Travel to China with Confidence

If you’re traveling to China for the first time, one of the biggest questions you may have is:

“How am I going to pay for things when I arrive?”

The answer is simple: set up Alipay before you leave home.

China has become highly dependent on mobile payments. Cash is still available, and international bank cards are increasingly accepted, but for everyday life, Alipay and WeChat Pay are the two payment apps you will use most often.

💳 How can foreigners use Alipay?

You can download Alipay from the App Store or Google Play, register with your phone number, complete the required identity verification(upload passport photo), and link an international bank card.

Official Chinese payment guidance says overseas visitors can link eligible international cards to Alipay and use them to make QR-code payments in China.

Depending on your card and issuing bank, supported international card networks include Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners Club and Discover.

Once everything is set up, you can use Alipay for many everyday situations, including:

🍜 Restaurants
☕ Cafés
🛒 Supermarkets
🏪 Convenience stores
🚕 Taxis and ride-hailing
🚇 Metro and public transportation
🏨 Hotels
🎟️ Tourist attractions
🛍️ Shopping
…and many other daily purchases.

Alipay also contains mini-programs and services that can be extremely useful for travelers, including transportation and other local services.

📱 How do you actually pay?

There are usually two simple ways.

1. Scan the merchant’s QR code

The shop shows you a QR code → open Alipay → scan → confirm the payment.

2. Show your payment QR code

Open the payment function in Alipay → show your QR code → the merchant scans it.

China’s official payment guidance confirms both methods are available to overseas visitors.

⚠️ But how do you know your Alipay is REALLY working?

This is the part I strongly recommend doing before you fly to China.

Don’t simply install Alipay, add your card and assume everything will work.

Test it.

If you have completed the setup and you’re still not sure whether your international card can actually make a payment through Alipay, you can make a small voluntary tip to my Alipay account below as a real-world test.

If the payment goes through and you see “Payment Successful”, that’s a very good sign that your Alipay payment setup is working.

It means that when you arrive in China, you can use Alipay for everyday spending without having to worry so much about whether your card has been properly connected.

Of course, this is completely optional — and only use it if your payment setup supports this type of transaction.

💡 One important thing about international cards

There can be differences between banks and card issuers.

Sometimes an overseas bank may decline the card-linking request or a transaction because of its own security system. Chinese government guidance specifically notes that some foreign issuing banks may reject the connection, in which case you should contact your bank or the payment app’s customer service.

There can also be service fees for larger transactions. Current official guidance says transactions over RMB 200 using an international card linked to Alipay or WeChat Pay may incur a 3% service fee, while the annual and single-transaction limits are also subject to the applicable rules.

So don’t wait until you are standing in front of a restaurant counter in China to discover that your card needs verification.

🇨🇳 My recommendation

Before your trip, I would prepare:

✅ Alipay
✅ WeChat Pay as a backup
✅ At least one international bank card linked
✅ A small amount of RMB cash as backup
✅ Your phone with reliable internet access

You don’t necessarily need to carry a large amount of cash. Mobile payment is now a major part of everyday life in China, and official guidance specifically encourages overseas visitors to use mobile payments, bank cards and cash according to their needs.

Get your Alipay working before you leave. Test it. Then come to China and enjoy your trip instead of worrying about how you’re going to pay for your next meal. 🇨🇳

And if you are planning a trip to China and aren’t sure whether your Alipay, WeChat Pay, SIM/eSIM, maps, transportation or other apps are ready, feel free to ask us. These small preparations can make a huge difference once you arrive.