Payment · common
How much does ATM withdrawal cost in China?
Last updated:
Quick Answer
Symptom: You withdrew RMB from a Chinese ATM and your home bank charged an unexpected foreign-transaction or ATM fee.
Cause: Chinese ATM operators (Bank of China, ICBC) charge ¥10–¥25 per foreign-card transaction. Your home bank adds 1–3% FX margin and possibly a flat ATM fee.
Solution: Use a no-foreign-transaction-fee debit card (Chase Sapphire, Schwab, Revolut, Starling, Wise). Avoid independent ATMs; stick to Bank of China and ICBC branches inside bank lobbies.
What you see
You withdrew RMB from a Chinese ATM and your home bank charged an unexpected foreign-transaction or ATM fee.
Why it happens
Chinese ATM operators (Bank of China, ICBC) charge ¥10–¥25 per foreign-card transaction. Your home bank adds 1–3% FX margin and possibly a flat ATM fee.
How to fix
Use a no-foreign-transaction-fee debit card (Chase Sapphire, Schwab, Revolut, Starling, Wise). Avoid independent ATMs; stick to Bank of China and ICBC branches inside bank lobbies.
Read next
These guides cover the related functionality in full.
ATM Cash Withdrawal
Bank of China, ICBC, and China Construction Bank ATMs accept foreign Visa/Mastercard with a ¥2,500 per-transaction limit and 1–3% fee.
Cash & RMB
Carry ¥500–1,000 in cash for rural areas, taxis, and small vendors; major cities are 90%+ cashless via mobile payment.
Foreign Credit Cards
Foreign Visa, Mastercard, and AmEx cards work in hotels, airports, and chain restaurants but NOT in taxis, food stalls, or most shops.
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