Virtual cards have been trending recently, even mainstream financial media are starting to pay attention. Today I finally gathered the courage to try withdrawing cash at a CCB ATM with a physical card. I was a bit hesitant before, worried about the card being swallowed, but after consulting customer service and confirming it was no problem, I dared to proceed. The process turned out to be surprisingly smooth.

The whole process isn't complicated—insert the card, enter the PIN, select language, choose the savings account, then enter the PIN again and select the language once more. This design is a bit redundant but also shows that security measures are well implemented. I checked my account balance—there was $508.37 USD loaded onto the card. The system also displayed balances in both USD and RMB (3568.51 yuan). The exchange rate was 7.02, which is quite high. Compared to directly exchanging on an exchange C2C platform, this method incurs additional fees and isn't cost-effective, but it is safer and more stable, completely avoiding black market risks.

I encountered a pitfall when withdrawing—my first attempt with 3500 yuan failed, with the system indicating it exceeded the limit. After reading the instructions on the screen, I realized that the single transaction limit for Visa cards is 3000 yuan, while Mastercard and JCB cards only have a 1000 yuan limit. Luckily, this card is Visa, so I changed the amount to 3000 and succeeded.

Calculating this way, with a 3000 yuan limit per transaction, twice a day, you can withdraw 60,000 yuan in ten days, or 200,000 yuan in a month—no big deal. Alternatively, you can also use the POS machine for payments, which offers good flexibility.

Recently, I traveled to Dubai on a business trip, relying entirely on this physical card for taxis and meals. Notably, this card has an IC chip, making it very convenient to use overseas. I also brought two other domestic credit cards, but both only have magnetic stripes. Fortunately, magnetic stripe readers are mostly phased out at overseas POS terminals, and this card saved the day.

The only downside is that this card currently doesn't support binding to Alipay or WeChat. If you want to use these platforms, it's better to apply for a card starting with 4565, which reportedly has much better compatibility with WeChat and Alipay.

To apply for a physical card, you need to uninstall the relevant app and reinstall the latest version, or simply log in to the official website via browser, which is more convenient. Overall, virtual cards have indeed opened up a new channel for fund withdrawal. For those with overseas spending needs or engaged in cross-border business, it’s quite practical.