2015-08-14

Currencies you can use/load

Australian Dollars (AUD)

Chinese Yuan (CNY)

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Where can you use the card?

Anywhere UnionPay is accepted. The Australia Post Load&Go China card is a UnionPay card, so you can make electronic payments in China at over 10 million merchants.

China. The Load&Go China can only be used in China. There is a currency conversion fee for completing purchases in currencies that aren’t supported by the card.

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How much will the Chinese Load&Go travel money card cost me?

Fees and Charges

Although it doesn’t cost to load or reload funds onto your Chinese Load&Go travel money card, there are some other fees involved.

Load and reloading fee. There are no fees for initial load or reload. However, there is a minimum initial load of $100.

Currency conversion fee 3%. If you make a purchase in a currency that isn’t supported by the card (in this case, anything but AUD or CNY), you will incur a currency conversion fee of 3%.

ATM fee $2. You will be charged an ATM fee of AUD$2 equivalent each time you use an ATM. Keep in mind that the ATM operator may also apply additional fees.

Replacement card $9.95. If you lose or damage your card and require a replacement, you will be charged $9.95.

Transaction fee $0.09. This fee will apply when a purchase using the card is completed in AUD. This transaction fee is capped at $0.09 per month.

Customer service. If you require over-the-phone assistance from a customer service consultant, you will be charged a fee of $4. SMS notifications, such as balance enquiries or PIN retrievals, will cost $0.25 each.

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Features and benefits

Pros

Lock in the exchange rate. The exchange rate is locked in when you transfer money between the two currencies. You know exactly how much money you get and there’s no need to worry about a change in exchange rates before you can spend your money.

Issue and load fees. Australia Post do not charge a fee when you load money on to the Chinese Load&Go card. A minimum initial load of $100 is required.

Spend in Chinese Yuan (CNY). Some other travel cards do not support this currency.

UnionPay card. The Australia Post Load&Go China card is a UnionPay card. You can make electronic payments in China at over 10 million merchants with a UnionPay card. Other cards like Visa and MasterCard may not be accepted in some places.

Cons

Availability. The Load&Go China Card is only available at certain Australia Post stores and online.

Single use. The Load&Go China can only be used in China. There’s a currency conversion fee if you spend in a currency not loaded on the card, which is every currency other than Chinese Yuan or Australian Dollars.

Fees. Although there is no initial load or reload fee, there is a $2 flat ATM fee for cash withdrawals. This may be charged on top of the local ATM operator fee too. Watch out for the card closure fee of $9.95 and $15 if you want to redeem remaining funds from the card when you get home.

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Getting your card

Ordering a card

The Load&Go China Card is available in-store at Australia Post retail outlets and online. You need to complete an identification check with Australia Post before you can get your travel card. You will need to provide Australia Post with the following information when you buy a Load&Go China card:

Personal information. Your name, date of birth, address and mobile phone number (you’ll need a mobile phone to apply for the Chinese Load&Go travel card).

Identification. Provide two primary documents, one of which has your photo, or one primary and one secondary document. Have a look at the FAQs section for a list of accepted documents.

Activating your card

In-store. If you have purchased your card from a participating Post Office, it will be automatically activated and ready to use.

Online. If you have purchased your card online, you will need to activate the card by SMS, via the online Card Manager portal or by calling Customer Assistance.

Initial loading

In-store. You can load funds onto your card at participating Post Offices listed on the website. You may need to present your card and any other information requested when loading in-store.

Pay Anyone. If you load funds onto your card using a Pay Anyone facility, you will need to enter the bank, BSB number and the account number printed on the back of your card.

Post Billpay. If you load funds onto your card using Post Billpay online, you will need to enter the Postbillpay Code and your Card ID (the number printed on the back of your card).

Load&Go limits

The following limits apply to the Australia Post load and go travel card.

Minimum single load amount AU$100.

Maximum single load amount AU$10,000.

Maximum available balance at any time AU$10,000.

Maximum total load over 12 months AU$25,000.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What documents do I need to complete the ID check?

Before your application is complete, you need to verify your identification with Australia Post.

You can use two primary documents, or one primary and one secondary document to verify your identification.

