How to pay in China as a tourist

1. What to prepare

• Alipay on your phone. Install or update Alipay (支付宝) before you leave.
• A mobile number that receives texts. Your regular overseas number works for sign-up. Keep that line reachable in China if you plan to use a separate data eSIM.
• Your passport. Have the original ready for the ID fields and any photo the app requests.
• An eligible overseas credit or debit card in your name. Visa and Mastercard are common choices. Alipay’s card guide also lists JCB, Discover and Diners Club. Check yours in the app and keep access to your bank’s approval texts or banking app.

Store unavailable? Open the official Alipay download page.

2. Register, verify your passport and add a card

Register with your overseas mobile number

1. Open Alipay. On the welcome screen, tap the code beside the phone field. Choose the code for your number, such as +44 for the UK or +1 for the US or Canada.
2. Enter your phone number in the format shown and tap Next. Read and accept the terms to continue, then enter the SMS code if prompted.
3. After you sign in, choose International Version if Alipay offers it. This is an option within the same app.

Verify your passport

1. Open the identity menu. Tap Me or Account at the bottom right. Tap the settings gear, then Account and Security → Identity Information. On some versions, tapping your profile picture or name under Account also leads to Identity Information. If a verification prompt is already open, follow that prompt.
2. Fill in the details. Open Basic Identity Information if shown. Select Passport if asked for an ID type. Choose the country or region that issued it. Enter your name, passport number and expiry exactly as printed. The form may ask for other details, such as date of birth, gender, occupation or address. Follow the field labels on your screen.
3. Submit the photo and check the result. If asked to upload a photo separately, return to Identity Information → Verification Photo. Use a sharp photo of the passport page that shows your picture and details, with the whole page visible. Complete a face check if prompted, then return to the identity screen to see if any items still need attention.

Add your overseas bank card

1. Open Me / Account → Bank Cards → Add Bank Card. The Add Now prompt on the home screen leads to the same task if it appears.
2. Type the card number or use Scan if offered. Enter the expiry date and security code. If asked for your name or billing address, use the details your issuer has on file. If asked for the issuing country, select the country where the card was issued.
3. Read the terms and tap Agree to Terms and Add if shown. If your bank sends an approval by SMS or in its banking app, complete it. Return to Bank Cards and check that the card is listed with the correct last four digits.

Account sign-in, wallet identity checks and card approval are separate steps. With your card saved, you can make a small purchase once you arrive to check it works.

3. Where it works, limits and fees

• What it pays for. Use your linked card for eligible merchant purchases in mainland China, such as a coffee, a meal or groceries. The card pays directly and the wallet balance can stay empty. Personal transfers, red packets and similar wallet features aren’t available through a linked international card.
• What to check on a large bill. Shanghai’s visitor guide lists limits of up to US$5,000 per purchase and US$50,000 per year for linked overseas cards. Your account or issuer may set a lower limit. Check yours before relying on Alipay for a hotel deposit or large purchase.
• Platform fee. A single purchase of ¥200 or less is generally exempt. Above ¥200, a 3% fee can apply to the full amount. At that rate, a ¥300 purchase costs ¥309. Check the fee shown before you confirm.
• Currency conversion. The purchase is priced in yuan. Your card network and issuing bank determine the conversion for your statement, and your bank may charge its own foreign transaction fee.

Official guide to overseas-card fees and limits

4. How to pay at the counter

If a QR code opens a transfer screen, ask for the shop’s merchant QR code. You can show the cashier 有商家收款码吗？ (“Do you have a merchant QR code?”).

5. Common Alipay questions

Why was my passport rejected?

Compare your name, passport number, expiry date and issuing country with the document. Retake a blurry photo in even light. If Alipay asks for another page or a separate face check, complete that request in the app.

What if Alipay says my account is restricted?

Open the restriction notice and follow its instructions. If you can’t resolve it there, contact Alipay from Help Center or call +86 571 2688 6000 from an overseas number. Note the error text before closing it. If you have a payment in progress, check its status before using a backup.

Do I need to top up or withdraw a wallet balance?

For the linked-card method, leave the balance empty and pay from your card. If you need a refund, ask the merchant to refund the original purchase and track it in Alipay and your card statement.

Why is the card saved but the payment declined?

Check whether you scanned a merchant code, confirm the right card is selected and look for an approval request from your bank. If the app shows a failed payment, try another card, WeChat Pay or cash. If it says Pending, ask the shop whether it received the payment before trying again.

