How to Pay in China as a Visitor

Set up Alipay before you fly, add WeChat Pay as a second option, and keep a Visa or Mastercard and a few hundred yuan in cash as backups.

How people pay in China

In shops, restaurants, taxis and ticket offices, the usual way to pay is a QR code. Either you open the payment code in your app and the cashier scans it, or you scan the shop's code and type in the amount. Hotels, department stores and larger restaurants in Shanghai, Hangzhou and Chengdu often take contactless cards as well, but markets, small cafés and street stalls mostly do not.

Setting up Alipay

• Download Alipay and switch the language to English.

• Register with the mobile number you will have with you in China. Verification codes arrive by text message.

• Add a Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners Club or Discover card.

• Complete the identity check if the app asks for one. It usually means a photo of your passport.

• Find the Pay button (your code) and the Scan button (their code) on the home screen before you need them.

Fees and limits

Alipay and WeChat Pay charge no foreign-card fee on payments of ¥200 or less. Above ¥200 they add 3% to the whole amount, and your own bank may add its foreign-transaction fee on top. Foreign cards also have spending limits, so check them in the app before a large purchase such as a hotel bill.

WeChat Pay as a second option

WeChat Pay works the same way. Add it so that one declined card or one app outage does not leave you stuck at a till. You will want WeChat anyway: it is how most hosts, drivers and restaurants in China send messages.

Cash and cards

Carry a few hundred yuan in small notes. Cash is legal tender and most places accept it, though some small vendors may be short of change. ATMs at airports and at large banks such as Bank of China accept foreign cards. Hotels usually ask for a card or cash deposit at check-in; ask which they accept when you book.

If a payment is declined

Try the other app, then a card, then cash. Most declines on a first trip come from your own bank's fraud check on an unfamiliar overseas payment. Tell your bank you are travelling and keep its app on your phone so you can approve a payment on the spot.