“Scan to pay, very good!” Recently, a young Lebanese man from the post-2000 generation, with the assistance of staff at the IB Yiwu International Trade Branch, successfully downloaded mobile banking and Alipay apps and smoothly exchanged RMB 300 for a “Pocket Money Wallet.” “IB service, very good!” he exclaimed in his halting Chinese. As a new arrival in Yiwu and an enthusiast of Chinese culture, his impressions of “International Yiwu” and IB were overwhelmingly positive.
In early March, the General Office of the State Council issued Opinions on Further Optimizing Payment Services to Enhance Payment Convenience, focusing on six areas including bank card acceptance, cash usage, mobile payments, consumer payment choices, account services, and promotional efforts, all aimed at enhancing payment convenience. IB swiftly responded with a suite of professional services and considerate actions, ensuring that foreign nationals in China and elderly individuals enjoy seamless payment experiences.
The Blue “Pocket Money Wallet” Earns Acclaim
“May I help you?” This fluent greeting from Hong Qiuxiang, a customer manager at IB’s Lianhua Branch in Xiamen, was a lifeline for a pair of foreign youths who felt like they had “found their savior.”
“I was in the lobby when I noticed two foreign individuals entering the branch, looking a bit uneasy, so I approached them to inquire,” Hong recalled. She learned that the international visitors had just arrived in Xiamen that day and wanted to exchange some Renminbi but had not brought any foreign currency cash with them and were unsure of what to do. “Our branch’s ATM supports cash withdrawals with international cards, so I guided them to the machine to conduct their transactions,” she said. Just a few days earlier, Hong had attended relevant training at the Bank, never expecting to apply her new skills so soon.
Watching the two international guests successfully withdraw Renminbi cash, Hong Qiuxiang didn’t miss the opportunity to introduce them to IB “Pocket Money Wallet.” “Considering their need for change in Xiamen for taxi rides and meals, I recommended this service. They exchanged RMB 500 in small denominations and were very satisfied with our service,” said Hong. After the service was complete, the young visitors even asked to take a commemorative photo with her.
Such internationalized services are increasingly common across various IB branches.
“The ‘Pocket Money Wallet’ is so convenient and saves a lot of time on exchanges. Your enthusiastic service made me feel the warmth of China, like a home away from home!” said Captain Kassa from Ethiopia, beaming with a broad smile as he received his “Pocket Money Wallet.” “Now, enjoying Chinese cuisine is even more convenient for me!”
Captain Kassa, who frequently travels between Ethiopia and China due to his flight schedule, enjoys exploring and indulging in local delights during his free time. “He mentioned that he used to queue for currency exchange, but this time at our IB branch, he found the service to exchange small denominations without waiting, which made him very happy!” a staff member at IB’s Zhengzhou Airport Port Branch shared. Since the normalization of international cargo routes last year, the branch, located near an international flight crew’s partner hotel, has seen a gradual increase in foreign crew members, making the blue “Pocket Money Wallet” their favored companion while touring China.
Not only tourists but also foreign businessmen have shown a keen interest in the “Pocket Money Wallet.” In Jinjiang, a hub for international entrepreneurs, a young Syrian businessman recently visited the IB Jinjiang branch to exchange small denominations. Having lived in Jinjiang for many years and primarily engaged in the wholesale and retail of shoe materials, he had a significant need for 10-, 20-, and 50-yuan notes. With the assistance of a customer manager, he smoothly exchanged RMB 500 in small denominations, leaving the branch contented with the service provided.
IB is not only focusing on enhancing its lobby services but is also actively extending its outreach beyond branch locations, amplifying its services across various scenarios like “dining, accommodation, travel, tourism, shopping, entertainment, healthcare, and education.” In the popular tourist city of Kunming, IB has been diligently ensuring cash availability, particularly in foreign-related contexts such as tourist spots, hotels, ports, foreign or Taiwanese investment zones, and free trade areas, with a special emphasis on providing the “Pocket Money Wallet” service.
Since the introduction of the “Pocket Money Wallet” service by IB, it has garnered praise from small vendors, wholesale, and retail industry practitioners. With the resurgence of international trade and tourism, this service has become a hallmark of IB’s dedication to serving international guests. To date, IB has distributed over 21,000 “Pocket Money Wallets,” exchanging more than RMB 13 million in small change.
Efficient Card Opening with Convenience
Beyond exchanging small change, many international visitors opt to open bank accounts in China to experience “card-based transactions” and link their cards to mobile payment systems.
Recently, a customer from Sweden, who teaches in Taizhou, visited IB’s Yuhuan Branch in Taizhou. Armed with his newly acquired People’s Republic of China Foreign Permanent Resident ID, he entered the branch. After verifying his ID information online, the branch’s lobby manager swiftly processed his bank card application through an intelligent counter. “So fast!” the Swedish guest exclaimed in Chinese.
Coincidentally, at IB’s Dalian branch, staff recently assisted a Swedish-Chinese client. “This customer, of Swedish nationality, was visiting his parents in China on a short-term tourist visa and encountered difficulties opening an account,” said a branch employee. After verifying the customer’s information and account-opening requirements, the Bank card was quickly issued. “This card is not only usable in China but also offers the customer benefits for withdrawals, spending, and transfers when he returns to Sweden,” the staff member explained.
“We recently issued an ‘Agency Trust Service Debit Card’ for an American-Chinese client, processed at our intelligent counter. The customer was very satisfied with our service efficiency,” stated a staff member from IB Shenyang branch. To facilitate card issuance for foreign nationals, the intelligent counter supports machine reading and verification of permanent residence permits, ensuring account security and compliance while significantly saving time and effort for the customers. Additionally, through the branch’s ATMs, foreign nationals can conveniently check their balances and withdraw Renminbi.
In Yiwu, a Dutch purchaser named Mustaf, after successfully opening a Renminbi account at IB, also requested to set up a personal E-CNY wallet. “This client, who conducts business in Yiwu, is very satisfied with our services and looks forward to experiencing E-CNY payments!” remarked an employee from IB’s Yiwu International Trade branch.
Over the years, IB has been proactively enhancing payment convenience for foreign nationals and other groups, adhering to the principle of “large transactions via card, small transactions via QR scan, and cash as a backup.” The Bank is accelerating the software and hardware upgrades of devices accepting international bank cards, optimizing the card issuance and cash withdrawal processes, and actively developing a diversified and multi-tiered payment system to create an optimal financial environment for foreign nationals in China. Currently, merchant card acceptance upgrades have been carried out in tourist and cultural venues such as the Sanfang Qixiang area in Fuzhou, Meizhou Island in Putian, and Wuyi Mountain in Nanping, Fujian, significantly enhancing payment convenience for international visitors.
A simple “Pocket Money Wallet,” efficient service processing, and warm and thorough professional service—every detail exemplifies IB’s commitment to serving foreign nationals in China with both speed and warmth. The journey to optimizing services is endless. In the future, IB will continue to thoroughly implement the directives of the Central Party Committee and the State Council, earnestly adhere to the Opinions on Further Optimizing Payment Services to Enhance Payment Convenience, and uphold the service philosophy of “a good bank makes life better.” With more robust measures, IB is set to further elevate the level of payment services.