CREDIT/DEBIT CARD
--Originally written by Xiaocheng Jiang (Vera)
--Updated by Xiangyuan Hu (Cecilia)
Either credit card or debit card is essential for living in the USA. Cards make life easy. You can purchase on-line, since the public transportation is not that good. Moreover, it is safer to bring less cash with you. Although there's little difference between cards issued in China and in America, some websites accept American cards only.
The credit card can be applied for at any banks issuing "VISA" of "MASTER" service. The dual currency card is recommended since it allows you to purchase by US dollar or RMB directly. It will take you two weeks or one month to get the card, so please manage your time well.
For debit card, you can apply for it in the U.S. You may set up a bank account in the Federal Credit Union, where requires a $50 deposit. It is convenient since there's a branch of the Federal Credit Union on campus. Besides, the Bank of America is also recommended since there is a program between the Bank of America and the China Construction Bank (CCB), which allows money transfer without service fee between these two banks.
Tips: No password is required when purchasing in the USA, so please take care of your cards.
