Does a UnionPay card work in Bali (paying by card and ATM withdrawals)?
From messages by 3 participants in 1 source · Last activity: 57 days ago
From messages by 3 participants in 1 source · Last activity: 57 days ago
TL;DR
Yes, UnionPay cards are widely accepted in Bali — supermarkets, cafes, taxis, gas stations, and ATMs work fine; occasional declines happen (e.g. McDonald's) and there's a small transaction fee.
A UnionPay card worked without issues at warungs, restaurants, and even on Nusa Penida island.
More recent experience: at McDonald's, UnionPay worked successfully both at the register and via the terminal (contrasting with an earlier report of a failed payment). The card also worked fine at Starbucks, spas, cafes, and souvenir shops.
UnionPay card payments work almost everywhere — supermarkets, restaurants and taxis process them reliably, sometimes just a bit slower than usual. There's a small transaction fee. One reported failure was at McDonald's.
Topping up a UnionPay card through someone who frequently travels to the card's issuing country is more reliable — there have been cases of blocked or stuck funds when using unverified top-up channels.
Drove around the entire island of Bali and paid with a UnionPay card at chain stores like Circle K, Indomaret, Alfamart, Uncle Jo, Coco, Pepito, and Bali Collection, plus gas stations and cafes — always asked in advance if the card was accepted, and it worked fine everywhere. Ended up bringing 95% of the cash back home unused.
In shops with multiple payment terminals, staff picked the one with the UnionPay logo themselves — don't hesitate to ask which terminal to use.
Cash withdrawals from a UnionPay card work at ATMs — for example, cash for a Gili Islands day-trip excursion was withdrawn this way.