UnionPay is a card network based in China, and UnionPay International says over 260 million of its cards have been issued outside the Chinese mainland, in 83 countries and regions. Travellers ask the same question about it in every country: will it work where I am? This guide reads what UnionPay International itself says about two places, Japan and the United States, in October 2026, and marks which of its figures are claims rather than guarantees.
The figures at a glance
- 82%
- Merchants in Japan
- 100%
- ATMs in Japan
- 80%+
- Merchants in the US
- 90%+
- ATMs in the US
UnionPay's own figure for acceptance, April 2025
UnionPay's own figure, April 2025
Credit cards by signature, per UnionPay
Per UnionPay
Japan
UnionPay began operating in Japan in 2005 and says it works with 15 major local acquirers. Its April 2025 statement gives 300,000 contactless terminals and 1.5 million QR code terminals on top of the card acceptance figures. It also says that shoppers who spend more than JPY 5,000 at tax-free stores can have their refund paid to their UnionPay card.
UnionPay lists offers for 2026 that end on 31 December 2026. A sample, as UnionPay lists them:
| Where | What UnionPay lists |
|---|---|
| QR payments through the UnionPay app, at UnionPay QR, PayPay and J-Coin merchants | Up to 10% off, no registration, at most JPY 10,000 a card in the period and 10 discounted payments a card a month |
| Suica, PASMO and ICOCA top-ups through Apple Wallet | JPY 300 off a single top-up of JPY 5,000 or more, twice a month for each transit card on each iPhone, for cards issued in Hong Kong or Macau |
| Bic Camera | JPY 1,000 off a single purchase of JPY 20,000 or more, for cards issued outside mainland China |
| Haneda, Narita and Kansai airports | JPY 1,000 off a single purchase of JPY 20,000 or more |
| Takashimaya | JPY 1,000 off a single purchase of JPY 50,000 or more |
| Matsuya | JPY 1,500 off a single purchase over JPY 50,000 |
| Don Quijote | Up to 7% off at designated stores |
Several offers say they exclude some UnionPay cards issued in Japan, and the transit card top-up offer applies only to cards issued in Hong Kong or Macau. Read the offer's conditions for your card before you plan a purchase around it.
The United States
UnionPay says that over 80% of merchants in the US accept its credit cards, paid for with a signature, and that its debit cards are accepted with a PIN at merchants that have a PIN pad. It names outlet stores, duty-free shops at major airports, luxury and fashion brands, car rental companies such as Avis and Hertz, department stores such as Macy's and Bloomingdale's, 7-Eleven and CVS, and Disney and Universal Studios. It also says that some merchants have not put up the UnionPay sign, and tells cardholders to show the card and ask.
At the terminal, UnionPay gives three tips:
Most UnionPay credit cards issued by banks in China can pay with a signature in the US. Ask your issuer before you leave about cancelling the transaction PIN so that you can pay without one.
Many US merchants prefer you to swipe the card yourself and follow the screen. Choose Credit for a UnionPay credit card and Debit for a UnionPay debit card.
If the terminal asks you to swipe after you insert a chip card, pull the card out and put it into the magnetic strip slot beside it.
UnionPay warns that a co-branded card, one that carries another network's mark as well, usually cannot pay through UnionPay at US merchants. Some acceptors send such cards to the other network by card number unless you or the cashier choose UnionPay, and the transaction result shows which network was used. UnionPay advises bringing a card whose number starts with 62.
For cash, UnionPay says that over 90% of ATMs in the US accept its cards, including those of more than ten mainstream banks such as Wells Fargo and Bank of America and the US branches of Bank of China and ICBC. Its help page links to the ATM locators of Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Bank of China, ICBC, Pulse and NYCE. It says an ATM withdrawal can carry two separate fees: your issuer's service fee, and at some ATMs a surcharge from the US bank that owns the machine, which has nothing to do with UnionPay or your issuer. It adds that a debit card withdrawal costs less in commission, and that limits per day from your issuer or the ATM may apply, so a large amount can be split into several withdrawals.
Online, UnionPay says its credit cards and signature debit cards are accepted on most US websites as long as there is a Discover card mark. Cards that need a PIN can be used only at merchants where you pay on UnionPay's online payment gateway after clicking its logo. A website without the Discover mark may therefore not take the card, so keep a second card for online purchases.
What UnionPay's pages leave to your bank
UnionPay's pages for travellers describe where the card is accepted. They do not give the amount of the foreign transaction fee, the issuer's ATM fee or the daily limit, and they do not say in which currency the amount is settled. Those belong to the issuer, so check them with the bank that issued the card, and for a mainland Chinese card compare its price list, as in the guide on Bank of China's fees.
- Acquirer
- The bank or processor that connects a merchant's terminal to a card network. UnionPay counts 15 of them in Japan.
- Contactless
- A terminal that takes a tap of the card or a phone. UnionPay gives 300,000 of them in Japan.
- QR code payment
- Paying by scanning a code in a payment app. UnionPay lists 1.5 million terminals in Japan.
- Signature card
- A credit card accepted with a signature rather than a PIN, which UnionPay says is the case for its credit cards in the US.
- Discover card mark
- The Discover sign on a US website. UnionPay says its credit cards are accepted online on most sites that show it.
- Co-branded card
- A card that carries the marks of two networks. At many US merchants it is sent to the other network, not UnionPay.
Questions people ask
Do UnionPay cards work in Japan?
UnionPay says yes. It has operated in Japan since 2005 with 15 local acquirers, and says its cards are accepted at 82% of merchants and 100% of ATMs, with over 300,000 contactless and 1.5 million QR code payment terminals. Those are UnionPay's own figures from April 2025, so look for the UnionPay mark on the terminal.
Where can I get cash in Japan?
UnionPay says its cards are accepted at 100% of ATMs in Japan, and its help centre has an ATM locator. Your own issuer sets the withdrawal fee and the limit, and UnionPay's pages do not give them.
Do UnionPay cards work in the United States?
UnionPay says over 80% of US merchants accept its credit cards, with a signature, and its debit cards with a PIN where there is a PIN pad. It names outlet stores, airport duty-free shops, car rental companies such as Avis and Hertz, department stores such as Macy's and Bloomingdale's, 7-Eleven, CVS, Disney and Universal Studios. Some merchants have no UnionPay sign, and UnionPay says to show the card and ask.
Can I use it online in the US?
UnionPay says its credit cards and signature debit cards work on most US websites that show a Discover card mark, and PIN-based debit cards work only where you pay on UnionPay's online gateway after clicking its logo. A site without the Discover mark may not take the card, so keep a second card for online purchases.
What about a co-branded card?
UnionPay says payment through its network is not available with a co-branded card at most US merchants, because some acceptors send co-branded cards to the other network by card number unless the cardholder or cashier selects UnionPay. It advises bringing a card whose number starts with 62, and says the transaction result shows which network was used.
Can I get a tax refund on a UnionPay card in Japan?
UnionPay says shoppers who spend more than JPY 5,000 at tax-free stores can receive their refund directly on their UnionPay card. The page does not list which stores take part, so ask at the tax refund counter.
What does a card cost abroad?
UnionPay's pages do not state your card's fees. For ATM withdrawals in the US it says there is the issuer's service fee and, at some ATMs, a surcharge from the US bank. The foreign transaction fee and whether the bill is settled in your own currency are set by the bank that issued the card, so read its price list or ask it.
Sources
Written from these pages and checked against them on October 10, 2026. Programs and rules change, so check the provider’s current terms before you decide.
General information, not financial, legal or travel advice. Your own card terms and the provider’s current rules always come first.