Here's the first thing every first-time visitor learns: cash is no longer king in China — and neither is the credit card. The entire country pays with QR codes, and the two apps that rule the market are Alipay and WeChat Pay. The good news? Both are now genuinely foreigner-friendly. This guide explains exactly how to set them up, the difference between a Tour Pass and a Tour Card, and when you should still carry cash.
Why Mobile Payment Is Non-Negotiable
From a ¥3 street skewer to a ¥300 restaurant bill, vendors expect a QR scan. Many small shops, night markets, and taxi drivers don't accept foreign credit cards or even large cash. Once your apps are set up, paying is a two-second scan — and it unlocks everything from metro tickets to DiDi rides to splitting a hotpot bill. Without it, simple errands become an ordeal.
Alipay: The Most Foreigner-Friendly Option
Alipay's international version was rebuilt for visitors and is the easiest app to get working with a foreign card. Here's the setup:
- Download Alipay from your app store (the international version works everywhere).
- Register with your foreign phone number — a +1, +44, or +61 number is fine.
- Tap Me → Bank Cards → Add Card and enter your Visa, Mastercard, or Amex details.
- Verify your identity with a passport photo and a selfie (this unlocks higher limits).
- Scan to pay anywhere you see the blue QR logo.
Alipay's default foreign-card limit is around ¥20,000 per year until you complete full identity verification, after which limits rise substantially. Switch the app to English in Settings — it's fully translated.
Keep purchases under about ¥200 to minimize foreign-currency transaction fees. For bigger payments, a Tour Pass or a local bank card avoids the markup entirely.
WeChat Pay: The Second Essential
WeChat is China's everything-app — messaging, social, and payments all in one. Many merchants show only the green WeChat QR code, so it's worth setting up as a backup even if you mainly use Alipay.
- Download WeChat and register with your foreign phone number.
- Go to Me → Services → Wallet.
- Tap Cards and add your international Visa or Mastercard.
- Complete identity verification with your passport when prompted.
WeChat Pay accepts most international cards these days, though a few banks still decline. If yours won't link, add a small amount to a Tour Pass (below) and pay from your balance instead.
Tour Pass vs Tour Card: What's the Difference?
These two terms confuse everyone. Here's the short version:
- Tour Pass is a virtual prepaid balance inside Alipay or WeChat Pay. You top it up with your foreign card and spend the balance by scanning QR codes. It's ideal for visitors: no Chinese bank account, no extra card, setup in minutes. Limits are modest — typically a few thousand yuan per top-up.
- Tour Card refers to a real prepaid bank card (often a Visa or Mastercard prepaid issued through a partner bank) that you can use to top up your apps, pay at POS terminals, and withdraw cash at ATMs. Some are issued on arrival at airport counters.
Which should you choose? For a short trip, a Tour Pass in Alipay plus a linked card is enough. For a longer stay or bigger purchases, consider a Tour Card as well — it works everywhere a bank card does and sidesteps the foreign-card surcharge.
Paying for Different Things
Once your apps are set up, here's how the everyday transactions of a China trip actually play out:
- Restaurants & cafés: the server shows you a QR code on the table or a handheld device; scan it and enter the amount, or let them key it in. Tip included, always.
- Street food & night markets: every stall has a printed QR code. A scan transfers the yuan instantly — no fumbling for change.
- Metro & buses: open the transport QR in Alipay or WeChat and scan it at the gate. No physical ticket needed, and it works across most cities.
- DiDi (ride-hailing): pay automatically at the end of the ride through the app — no cash and no card reader in the car.
- Supermarkets & malls: scan at the counter. Large chains also accept international credit cards at the register, but the scan is faster.
Troubleshooting: When Payment Fails
Every traveler hits a hiccup eventually. The common ones, and the fixes:
- "Card declined" — some banks flag China transactions as fraud. Call your bank or use your app's travel notice feature before you leave.
- "Payment not supported" — the merchant only takes local debit cards or WeChat balance. Switch to the Tour Pass balance or use the other app.
- High currency-conversion fees — paying in yuan (CNY) instead of your home currency almost always wins on the rate. Pick CNY whenever the terminal asks.
- App stuck in Chinese — both Alipay and WeChat have an English mode in Settings; the translation toggle is near the top.
Cash: Still Accepted (Sort Of)
You can still use cash in China — and by law, businesses must accept it — but don't expect the ease of the West.
- Large hotels, supermarkets, and most chain restaurants accept banknotes without fuss.
- Street vendors and small shops often lack change for anything bigger than ¥100.
- Some cash-only places (rare) are the exception that proves the rule.
Carry ¥300–500 in small denominations as an emergency buffer, but plan to live on your phone.
ATMs and Getting Cash
Need physical yuan? Chinese ATMs work with international cards, but a few tips save you headaches:
- Use Bank of China, ICBC, or China Merchants Bank ATMs — the most foreign-card friendly.
- Look for ATMs with the UnionPay, Visa, or Mastercard logos on the machine.
- Choose to be charged in yuan (CNY), not your home currency — the exchange rate is better.
- Your home bank's ATM fee plus a ~1% China surcharge is typical; withdraw a week's worth at once.
Tips and Common Mistakes
- Set Alipay to English and enable fingerprint or face pay — it's faster than typing a PIN.
- Learn two phrases: "sao ni" (I'll scan you) and "ni sao wo" (you scan me).
- Don't rely on Apple Pay or Google Pay — they rarely work at Chinese merchants.
- Keep your passport handy when adding a card; verification requires it.
Pro tip: set everything up at home before you fly, while your foreign SMS still works. Doing it jet-lagged at the airport is an unnecessary struggle.
The Bottom Line
Paying in China boils down to one sentence: set up Alipay with an international card before you arrive, add WeChat Pay as a backup, carry a little cash, and you're covered. If you'd rather skip the fiddly setup entirely, a ChinaPass local friend can get both apps configured the moment you land — SIM card, VPN, Alipay, WeChat, and transport apps, all handled.