How to deposit my RMB into my Australian account so I can shop online?

[Kleer01]

Hi people! Please can you give me some advice?

 

I am a foreigner studying in Chengdu to be an English teacher. I get a living allowance paid into my Chinese bank account which is with iCBC

I was told because I don't have a Chinese ID card and only my Australian Passport, that I can only use my bank card to withdraw money/pay in store. What I really want to be able to do is shop online but for that I need a Chinese ID card to upgrade my account to include e-banking.

With my Australian bank account I have a Visa card with me which I can easily use online.

But the problem is that my RMB goes into my Chinese account and not my Australian account.

Is it possible for me to withdraw my RMB as cash and deposit it into my Australian account? Or do a transfer?

 

I'm sorry if this question has been asked before but I'm having trouble explaining myself and trying to get an answer with my students and colleagues at my school as I can't speak Chinese. Of course they can speak English but can't understand what I mean

 

Thank you for any help/advice that you might be able to offer.

[imron]

What I really want to be able to do is shop online but for that I need a Chinese ID card to upgrade my account to include e-banking

Who told you this?  It is not true.  You can take your Australian passport in to the bank and apply for online banking.  They will give you a USB token that you need to use for online banking and you should be set to go.  I have this with ICBC.

[Kleer01]

Whoa such a fast and straight to the point answer! Thank you so much.

It's funny if I was back in Australia I would've gone into the bank and stayed until I was satisfied whether it was actually possible or not to register for online banking.

But the language barrier here has meant that a lot of things stay in my mind and I just accept what someone tells me

 

I guess I am better off taking a Chinese person with me to translate?

 

p.s. The other foreign intern teacher and I were told at the bank, when we joined our ICBC in Huayang, Chengdu, that because we had no ID card we couldn't register for e-banking. (Maybe they didn't understand exactly what we wanted?)

[ChTTay]

Yeah, take a Chinese friend or try a different branch of ICBC.

Foreigners can shop online in China, using their Chinese bank accounts. It's not a problem. Amazon even has an English interface to be more accommodating.

In fact, should you wish to shop online in the meantime, Amazon China offers payment in cash upon delivery as a payment option.

[Angelina]

In fact, should you wish to shop online in the meantime, Amazon China offers payment in cash upon delivery as a payment option.

 

In addition, if you want to buy electronic books or anything similar, you can buy a gift card and pay upon delivery for this card. Then use the balance to pay for electronic books. 

[rezaf]

I have an ICBC account. As far as I can remember I opened the online banking online and didn't need to go to the bank. I also don't have a USB token.

[889]

A credit card without a Chinese ID is a great problem, but not a debit card you can use for online banking. If ICBC still says no, then just try another one of the big banks.

On the other hand, I've had real problems getting a debit card to actually work with online payments. The payment software is very persnickety, and your Chinese had better be up to par to use it. Also, be sure to get your phone number before opening your account, and don't change it.

[ChTTay]

Bank of China E-payment software and website is in English.

[zhouhaochen]

Your problem regarding payments has been correctly answered above.

I just wanted to add, it is not possible to deposit CNY from China into a foreign bank account. It is in general not possible for banks outside of China to have CNY accounts. The ones that say they do, do in fact have accounts of overseas CNY, which is supposed to be the same as the CNY and can be freely transferred outside China, however these CNY CANNOT be transferred into China, which makes it a de facto useless currency.

Long story short, there is no way to move CNY in or out of China for you as a private individual for every day use.

[Kleer01]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I really appreciate it!

 

I mainly want to be able to buy cheap items on Taobao (English version) and book flights on Ctrip for example. So I think they are both Chinese websites.

 

Thanks again

[889]

You can use a foreign credit card to pay for flights on Ctrip. Book with their phone app and they waive the foreign credit card surcharge.

[Kleer01]

Thanks for the tip. I just wish my Chinese bank account had a debit/credit VISA card attached to it. VISA is worldwide and so handy.

[Demonic_Duck]

For people suggesting not having a Chinese ID is never a problem, this is incorrect. Some websites have a field for ID number but don't allow passport numbers (e.g. film.qq). Equally, some websites ask for your name, then claim it is incorrect if you use an English name, despite having typed it exactly as it appears on the account (e.g. 微信支付).

 

However, most websites don't throw up these problems. The above is for naming and shaming purposes only.