Congratulations to myself – I have finally got approved for the CITIC Marriott Platinum credit card in China!
The KYC and auditing mechanism of China’s banking system is a totally different level. To start with you have virtually no chance of getting a credit card unless you have a Chinese ID, and then it’s not rare for them to verify your job and income information by checking your pension record or mailing your office.
I left China after university so have very little credit record there. I tried applying for the same card online last year but failed. This time I did it in branch and honestly I couldn’t believe it when the application was approved instantly. The bank clerk who was helping me was equally surprised.
The card, coming with annual fee of 980 CNY (~£103), has a poor earning rate. It does however have other attractive benefits:
- A free night certificate worth 12,500 points
- 10 Marriott night credits
- 4 Dragonpass credits
Which are awarded annually. The night credits can stack with Marriott’s UK or US co-branded cards. The Dragonpass credits can be used globally, and available to redeem at dining outlets with a 9 CNY surcharge.
China’s credit cards are in general not comparable to the US, or even UK counterparts in terms of benefits, especially for someone like me who don’t reside in the country. The Marriott card is an exception though, and I might cancel my UK Amex Marriott card soon as I’m going to keep the US one instead.
About that free night certificate, can it be topped up and if so, by how much?
15k top-up like the others