China has largely moved past cash and cards. Mobile payment through Alipay or WeChat Pay is the default for almost everything: shops, restaurants, taxis, markets, ticket machines, even temple donations. Both apps now support international cards, which means visitors can use the same system locals do.

Set both up at home. Doing it on arrival, without data and without access to your bank’s verification messages, is much harder.

Why This Matters So Much

• Cards are often not accepted outside large hotels, international chains and department stores.
• Cash works but is inconvenient. Small vendors may genuinely not have change, and some will look baffled.
• Attractions, train tickets and small restaurants increasingly expect a QR code payment.
• Taxis and ride-hailing are almost entirely cashless.

You can travel in China without mobile payment, but you will constantly be working around it. With it, everything becomes simple.

Alipay — Usually the Easiest for Visitors

Alipay has historically been the more straightforward option for international visitors, with clearer in-app guidance for foreign cards and a tourist-oriented setup flow.

1. Download Alipay from your app store.
2. Register with your home mobile number.
3. Go to Account → Bank Cards and add an international credit or debit card (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners Club and others are generally supported).
4. Complete identity verification — usually your passport. This step is required before you can pay.
5. Optionally top up a balance, though paying directly from a linked card is usually fine.

Once set up, you pay by scanning a merchant’s QR code, or by showing your own payment code for the merchant to scan. Both are one-tap operations.

WeChat Pay — Worth Having as a Second Option

WeChat is China’s messaging app, and WeChat Pay is built into it. Some smaller vendors accept only WeChat Pay, so having both is useful.

1. Download WeChat and register with your phone number.
2. Go to Me → Services (or Pay) and add a bank card.
3. Complete identity verification with your passport.

The setup flow is slightly less forgiving than Alipay’s for foreign users, which is why Alipay is usually recommended as the primary and WeChat as the backup.

How Paying Actually Works

There are two directions, and both are quick:

• You scan them. The merchant displays a QR code. Open Alipay or WeChat, tap Scan, point at the code, confirm the amount.
• They scan you. Open your payment code (a barcode and QR code on screen) and the cashier scans it with a handheld reader. This is common in convenience stores and supermarkets.

Amounts are usually entered by the merchant, so check the figure on screen before confirming.

Fees, Limits and Practical Notes

• Fees: international card transactions through these apps often carry a small percentage fee above a certain threshold, with lower-value transactions frequently fee-free. Terms change, so check in-app.
• Limits: there are per-transaction and annual caps for foreign-card users. These are generous for normal travel spending but worth knowing if you plan a large purchase.
• Exchange rate: your card issuer’s rate applies, plus any foreign transaction fee your bank charges.
• Identity verification is mandatory. Without completing it, payments will not work.
• Keep your home SIM active for the SMS codes your bank may send. Verification messages are the usual failure point.

When You Still Need Cash

Carry a small amount — a few hundred yuan — as a backup. Genuine uses include:

• Very small rural vendors and some market stalls
• Older taxi drivers who prefer notes
• Temples and small donations
• Any moment where your phone is dead, broken or out of data

ATMs accepting foreign cards exist in cities, typically at major banks and airports. Withdraw in reasonable amounts rather than repeatedly, since fixed fees apply per withdrawal.

When Things Go Wrong

• Payment declined: usually your bank blocking a foreign transaction. Enable international use, or approve the transaction in your banking app.
• Verification fails: check your name matches your passport exactly, and photograph the document in good light with no glare.
• App requires an update: download the latest version, and do it before you go — app store access can be unreliable in China.
• Phone lost or dead: this is the main argument for carrying backup cash and a power bank.