🇹🇼 This is the brand hub for CTBC Bank. For the bigger picture on the New Taiwan dollar, the EasyCard, the surcharge-free bank and convenience-store ATMs, and the no-Bank-of-America-Alliance gap, see the Taiwan Money Guide. For exact ATM areas, see the Taipei ATM Guide. For card-acceptance and the MRT detail, see the Taipei Money Guide. For the other major local bank, see the Cathay United Bank guide. Flying in? Taoyuan International (TPE) guide.
🎧 Order TWD Before You Fly
Taiwan's ATMs are excellent, but a small float helps on landing. Insured 2–5 day shipping.
Order TWD → CEI Currency ExchangeWhat CTBC Bank is, in one paragraph
CTBC Bank, formerly Chinatrust Commercial Bank, is one of Taiwan's largest private banks and the banking arm of CTBC Financial Holding. It is one of the island's biggest credit-card issuers and, most usefully for a traveler, runs one of the densest ATM networks in the country, with machines in bank branches and in many of Taiwan's ubiquitous convenience stores. Its blue logo is among the most common sights when you are hunting for cash, day or night. CTBC has also expanded across Asia (it owns Tokyo Star Bank in Japan, among other ventures), but for US visitors what matters is the local reach: CTBC machines dispense New Taiwan dollars at the interbank rate and add no operator surcharge on most foreign-card withdrawals.
What CTBC Bank charges foreign cards
| Fee component | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| CTBC operator fee (foreign card) | NT$0 on most machines | CTBC adds no operator surcharge for most cards |
| Exchange rate | Mid-market (interbank) | Visa or Mastercard network |
| Visa / Mastercard network fee | ~1% | Card network, baked into total |
| Your home bank's foreign ATM fee | $2-5 | Your home bank, unless waived (Schwab, Wise) |
| Your home bank's FX conversion fee | 1-3% | Your home bank, unless 0% FX card |
| DCC markup (if accepted) | +4-12% | Always decline. Pick New Taiwan dollars every time the screen offers your home currency. |
CTBC carries the blue wordmark and one of Taiwan's widest ATM footprints. Taiwan has no BoA Alliance partner, so BoA debit pays BoA's 3% anywhere. Withdrawal limits run roughly NT$20,000-30,000 per transaction.
Why CTBC's density is the traveler's win
The standout CTBC fact for a visitor is reach. Because CTBC machines sit in bank branches and in many convenience stores across Taiwan, a surcharge-free withdrawal is almost always within a block, and the convenience-store machines are open 24/7. That pairs ideally with the EasyCard, Taiwan's stored-value card for the MRT, buses, and convenience stores: tap the EasyCard for transit and small buys, run hotels and chain restaurants on a card, and dip into a CTBC machine for a modest New Taiwan dollar float for the night markets and traditional eateries. You rarely need to carry much cash because the next surcharge-free machine is never far.
Bank of America customers should note there is no fee-free ATM in Taiwan at all: with no Taiwanese BoA Alliance partner, a BoA card pays its 3 percent non-network fee even at CTBC. A Wise or Schwab card is the better tool, and it doubles as the way to load an EasyCard at the real rate.
Where to find CTBC Bank in Taiwan
24/7 machines everywhere
CTBC's biggest advantage: machines in many 7-Elevens and FamilyMarts, surcharge-free on most foreign cards and open around the clock. Covered in the Taipei ATM Guide.
Nangang HQ & citywide
CTBC is headquartered in Taipei's Nangang district, with branches and ATMs across the city, including Xinyi and Taipei Main Station.
One of the densest networks
CTBC runs one of Taiwan's widest ATM footprints, so a blue machine is rarely far in Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and the smaller cities.
A leading card issuer
CTBC is a major Taiwanese credit-card brand, so its ATMs and signage are highly visible, an easy logo to spot when you need cash.
Taoyuan arrivals
Bank ATMs in the TPE arrivals halls, surcharge-free on most foreign cards, near the Bank of Taiwan exchange counter and the Airport MRT. See the TPE airport guide.
Shopping districts
CTBC machines in the malls and many MRT-station areas, convenient places to top up a TWD float around Taipei.
CTBC vs Cathay United: the actual decision
| CTBC | Cathay United | |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign-card operator fee | NT$0 (most machines) | NT$0 (most machines) |
| BoA Global ATM Alliance partner | No (none in Taiwan) | No (none in Taiwan) |
| ATM reach | Very dense, incl. convenience stores | Wide branch network |
| Parent group | CTBC Financial Holding | Cathay Financial Holding |
| Best known for | Cards & the widest ATM reach | A top private bank & insurer group |
Decision tree: for cost they are effectively identical (both surcharge-free at the interbank rate on most machines, neither a BoA Alliance partner), so use whichever is nearest. CTBC's edge is sheer density, especially the convenience-store machines, which makes it the one you will probably bump into first. Either way, pair the bank with an EasyCard and a no-FX-fee card.
Best card pairing with CTBC Bank
Wise plus an EasyCard, CTBC for the float
Because the EasyCard and credit cards cover so much, the card matters more than the ATM. A Wise debit card gives zero FX markup and the real interbank TWD rate at every terminal, including loading the EasyCard, and when you want cash a CTBC machine, often right inside a convenience store, dispenses it surcharge-free. Taiwan has no BoA Alliance partner, so a no-FX-fee card is clearly the best tool here.
Get the Wise Card →Charles Schwab Investor Checking
Schwab adds zero foreign-transaction fee and refunds ATM operator fees worldwide. CTBC machines are already surcharge-free for most cards, so Schwab + CTBC is an effectively free Taiwan withdrawal, and Schwab covers you at any unbranded machine too. Still decline DCC and choose New Taiwan dollars.
Bank of America debit (no Alliance waiver in Taiwan)
Taiwan has no BoA Global ATM Alliance partner, so a BoA card pays its 3 percent non-network fee even at CTBC. There is no fee-free Taiwanese ATM for BoA cards; a no-FX-fee card is the better option.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does CTBC charge foreign cards at ATMs?
No operator surcharge on most machines, at the interbank rate. You pay only your home-bank fees, which are zero on a Wise or Schwab card. Just decline DCC.
Is CTBC in the Global ATM Alliance?
No, and no Taiwanese bank is. A BoA card pays its 3% non-network fee at CTBC. A no-FX-fee card is the better tool.
What is CTBC Bank?
One of Taiwan's largest private banks, formerly Chinatrust, with one of the densest ATM networks in the country and a leading card business.
Are CTBC ATMs the ones in convenience stores?
Often, yes. CTBC machines are in many 7-Elevens and FamilyMarts, surcharge-free on most cards and open 24/7. Use whichever is nearest.
Will my US debit card work at CTBC ATMs?
Yes, with a Visa, Mastercard, Plus, or Cirrus logo. English option, 4-digit PINs. Decline DCC and choose New Taiwan dollars.
How does CTBC compare with Cathay United?
Cost-identical (both surcharge-free on most machines, neither a BoA partner). CTBC has the denser reach; use whichever is nearest.
The CTBC + Wise + EasyCard Combo
Surcharge-free CTBC ATMs (often inside a convenience store) plus Wise zero FX markup, in a country where the EasyCard and a card cover most spending.
Get the Wise Card →