Is it illegal to use my own credit card to get cash via a friend's store POS machine?

Using your own credit card to get cash through a friend's POS machine via non-real transactions is illegal. According to Article 25 of the Credit Card Management Regulations, any unit or individual is prohibited from using credit cards for cash advances through non-bank financial institutions or unauthorized channels. Additionally, the Supreme People's Court's judicial interpretation on credit card crimes states that if an individual uses a POS machine to conduct fake transactions for cash-out, with cumulative amount over 1 million yuan or illegal gains over 100,000 yuan, it constitutes illegal business operation under Article 225 of the Criminal Law.

For you as the cardholder, consequences may include your credit card account being frozen, penalty fees imposed by the issuer, or a bad credit record affecting future loans. For your friend, the POS machine may be revoked by the bank, and he could face fines or even criminal liability if the cash-out amount is large. Practical advice: Avoid such unauthorized cash-out activities. Use official cash advance services from your card issuer (legal though with interest) or borrow from relatives/friends normally to stay away from legal risks.