Anyone using Halifax clarity card in Kunming? Do the ATMs there accept it OK?

Huh?

Most ATM cards with the Cirrus/Plus logos are accepted in China and Visa/Mastercards in most ATMs for cash advances. Are you talking about an individual banks card? If they are part of the cirrus/plus network (should be on back of the card), you shouldn't have any problems.

Your card has a Mastercard logo and so, as blobbles states, it will work in ATMs.

Just a thought.
You may need to tell Halifax that you will using the card in China. If the system sees this as irregular activity and the anti-fraud measures kick in you will not be able to use the card. This actually happened to me a while back, and so it is worth checking.

Yes tiger has got a good point, this even happened to me AFTER I had told them, the period in which they deem acceptable travel time had expired (about a year or some such), so they flagged a Chinese transaction as suspicious and froze my card. In my case it required reactivation in my home country, which was useless. Eventually I sorted it out over the phone only to have my card eaten by an ATM not connected to a bank branch while I was travelling in Hong Kong about 2 weeks later.

Carry a backup if you can :-)

..... and if you can arrange a second card at such short notice, then get one using Visa. I've used Visa since being here and Mastercard as a backup (used twice). Only a suggestion if you have the time to arrange a second card. It's Mastercard or Visa who block your cards not the individual bank.

Thanks. It's not got any mention of Cirus/Plus, but it is a MasterCard.
Yes, I've let Halifax know the card will be abroad.

Think my question was more about reliability of ATMs out there - in terms of cards getting swallowed etc. Bank of China in the centre should be a good shout though, right?

Only got visa debit as back-up but will incur charge, so prefer not to use.

I thought I'd be able to pay for some tours / accommodation with the card, but seems like they prefer cash - is this generally how it is out there?

Yes, it's a cash based society still. You may have the off chance to pay a hotel with it, assuming they take international then also assuming clerk will know how to use the correct machine.

Atms in China are quite reliable. Most if not all have English menu. Though you'll be subject to various withdrawal limits both per and daily. If you ever have trouble with any, then just find a Bank of China, China Merchants Bank, or China Construction Bank. Those three are sure bets usually.

I prefer to use ICBC or CCB (Construction Bank) ANYTIME over Bank of China.

My experience with BoC staff over the years is they are consistently arrogant, impatient, rude, and generally unhelpful.

They also do weird things - I got a call from BoC a few years ago telling me I had to go to the bank because they issued my bank card number to someone else - so I have to come in and get a new bank card. WTF?

ATM's here seem as reliable as they were back in UK for me, the only thing annoying me is the varying withdrawal limit! Could be 1000rmb at one ATM then 3000rmb at another :)
Just used Halifax Visa card here.