application must be made in person at an ICBC branch in the US."

 

Now here's the *real* meaning of what I was told:

 

"I'm sorry, the new ICBC credit card is only available to Chinese. Period. If you go to a branch they will politely tell you to FOAD."

 

Now, the question is, is it worth cracking this nut?

If this is their U.S. bank subsidiary, can they legally exclude ethnic groups?

 

It would be top news if any other bank announced that "whites (or another race) are only eligible to apply for their credit cards."

Yup...if they have a physical branch anywhere in the United States, they are subject to US laws. Go ahead and app, and if they reject you for not being Chinese or whatever, then CHA-CHING!!! LAWSUIT!!!

Exactly.

 

The trick here is finding an application. They say that for now applications are by invitation only.

 

I do believe that they will open up in the future. They just bought all the Bank of East Asia branches throughout the USA. Sooner or later they have to start getting into the CC business. Maybe now is just their first step.

 

On the Mainland, ICBC is THE market leader. Also, at first they tried the "Chinese only" crap, but after getting a phone pole shoved up their flowers they quickly saw the light.

[hegemony]

LEt's meet up in NYC; Hang together or we hang alone. I'll hire a translator.

[PotO]

I'm not in the US now.

 

If they don't open apps up soon, when I'm home on leave we can go in and visit them.

 

Better not to bring translator. Let them struggle to use English. They will talk amongst themselves in Chinese and I'll understand everything they say. They will be shocked I understand and we will have caught them incriminating themselves. "When you've got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow." Never fails.

[TampaDude]

I'm not in the US now.

 

If they don't open apps up soon, when I'm home on leave we can go in and visit them.

 

Better not to bring translator. Let them struggle to use English. They will talk amongst themselves in Chinese and I'll understand everything they say. They will be shocked I understand and we will have caught them incriminating themselves. "When you've got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow." Never fails.

 

Yup...and if you happen to have "accidentally" turned on the voice recorder app in your smartphone, so much the better.

[PotO]

 

I'm not in the US now.

If they don't open apps up soon, when I'm home on leave we can go in and visit them.

Better not to bring translator. Let them struggle to use English. They will talk amongst themselves in Chinese and I'll understand everything they say. They will be shocked I understand and we will have caught them incriminating themselves. "When you've got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow." Never fails.

 

Yup...and if you happen to have "accidentally" turned on the voice recorder app in your smartphone, so much the better.

Definitely!

[credithunting]

I am within minutes of two of their branches if i can help with anything let me know.