Alipay
Most first-time visitors
Useful for shops, restaurants, Didi, metro, mini programs, and many tourist situations.
Payments
Payments in China
A practical payment guide for foreign visitors, covering Alipay, WeChat Pay, cards, cash, and what to do when a payment does not work.
Before departure
Set up payment before you fly
- Install Alipay and WeChat before departure.
- Try linking an international Visa or Mastercard before your flight.
- Bring at least one physical bank card as a backup.
- Carry a small amount of cash for backup situations.
- Save your hotel address and important Chinese names in your notes app.
Payment methods
What visitors can use
WeChat Pay
Backup and social use
Widely accepted, but setup and verification can vary for foreign visitors.
Cash
Emergency backup
Not the main payment method in many cities, but useful when mobile payment fails.
Foreign cards
Hotels and some large merchants
Acceptance is uneven, especially in smaller shops, taxis, and local restaurants.
Backup plan
If your payment fails
Payment failures are stressful because they usually happen at checkout, in a taxi, or while moving between places. Prepare at least two fallback options.
- Try a different card inside Alipay or WeChat Pay.
- Ask whether the merchant accepts international cards.
- Use cash if the amount is small and the merchant can accept it.
- Ask hotel staff for help with a taxi, address, or local payment workaround.
- Keep a second phone/network option if your payment app cannot load.