Primary document:

Australian passport (current or expired less than two years)

Foreign passport (current)

Australian driver's licence (current)

Australian learner's permit (current).

Secondary document:

Medicare card

Birth certificate (original or certified copy)

Tertiary student card (current)

Pension card (current issued by CentreLink)

Foreign driver's licence (current)

Utility bill (less than three months –  electricity, gas, phone, water).

How do I activate my Load&Go Travel Money Card?

The activation method depends on how you purchased the card.

If you purchased the card from an Australia Post retail outlet, the card will be activated and ready to use when you get it

If you purchased your card online:

Activate the Load&Go China Card through the Australia Post Online Card Manager

Activate the Load&Go China Card using SMS Servicing

Activate the Load&Go China Card by calling Australia Post customer support

What do I do if my card won’t work?

If your Chinese Load&Go Travel Money Card won’t work for whatever reason, call the Load&Go China Card customer service team. Some common reasons why your Load&Go China Card won’t work include:

Make sure you select ‘savings’ when you’re trying to use your Load&Go China Card to withdraw money from an ATM

Make sure that your card has not been blocked by the Load&Go China Card customer service team. Sometimes, if the Australia Post team detect an unusual transaction, they may block your card.

If you need to speak to an Australia Post customer service representative about the Load&Go China Card, call customer support. A customer service representative will be able to help you with the following:

Making a complaint

Dispute a transaction

Find about why your card is blocked

To report a lost or stolen card.

What’s my Load&Go China Card ID?

You may be required to enter your Load&Go China Card card ID when reloading your Load&Go China Card using BPAY or Post Billpay. Your Load&Go China Card ID is your 16-digit card number on the back of the card.

I forgot my PIN. How do I get it?

If you’ve lost or forgotten your six-digit PIN, you can retrieve your PIN via SMS. You will need to have registered your mobile phone to your account before you can use this service. The number can be found on the Load&Go website and you will need to SMS the following:

POST PIN [6 DIGIT ACCESS CODE] [LAST 4 DIGITS OF YOUR CARD NUMBER].

How do I change my Load&Go China Card PIN?

You can change your six-digit Australia Post Load&Go China Card PIN at any time by accessing the Online Australia Post Load&Go China Card Manager. Looking for the menu that says ‘Manage Your Card’ and choose ‘Change PIN’.

What is my Load&Go Access Code?

The Australia Post Load&Go China Card Access Code is a six-digit number you choose when you get the card.

How do I load money onto my Load&Go Travel Money Card?

There are a number of ways you can load money onto the Australia Post Load&Go China Card.

Reload the Australia Post Load&Go China Card in-store using cash or EFTPOS when you first purchase the card.

Reload the card using Internet banking. Log in to your Internet banking facility and look for the option that says ‘Pay Anyone’. The details for making a payment to your Australia Post Load&Go China Card using an electronic funds transfer are printed on the back of the card:

BSB: 980 222

Account number: nine-digit (Acc No.) printed on the back of your card.

How do I check my Load&Go China travel money card balance?

Check your Australia Post Load&Go China Card balance by logging onto the Australia Post Online Load&Go China Card Manager, or you can check your Australia Post Load&Go China Card balance using SMS. You can also call the customer support team, but fees and charges may apply.

What do I do to make a purchase using the travel card?

You can use your Australia Post Load&Go China Card to make a purchase online, in-store or you can make a cash withdrawal from an ATM.

To make a purchase at a merchant, make sure you select savings before you enter your PIN

Enter your account information to make a purchase online: including your 16-digit card number, expiry date and the three-digit CCV on the back of the card next to the signature panel. If you need to enter a billing address, enter the address of the places where you purchased the card, but this only applies if you’ve registered the card. And if you’re asked for a cardholder name, enter the name ‘Valued Cardholder’.

How do I use the Load&Go China Card to withdraw cash from an ATM?

It’s easy to make a cash withdrawal using your Australia Post Load&Go China Card. When you find an ATM that accepts UnionPay, enter card, your PIN and select savings.

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The post Chinese Load&Go Travel Money Card Review appeared first on finder.com.au.

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