Your cookie choices

We use necessary cookies to make this site work. With your permission, analytics cookies help us understand usage and marketing cookies support advertising.

You can reject non-essential cookies and still use the site. Change your choices anytime in Cookie settings.

Cookie settingsCookie policy

Union Pay International review

Updated September 28, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings. Partners with a live offer in your country come first, then every other brand by score.

Our verdict

UnionPay International suits UK and European travellers who want a debit card that costs nothing to convert currency, with a fee of 0%. It is built for travel use, paying abroad without a merchant fee and settling in RMB, though support leans on a Chinese-language hotline.

Key facts

Best for
Travellers heading to RMB markets who want no currency conversion charge.
Currency conversion fee
0%↗
Card type
Debit↗
Legal entity
UnionPay International Co., Ltd.↗
Headquarters
China↗
Support channels
Email, Phone, Help-centre↗
Features
Travel
Official website
unionpayintl.com

Credit cards

Rewards type
Points↗
Perks
Overseas spending settled in RMB at the market exchange rate, no need to buy foreign currency, No fee when paying at merchants abroad, Relatively low overseas ATM withdrawal fees, Chinese-language customer service hotline↗

Facts checked September 26, 2026, 5 sources

Apps and profiles

Elsewhere
WikidataWikipediaXLinkedIn

Pros and cons

Pros

  • A currency conversion fee of 0% on a debit card.
  • Paying merchants abroad carries no fee, and overseas spending settles in RMB at the market exchange rate, so foreign currency does not need buying.
  • Overseas ATM withdrawal fees are described as relatively low, with 0% charged on currency conversion.
  • Support runs on email, phone and help centre, giving phone, email and help centre routes.

Cons

  • Support runs on email, phone and help centre, and the customer service hotline named for cardholders is Chinese-language.
  • The listed reward type is points rather than cashback, so anyone hoping for money back gets no cashback scheme.
  • The card is built for travel use, so a shopper who mainly wants a UK everyday card gets a travel product instead.
Union Pay International

Ready to try Union Pay International?

Scored 9.6 / 10 by SumCue.

See alternatives

Who it suits

  • UK and European travellers spending abroad who want their purchases settled in RMB at the market exchange rate.
  • Anyone holding a card in reserve for trips to China, where paying merchants abroad carries no fee.
  • Spenders who still want rewards on a debit card, since the reward type listed is points.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Anyone chasing cashback, as the reward type listed is points.
  • People who need English-only phone help, since email, phone and help centre come with a Chinese-language customer service hotline.
  • Cardholders whose spending is almost all inside one home market, as the card is aimed at travel use.

Who runs it

UnionPay International Co., Ltd. is the legal entity behind the card, and it is headquartered in China. Support is offered by email, phone and help centre, which covers a phone line, an email address and a help centre. The customer service hotline named for cardholders is Chinese-language, so English-only help is not the strong suit here.

How Union Pay International compares

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to convert currency on the card?+

The currency conversion fee is 0%, and paying merchants abroad carries no separate charge. Overseas spending settles in RMB at the market exchange rate, so no foreign currency needs buying before a trip. ATM withdrawals abroad are also described as carrying relatively low fees.

What kind of card is it and who is it aimed at?+

It is a debit card and its stated focus is travel use. Cardholders use it mainly while abroad, and the reward type is points. The legal entity behind it, UnionPay International Co., Ltd., is headquartered in China.

What rewards do I get for spending?+

The listed reward type is points. It applies to a debit card aimed at travel use, so points are collected on spending rather than on credit. Cardholders who want cashback should weigh other options, and the currency conversion fee here is 0%.

How do I get help if something goes wrong with the card?+

Support runs on email, phone and help centre, which covers a phone line, an email address and a help centre. The customer service hotline named for cardholders is Chinese-language, so English-only support is not the main draw. The company is headquartered in China.

Who runs the card and where are they based?+

The legal entity is UnionPay International Co., Ltd., headquartered in China. It operates the debit card that sits in the debit card family, and support is listed as email, phone and help centre. The card is built around travel use, with rewards paid as points.

Is there a fee when paying in shops and restaurants abroad?+

Payments at merchants abroad carry no fee, and the currency conversion fee is 0%. Spending abroad is settled in RMB at the market exchange rate, so the rate applied is the market rate. Cash machines abroad are described as having relatively low withdrawal fees.

How does that conversion fee compare with other debit cards?+

The debit cards compared here run a typical currency conversion fee of 1%. On this card that figure is 0%, and the card also lists no fee for paying merchants abroad. It is a debit product aimed at travel use.

Sources

Compiled from 5 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Not confirmed yet: Monthly fee, Free ATM withdrawals, Protection.

Union Pay International

Union Pay International

Travellers heading to RMB markets who want no currency conversion charge.

9.6/10See alternatives