Banking, Preference?

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  1. #11

    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Seattle, WA (Previously: Mid-Levels)
    Posts
    103
    Quote Originally Posted by KnowItAll:
    Needless to say if your North American bank has a branch in Hong Kong, you might want to use them also.

    HSBC used to have a debit Visa, but it failed. You can use your ATM card at most locations using a service called EPS.
    That's a bummer, I enjoy debit Visa for most of my monthly subscription services (games, vonage, etc)

    I noticed a large 'Bank of America' building in HK and I've sent inqury as to if transactions are possible in local or foreign currencies at that or other locations.

  2. #12

    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    580

    Surely for all the monthly subscriptions you just put them on a straight visa card? And if you take the Citbank CX card you get AsiaMiles as well.


  3. #13

    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Seattle, WA (Previously: Mid-Levels)
    Posts
    103
    Quote Originally Posted by berryplucker:
    Surely for all the monthly subscriptions you just put them on a straight visa card? And if you take the Citbank CX card you get AsiaMiles as well.
    I tend to shy away from credit cards, debit transactions can incur few fees or interest/finance charges on my part :-)

  4. #14

    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    580

    No interest charges if you pay the credit card bill automatically by direct debit.

    If you can't control yoru finances then you have a bigger problem.


  5. #15

    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Posts
    9

    anyone who is from the uk?

    Thanks all

    All your information is very valuable to me. I enquired about HSBC UK and they said the same thing - UK and HK operations are separate.

    Just wonder if the credit card terms in HK are the same as in the UK - no fee/interest to pay if pay the full balance within the date the bank specifies (usually 54 days) and no annual fee either.

    Do you guys find it is easy to pay everything by plastic rather than cash in HK? I hate carrying lots of cash around but noticed that in mainland china cash is preferred.


  6. #16

    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Mid Levels via New York
    Posts
    27

    In some cases you will have to pay a premium to use credit, around 1 or 2 %.


  7. #17

    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Kowloon-side, between work and pleasure
    Posts
    185

    HSBC for me. Found the same thing, tho, in that in Victoria, BC,Canada, the HSBC maintained that it was a completely different entity so there was no point in opening an account there. Re credit cards - so long as you have an autopay and are able to actually cover the bills every month, the card is free - and if you maintain a given amout in the account, you bank services may be free as well. Visa Premier also has an absolutely great concierge service - really amazing, and free. Will be very disappointed if I lose the card when I switch employment!