Can domestic bank cards be used in the UK? How is the withdrawal limit of 100,000 calculated?

The notice issued by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, No. 29 [2017], "Notice on Regulating Large Withdrawals of Cash Abroad with Bank Cards," contains a sentence that basically determines one's cash arrangement in the first half year in the UK:

"Individuals holding a domestic bank card can withdraw cash overseas, and the total amount for all cards under the individual's name (including supplementary cards) shall not exceed RMB 100,000 equivalent per natural year."

This notice takes effect from January 1, 2018, and only applies to the act of "withdrawing cash." Card swiping for consumption, online payments, and monthly deductions each have their own applicable rules, and mixing them together is the most common source of errors when using cards across borders. The following four points are independent; whoever encounters which one should refer to that one.

One day 10,000, the whole year 100,000, what do these two numbers each manage?

The same notice changed the single card daily withdrawal limit for foreign currency cards from an equivalent of 1,000 US dollars to an equivalent of 10,000 RMB, while maintaining the limit of 10,000 RMB per card per day for RMB cards. The annual limit of 100,000 RMB is not calculated per card, but rather by combining all cards under the same person's name (including supplementary cards). The latter part is easy to miss: if the annual limit is exceeded, the use of domestic bank cards for overseas withdrawals will be suspended for both the current and next year, affecting two consecutive calendar years. The notice also clearly states that it is not allowed to circumvent the rules by borrowing others' bank cards or lending one's own bank card. Converted into pounds, 100,000 RMB is roughly around 10,000 pounds, with specific amounts fluctuating according to exchange rates — a deposit plus two months' rent may take up a significant portion.

Swipe consumption and the $50,000 limit are two different things.

Some people equate overseas card transactions with the convenient annual quota of 50,000 USD per person. According to the State Administration of Foreign Exchange's public explanation of individual foreign exchange business, daily expenses such as food, accommodation, transportation, and shopping related to personal outbound tourism, business, and study can be paid by bank cards, and do not occupy the convenient annual purchase quota. The 50,000 USD corresponds to the act of individual purchase of foreign exchange, which has its own separate annual limit of 100,000 RMB, while daily consumption is a third category.

First, determine which line your card is stuck on, then find the corresponding solution.

The checkout machine asks you "in RMB or in GBP"

That step is called Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC). The card association's rules for merchants are very detailed: the choice belongs to the cardholder, must be provided before entering the PIN, and the screen must simultaneously display the local currency amount, your billing currency amount, the exchange rate used, and any surcharge or fee, and no font, color, or wording should guide towards a particular option (Mastercard 2025 DCC Merchant Guide). If you choose to transact in pounds, the currency conversion will be handled by your issuing bank according to its own exchange rate; if you choose to transact in RMB, the currency conversion will be completed by the service provider on the merchant's side, with the surcharge displayed on that screen. It is the same for cash withdrawal from an ATM, the button labeled "RMB pricing" on the machine has the same nature. If you are directly charged in RMB without ever being given a choice, there is a corresponding reason code in the card association's dispute process that you can claim.

There are several things that the domestic card can't handle from start to finish.

Bacs Direct Debit scheme only handles pounds and only accepts UK bank accounts, both the payee and payer need to have it. Monthly automatic deductions such as council tax, utility bills, broadband, mobile contracts, and gym memberships mostly use Direct Debit. Domestic cards cannot even fill in the authorization form. London transport's contactless pay as you go only recognizes Visa, Mastercard, and Amex networks; UnionPay contactless is not included. The actual path for UnionPay cardholders is to top up Oyster. Deposit refunds, salary payments, and HMRC tax refunds also require a UK account with a sort code.

There is one change this year for UK local cards: From March 19, 2026, FCA will cancel the single payment contactless limit of £100, and also remove the threshold of "£300 cumulative or must enter PIN after 5 consecutive transactions", which will be set by each issuing institution. Terminal software and industry rules need to be adjusted accordingly, and most banks will still keep £100 as the default value in the short term. Matters such as rejected account opening documents or sudden requests for additional documents can be confirmed by a UK practicing lawyer through justiscript.com for £5, who will provide a written response within 24 hours.

My judgment is that the domestic card in the UK is only suitable for the role of "temporary backup + using back home". For short-term visits to the UK within six months, the domestic card combined with a mobile wallet is basically sufficient; for those planning to stay, it's more cost-effective to open a UK account within two weeks of arrival and transfer the monthly deductions, rather than figuring out how to use the withdrawal limits.

Annual 100,000 is accumulated on a natural annual basis, reset to zero on December 31st, and recalculated from January 1st. Those who need to pay a cash amount in January should be careful not to use up the quota in the last few weeks of the previous year.

This article is for reference only. For specific issues, please consult a licensed attorney or your card issuer.

[Data Source] Notice on Standardizing Large Withdrawals of Cash Abroad via Bank Cards, issued by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (Safex) [2017] No. 29; Public Explanation of Individual Foreign Exchange Business by Safex; FCA Removes Contactless Payment Limits (effective March 19, 2026); Bacs Direct Debit Scheme Rules; Mastercard DCC Merchant Guide 2025 Edition; Transport for London Contactless Payment Acceptance Network Information

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