Alipay’s official support information

1. Download WeChat and sign in

Install WeChat (微信) before departure. Weixin Pay is the payment wallet inside WeChat. Have your passport, a phone line that can receive texts and an eligible card in your name. Keep access to the phone number registered with your bank as well.

1. If you already have WeChat, sign in and update the app. If you are new, choose Sign Up and follow the mobile-number registration prompts.
2. Choose your country or region so the calling code matches your SIM. Enter the overseas number you will still be able to access in China. You can keep that line on for texts while a separate eSIM provides data.
3. Complete the security check and enter the SMS code when requested. If WeChat asks for registration assistance, follow the process shown in the app. Once you reach your Chats or Me tab, you can start setting up payments.

2. Open the wallet, verify your ID and add a card

Find the wallet

1. Tap the bottom-right Me tab. Open Services, then Wallet.
2. If Services is missing, try Me → Settings → General → Tools → Weixin Pay → Enable if these options appear. Return to Me and check for Services again.
3. If the route still differs, update WeChat and open Tencent’s visitor help page. The Shanghai visitor guide also shows an official card-linking QR you can scan from + at the top right. Use it only from the official page.

Complete the identity check as prompted

Some accounts can add an overseas card with basic information first. If you see Verify Now or a request for identity information inside the wallet, open it, choose your passport as the document if offered and follow the app’s instructions. Use your name and passport details as printed. If a passport photo is requested, capture the full photo page clearly. Check the screen for any remaining steps before relying on the wallet.

Bind your international card

1. Tap Bank Cards → Add a Bank Card from Wallet. Enter the number or use another entry option if offered.
2. Check the cardholder name, expiry and security code. Enter the billing address if requested using the information held by your issuer. Read the Weixin Pay agreement and confirm.
3. If asked to verify the number on file with your bank, check that line or the banking app for the alert. A bank code approves the card and is separate from the WeChat sign-in code. Set a payment password if the wallet prompts you to.
4. Return to Bank Cards and match the last four digits to the card you added. The practical test is a small purchase at a staffed shop after arrival.

3. Where it works and what it costs

Use the linked card for eligible merchant purchases in mainland China. Weixin Pay can charge the card directly without topping up the wallet. Personal transfers and red packets fall outside the ordinary international-card purchase flow.

Tencent lists international Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express and Discover Global Network cards including Diners Club, among others. The app and issuer determine whether your specific card is eligible. Shanghai’s visitor guide lists maximums of US$5,000 per payment and US$50,000 per year for linked overseas cards. Check the limit shown for your account.

Payments of ¥200 or less are generally exempt from the platform fee. Above ¥200, the platform may charge 3% of the full amount. Check the checkout total and any eligible waiver, then check your card agreement for issuer fees. A ¥300 purchase with a 3% platform fee would show ¥309 before any separate issuer charge.

Shanghai’s official guide to international card fees and limits

4. Make your first payment at a staffed shop

When the shop displays a QR code

1. In WeChat, tap + at the top right and select Scan.
2. Scan the merchant sign. Check the shop name and enter the yuan amount if the screen asks you to.
3. Choose your linked card if there is a choice. Review the total, any fee and the selected card, then confirm and wait for the result.

When the shop scans your phone

1. From the main WeChat screen open + and Money if shown. Some versions put the payment option in Me → Services.
2. Open your payment code and choose your linked card if prompted. Hold it toward the cashier’s reader and check the receipt amount in the app once the payment is complete.

If a QR takes you to a personal transfer screen, ask for a merchant code. See the two checkout pictures to tell which direction the scan goes.

5. Fix common WeChat Pay problems

The wallet asks for a different text code

During sign-up, check the number you typed into WeChat. During card verification, check the number your bank has on file and look for an approval in its app.

The card is there but it won’t pay

Check the selected card and whether the QR is for a merchant purchase. If your app confirms the attempt failed, use a different card, Alipay or cash. Ask your issuer about any card block.

A payment still shows as pending

Ask the cashier to check their side and open the transaction in your wallet. Wait for the outcome before paying again. Keep the transaction reference if you need help.

I can’t find the wallet or sign in

If you’re signed in, try the enabling steps above. For sign-in or payment issues, use Tencent’s official Weixin Pay support. Use a different payment method for the immediate purchase.

Tencent’s explanation of overseas numbers and identity checks · Official guide to enabling Weixin Pay