Credit card for foreigner

[sumyunggai]

So I need to buy building materials and what not and the local building superstore will give 10% off with a BNi card.

Is it easy to get a card for a foreign with KITAS?

 

[Vanuatu]

It depends on your relationship with the bank, I received a credit card from Bank Permata without having a job, but had a premiere account based upon my account balance. I think your banking relationship/ amount on deposit will be the deciding factor as most banks won't issue a CC to a foreigner unless they already have an Indonesian CC (catch 22)

 

[Anglian]

If you are over 65 forget it,

 

[fastpitch17]

Most banks will allow a KITAS holder with an account a credit card as long as it is secured. I understand around 8 juta is the norm.

 

[waarmstrong]

If you are over 65 forget it,

Not so.

It would be more correct to say, "If you are over 65 and have no money, forget about it."

No wait. It would be even more correct to say' "If you have no money, regardless of your age, forget about it."

 

[atlantis]

As per Vanuatu's #2.
I had no declared job in Indonesia but a premium account in a well known Indonesian bank. Upon request they issued me a CC without much fuss with a ridiculously high credit limit. Around a year or two after that, I started to receive calls from other banks, including banks I had no account with, proposing me CC, without me asking anything.

Funnily enough, since I cancelled my CC and do not have any CC anymore no one calls me anymore. Or perhaps they got bored that I never pick up any call starting by 021 which was invariably a bank or an insurance company.

 

[William King]

Most banks will allow a KITAS holder with an account a credit card as long as it is secured. I understand around 8 juta is the norm.

I think the new norm is that you need to supply KITAS, and deposit 100% of the value of the card. (for the first card, after that it's kind of open season)

 

[Anglian]

Not so.

It would be more correct to say, "If you are over 65 and have no money, forget about it."

No wait. It would be even more correct to say' "If you have no money, regardless of your age, forget about it."

Me I had money Warmie, two banks BNI BCA both state on their application form and verbally applicants over 65 not entertained, mind I suppose if you have mega bucks they might see their way clear to give you a card, mind if you know a bank that does be helpful as I might apply

 

[Davita]

Me I had money Warmie, two banks BNI BCA both state on their application form and verbally applicants over 65 not entertained, mind I suppose if you have mega bucks they might see their way clear to give you a card, mind if you know a bank that does be helpful as I might apply

I'm 79+ and have held a CC from HSBC since I obtained a bank account with a Kitas...I couldn't even open an account without the Kitas.

We tried Bank Mega for a CC just to get discount from Carrefour who are now owned by Bank Mega (in Bali) but, like fastpitch and WK said, they required a deposit to cover the credit card amount and their interest rate was very low...I shoved their proposal 'where the sun don't shine' and we shop for groceries elsewhere.

ps We even went to a Bank Mega seminar to hear about their great investment schemes...the food was so bad, and no Bintang, so we left in the middle of the chairperson's welcome speech.......

 

[Scooterindo]

I eventually got a credit card from my bank about 15 years ago however it was a struggle. The first card they wanted to issue had a 10 million rupiah limit (next to fuck all considering) and they then wanted me to "freeze" 10 million of my accounts balance to cover the "credit card" usage. I refused and pointed out that this was effectively a debit card that I would still be charged 3% against with each purchase, which was totally illogical. After a lot of huffing and puffing they finally relented and allowed me to have a credit card with a 10 million limit. Not exactly generous considering my salary at the time was 15 times that amount paid into my account by the company I was working for. Due to one thing or another I was dropped in the shit due to the paltry limit on a number of occasions as I would continually max the card out for things like hotels and flights. Again I returned to the bank and asked for an increase on the limit, which again they refused. Upon eventually threatening to withdraw funds and go over to bank BCA they relented and increased the limit to 25 million. However now I seem to be on a freefall, and as soon as I get close to the limit now they call me up and tell me how the limit is obviously not enough for my needs and they increase it further.

Last time I checked I am up to 60 million on the card limit, it seems that there is a trust issue as they seem scared that as a foreigner you're going to leave the country without paying off the card, once this fear is over come and they seem very comfortable to increase your card limit. Like Atlantis, I also get regular calls asking if I would like to take out a loan against the card or increase the limit further. I guess they have finally worked out I must be good business for them.

 

[waarmstrong]

Me I had money Warmie, two banks BNI BCA both state on their application form and verbally applicants over 65 not entertained, mind I suppose if you have mega bucks they might see their way clear to give you a card, mind if you know a bank that does be helpful as I might apply

Cards from Mandiri & Panin are in my wallet. I seem to recall that I had the Mandiri card pre-65, but got the Panin card on the downhill side of 65. Of course, after 65, the memory becomes self-servingly unreliable.

 

[Anglian]

I think if you get the card before 65,after 65 maybe not a problem,

 

[Davita]

So I need to buy building materials and what not and the local building superstore will give 10% off with a BNi card.

Is it easy to get a card for a foreign with KITAS?

Each bank has a different policy.
I'd suggest searching around...like Bank Mega in my case, if BNI don't offer, not much you can do.

 

[Euc-]

As other mentioned, it all depends on the bank. My personal experience is with BCA, I just started a new job and they wanted me to open a BCA account, so went to the branch and during the process of opening the lady asked if my salary would be transferred to it, which I confirmed. She asked if I wanted a credit-card as well and made me sign on a blank application form. Didn't think much of it as I had tried previously to get a card (never with BCA though) but they always found an excuse not to give one to me as an expat, but this time a courier actually came to deliver the card to my office about 2 weeks later.

Like others I also get regular calls from other banks offering me their cards, I guess I'm on some kind of list since I already have one. I have actually tried to take them up on their offers a few times, but every time I said I would be sending my Passport/KITAS instead of KTP they said "ohhhhh sorry mister, this offer not valid for WNA" and they disappear.

Ahwell, just need the one anyway.

 

[Euc-]

Come to think of it, my regular smoke-break buddy is a chap that works in the same building and he's banking with CIMB. He had tried before to get a card but they refused, he actually went back last Monday and they told him he could get one if he gave 110% fixed deposit of the credit-limit. So he had to put 33jt in to get a 30jt limit card.

 

[Scooterindo]

Come to think of it, my regular smoke-break buddy is a chap that works in the same building and he's banking with CIMB. He had tried before to get a card but they refused, he actually went back last Monday and they told him he could get one if he gave 110% fixed deposit of the credit-limit. So he had to put 33jt in to get a 30jt limit card.

That effectively makes it a debit card - that you are charged an additional 3% on with every purchase. Where's the sense in that ??

 

[jstar]

Only makes sense if it is temporary yes. And perhaps to get a name and build up some credit history. As always, the first one is the most difficult. (As in any other country btw; try to get one as foreigner in the USA with a fresh SSN.)

 

[Anglian]

Bit strange in the States, buying petrol my U.K. Credit Card refused as the petrol pump man said he didn't want paying in British pounds, no amount of persuasion would convince him he would get dollars, so I paid cash,

 

[jstar]

Stupidity has no nationality I guess. But I did encounter issues as well with non American cards at gas stations.

The extra complication over there is that many terminal systems nowadays ask for the zip (postal) code. So even with my American credit and debit cards I often could not pay since they only accept US 5 position postal codes. And I could not enter a former zip since it gets checked. So I had to go inside and pay (and sign) there. Great.

 

[Euc-]

That effectively makes it a debit card - that you are charged an additional 3% on with every purchase. Where's the sense in that ??

Absolutely right, although I advised him to just take the card as once he has it it will be much easier to apply for other cards. Once he gets another card approved without guarantee he simply cancels the first one and gets his deposit back.