Since 1978, Bank of China has been acting as an agent for credit cards issued by foreign financial institutions, handling payment services for foreign credit cards and foreign traveler's checks. Credit cards have since entered mainland China. In 1985, Bank of China took the lead in issuing credit cards in the country.

In response to the needs of domestic reform and opening up, Bank of China took the lead in introducing credit card business and successively signed credit card cash withdrawal and direct purchase agreements with some internationally renowned banks and financial institutions. From 1981 to 1983, Bank of China successively signed an agreement with Nanyang Commercial Bank of Hong Kong to handle developed card business, signed an agreement with American Express Company of Hong Kong to handle personal checks with "American Express Credit Card", and signed an agreement with Japan's Tokai Bank and Baidu Bank. Wan Credit Card Service Company signed an agreement to handle millions of credit cards, reached an agreement with Hong Kong Bank of East Asia and HSBC to handle Visa and MasterCard, reached an agreement with Japan's JCB International Corporation and Japan's Sanwa Bank to accept JCB credit cards, and reached an agreement with Citibank Agency Diners Club Agreement.

Bank of China joined MasterCard and Visa International in 1987. As the first bank in China to join the two major international credit card organizations, it should assume the responsibility of domestic acquiring and clearing, and at the same time, it can earn more foreign exchange for the country. Therefore, Bank of China began piloting the clearing of MasterCard and Visa in 1991. work, and passed the technical verification and acceptance of the two major international credit card organizations; in May 1992, it began to handle small batches of credit card document clearing. In July, the Bank of China Credit Card Operation Center was established to handle the acquisition of MasterCard and Visa international cards. The clearing business has changed the situation in the past where bills issued by agents for foreign credit cards could only be mailed to Hong Kong for clearing.

The Zhuhai Branch of Bank of China took the lead in establishing the first domestic RMB credit card - "Bank of China Card" in March 1985. However, due to the small issuance volume, it could not be promoted and used.