Paying in China with a foreign card: Alipay and WeChat Pay, set up properly

In a Shanghai convenience store, the card terminal exists but the cashier will look mildly pained if you ask for it. Payment happens by scanning a QR code. Both major wallets now accept foreign cards, which means your trip does not require a Chinese bank account — but the setup has to happen before you fly, while you can still receive your bank’s verification messages.

Alipay setup, in order

1. 1
   Install from the official store

   Use the App Store or Google Play listing. “Alipay+”, which you may see mentioned, is a network that connects overseas wallets to merchants — not a second app you need.

2. 2
   Register with your own phone number

   Include the correct country code. You need to receive an SMS; a virtual number that cannot receive messages will strand you.

3. 3
   Add your card under Account → Bank Cards

   Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners and Discover are accepted. Enter the details exactly as printed.

4. 4
   Complete identity verification

   Usually a passport photo page and a selfie. Approval is often instant, sometimes a few hours.

5. 5
   Test a small payment

   Buy something trivial before you rely on it. A failed payment at a ticket gate is a bad time to discover a problem.

What it actually costs

Alipay charges foreign-card transactions under ¥200 with no fee; above that a 3% service fee applies. WeChat Pay has a similar structure. Your own bank may add a foreign transaction fee on top — typically 1–3%, which is why a card with no FX fee is worth carrying.

Where foreign-card QR payments fail

• Peer-to-peer transfers. Sending money to an individual (a guide, a market stallholder, a friend) is often blocked for foreign-card funding. This is the most common failure point, and it matters if you plan to pay a guide directly.
• Some mini-apps. Train tickets and attraction bookings inside Alipay may require a Chinese card for certain transactions.
• Deposits and pre-authorisations. Car rentals and some hotels cannot pre-authorise a foreign card through the QR rail.
• Old terminals. Small shops in rural areas may only accept a personal QR code tied to a Chinese bank account.

Cash: still legal, increasingly awkward

By law, cash must be accepted, and since 2024 the central bank has pushed merchants to keep change on hand. In practice, a ¥100 note in a city centre noodle shop can produce a five-minute search for change. Carry ¥500–1,000 in mixed notes for rural areas, temple donations, small buses and the occasional place that has genuinely run out of change.

ATMs: Bank of China and ICBC accept foreign cards. Withdrawal limits are typically ¥2,500–5,000 per transaction, with a fixed fee from your bank plus a possible local fee. Airport ATMs are the most reliable; convenience-store ATMs frequently refuse foreign cards.

Cards, contactless, and what to expect

International cards work at hotel front desks, department stores, and high-end restaurants. They generally do not work at: taxis, street food, small restaurants, metro ticket machines (which take cash or QR), or anywhere the owner is the only employee. Contactless Visa/Mastercard is increasingly accepted in Shanghai and Shenzhen, but do not plan around it.

The backup plan that costs nothing

Set up both Alipay and WeChat Pay. They fail in different places, and having two is the difference between a minor inconvenience and a lost afternoon. Keep one physical card and ¥500 cash. That combination has never failed a guest of ours.

Frequently asked