Following the opening of Visa card binding on Apple Pay on January 15, a test of the binding process revealed that previously bound dual-identifier Visa and UnionPay cards had become invalid and required re-binding. During the re-binding process, users can choose to activate either the Visa or UnionPay network, or both, for their dual-identifier card. If both are activated, the card appears as two separate entries in Apple Pay, one for Visa and one for UnionPay.
During actual use, users can select either UnionPay or Visa based on their needs. The Visa option can only be used at merchants overseas that display the Visa logo, whereas the UnionPay option can be used both domestically and internationally at merchants accepting UnionPay.
When contacted for clarification, Apple customer support indicated that this feature was primarily introduced to distinguish between cards from different payment networks. They confirmed that if a previously bound old dual-identifier card encounters issues, re-binding is necessary. After re-binding, the user's card experience remains unchanged from before. Normally, the payment system automatically switches to the currently available card during a transaction, with manual selection required only in rare cases where the system fails to recognize the appropriate network.
Dual-identifier cards emerged around 2002 as a type of bank card jointly issued by UnionPay and an international card organization, with the most common combinations being "UnionPay + Visa" or "UnionPay + MasterCard." Industry insiders view these cards as transitional products from the period before China's bank card clearing market was fully opened, primarily designed to resolve the矛盾 between using UnionPay cards overseas and clearing international cards domestically at the time.
Dong Zheng, a senior credit card expert, explained that a dual-identifier card is essentially two cards combined into one. It uses the UnionPay network within China and can use either the Visa network or the UnionPay network overseas. However, he emphasized that dual-identifier cards are historical products from a specific environment and scenario, and their issuance for new cards has largely ceased. With the opening of the card organization market, allowing international card organizations to obtain licenses domestically, dual-identifier cards no longer have a place in the new market, although existing cards can continue to be maintained and used.
The announcement that Apple Pay now supports binding Visa cards prompted many users with overseas spending needs to try it out immediately. Dong Zheng noted that Apple Pay's contactless payment method is actually more convenient and secure. This "card-not-present" approach can, to some extent, mitigate the risk of card skimming. Furthermore, having cards bound to a mobile phone is more convenient, allowing travelers to carry fewer physical cards abroad—just one or two to handle rare instances where mobile payments are not accepted.
Comments