Has Anyone Been To The Wellsfargo In Shanghai or Hong Kong?

[Pianote]

I really need to pay off my credit card debt.

I was wondering if it'd be ok paying with Chinese money.

Also, do they speak English at these Wellsfargo's?

    

 

Thanks again!

[ChTTay]

Likely speak as much English as normal banks in China. In Beijing, and I imagine Shanghai, the banks in more foreign areas usually have at least one person who speaks some English.

 

Not sure why you posted this in the teaching section. 

[Pianote]

Not sure either. I tried to change it but don't know how.

[889]

Don't overcomplicate this. Go to a bank and buy a USD cashier's check 美金汇票. Then deposit it to your checking account by mail, and pay off your credit card by transferring funds online.

 

Others will have to fill you in on the currents regs applicable to foreigners buying foreign exchange in China. You might need some paperwork.

 

[Pianote]

@889 do think they will have it at the china construction bank?

 

And depositing by mail... i don't know how to do that... who can help me with that?

[yueni]

I paypal myself money from my Chinese bank account to my US Wells Fargo account to make payments. Everything's electronic. Don't have to go to a bank branch or deal with the idiotic paperwork to do bank transfers in China.

[mungouk]

1 minute ago, yueni said:

I paypal myself money from my Chinese bank account to my US Wells Fargo account to make payments.

 

I did this in an emergency when I lived in India, but the exchange rates on Paypal were very bad.

 

Presumably you can't do online outwards remittances (e.g. SWIFT) from China and so have to go and queue up in a bank and fill loads of forms in?

 

 

[889]

You endorse the check properly, something like "For Deposit Only to Wells Fargo A/N 1234567890” followed by your signature. You fill out a deposit slip from the back of your checkbook. Then you mail it to WF. Call WF customer service if you need the right address.

 

Question of PayPal is how easy it is to link up your Chinese bank account. I have no idea myself.

 

[Pianote]

@889  omg. I don't even know what I just read. I need the money in my account asap. 

 

And I can't link my Chinese Construction debit card with pay pal account. I've tried. I was told that the Chinese debit card can't be used online, only in person. 

 

I'm thinking going to Hong Kong and depositing the money will  be easier. I don't know anything about this bank business.

[889]

You can pay a great deal in fees and try a Western Union transfer to a friend who'll make a deposit in your bank account. Expensive, but it has to be cheaper than heading to HK. Again, I'm not sure what if any documents you might need.

 

By the way, I don't understand why you can't open online banking with your Chinese card. Ask and they do it, normally.

 

 

 

[Lu]

Going to Hong Kong just to send money to the US seems overly complicated. What I would do (probably not the fastest or most convenient method, but this is something that should definitely work): go to your bank to transfer the money. Make sure you go to the specific bank office where you originally opened your Chinese account. Bring all possible paperwork: passport, all payment slips from your work here, residence permit, contract for your work, paperwork from your original bank, credit card statements, credit card contract... Anything you have, because you never know what they might need. Expect the process to take several hours, so bring a book or something to read on your phone as well. If you can, bring a Chinese-speaking friend or assistant, because the bank people might not speak English. Once you have all that, 'simply' have the bank transfer the funds to the correct US bank account.

 

Good luck, I hope you find a good way to pay off the card.

[ChTTay]

You need to prove you’ve paid tax on earnings in order to transfer money. This involves two particular forms/pieces of paper work. An accounting department would usually have these. I can’t recall the name of even what they are... they just confirm you paid tax. 

 

If youve got those 2 as well as your contract (and maybe something else!?) then you can transfer income back home. 

 

Probably not the “asap” way you want. There probably isn’t a real asap way beyond asking someone to pay the bill for you then transferring them the money. 

[Pianote]

@Lu I went to the bank months ago and they directed me to another bank. I was told I would have to bring some paperwork and a Chinese person. I asked my Chinese helper but she didn't seem to understand why I had to go to this bank to transfer funds so she didn't come... and I just left it alone.

 

@ChTTay I don't think I have any proof that I've paid-unless I ask my helper who works at the school. She barely speaks English, btw. I can ask her and hopefully, she'll understand... 

 

Any other suggestions?

[ChTTay]

As above, your finance department will be the ones to supply these documents so it’s not something you have unless you’ve asked specifically for it. Try and ask your helper and see what they say.

 

Also, if you want to know about cashiers checks and mail deposits then I’d suggest googling it. You should also contact your bank and ask them. You can make international calls on skype cheaply. 

 

You can open online banking with any Chinese card. They all have online banking features. Not sure they’ll let you transfer internationally but they all have online banking and APPS. It’s likely they didn’t understand you or you didn’t understand them or both. 

 

Wells Fargo China isn’t necessarily linked with the US branches. Call and ask them directly. 

 

Your options: 

- PayPal

- Western union

- Chinese bank to US Bank transfer

- Cashiers check by mail

- Alipay (a Chinese person can transfer up to 50,000 within one year internationally but you’d have to first give your money to a Chinese person.) 

- Open an account, get a debit card, FedEx this to family, have them withdraw money in the US and then deposit it. Never known anyone to do this but read about it here. 

 

If you need this ASAP you need to take it upon yourself to start ringing round, finding out what you need and who from. Most of the info is online somewhere but, for something like Wells Fargo China, just call them. 

 

Finally, if they don’t speak much English use a  translation website.