Offering a Great Wall International Debit/Credit card, several current account options and I believe some savings, but most importantly, a wicked card design!
https://www.bankofchina.com/uk/pbservice/pb1/201109/t20110926_1576336.html
I’ll start: I’ve spoke to branch, sorted out the application, will be going in “soon”
Let’s see how the process goes.
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Please keep us updated - there may well be some interest hereabouts in how this progresses.
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En route to one of the branches now…
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Okay so in order to open the account, it is largely normal KYC stuff, so in my case Passport, driving license, bank statement (posted, not printed & from within the last 3 months) and three months payslips, however I gave them my employment contract.
You’ve then to fill out a form with the account you’re after, main currency, if you want internet/mobile banking facilities etc, all your personal/tax/employment info and how much dough you’ll be playing about with over the course of a month and year. Will you be sending money abroad? if so to where & source of funds.
From there, a few colleagues checked it. I was then asked whether I’d like to collect my account details in 2 weeks from branch or have them posted:
So the timeline looks like this:
In the next two weeks, they will open my account, sending me a debit card and internet banking form.
I will then call to activate the card, at which point they send a PIN
Simultaneously, I will send back the internet banking form to branch in the post, to save a trip.
Then I’ll receive an e-token which seems to be sort of like a secure key. At which point I can login online.
I’ll also get my PIN and be able to change it at a cash point.
Some branches do require an appointment, but I had my girlfriend call ahead for several reasons:
One the application form requires a Chinese name, and two the boxes are too small for English names. I’m hoping it doesn’t cause an issue, but they seemed confident!
I was then emailed by branch, and came in today. It was a lot cleaner and sleeker than most UK bank branches.
If I haven’t covered something, please let me know, but this appears to be the gist.
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That’s a hell of a lot of work for a debit card. Dedication!
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I intend on actually using it, being paid into it etc. full BOC
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The banking app and card looks prettier than most, and I suppose it’s a little exotic not being western.
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I already use Weixin and Tenpay so lost cause… 
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Just so long as you don’t tell them you believe in democracy, you’ll be grand. Best not to say you think Taiwan is a country either.
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Ha, aforementioned gf… I just nod and smile.
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One potential plus point is that presumably they will accept your BoC card in Cuba. North Korea too and they’re actually starting to open up to tourists.
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A Brit and a Chinese person going to North Korea on a romantic holiday, I can’t help but foresee that setting off alarm bells.
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The going into North Korea is OK. It’s the getting out that can be problematic.
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Will they have a call centre to put me into? I’ll be as happy as a pig in shit, as long as there’s some food and illicit foreign DVDs, Durex have a presence there etc, we good.
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@ndrw Surely you had this epiphany as well… To be honest, that isn’t even the best bit. 123movie time is better.
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Is it because aforementioned native called up the person I had the appointment with first? No idea what she will have said… “He is crazy and likes to hold accounts with every bank”
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Does the card come with said Chinese name? If so, how will you use It online as you’ll not be able to type it in when asked?
Colleague has a Chinese wife and an actual issued in China account. Must ask him how that went.
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I can type via Pinyin IME so that’s not an issue. I’m not sure which name goes on it.
This one is good: Microsoft Simplified Chinese IME - Microsoft Support
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Having also got a BOC UK account for facilitating transfers from mainland China, I have to say you’ll have a hard time going ‘full BOC’. Every bank transfer requires the dynamic code from the generator device, transactions are not real time and it’s generally just not good enough to use as a normal bank account. That’s literally not what it’s intended to be used as, either.
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