How to Pay in China as a Foreigner (2026)

Can foreigners actually use Alipay and WeChat Pay?

Yes. Since 2023 both apps allow direct binding of foreign-issued cards, and by 2026 this is the normal way visitors pay. You need a passport and a phone number you can receive SMS on — that is it. No Chinese bank account, no Chinese ID, no local address.

These card networks are accepted:

The practical catch is not the app — it is your home bank. Most banks add their own 1–3% foreign transaction fee on top of any Chinese fee. A card with no FX markup saves real money across a ten-day trip.

The ¥200 rule: exactly when the 3% fee hits

Alipay and WeChat Pay apply the same rule to every international card. The only thing that matters is the size of a single transaction.

WeChat Pay gives new users a 60-day head start

If you are binding an international card to WeChat Pay for the first time, the 3% fee is waived for 60 days on daily payments under ¥1,000, a saving of up to ¥30 per transaction. The waiver is applied automatically; you do not need to claim it.

Setting up Alipay, step by step

1. Install Alipay before you leave homeApp Store regions and Play Store availability both cause problems once you are inside China. Do this while your home network and app store work normally.
2. Register with your home phone numberYour usual number works. You will need to receive an SMS, so make sure roaming or SMS delivery is active.
3. Verify your identity with your passportAlipay asks for a photo of your passport and a selfie. This is the step that unlocks foreign-card binding, do not skip it.
4. Add your card under the payment settingsEnter the card number, expiry and the 3-digit code. A small verification charge may appear and is refunded.
5. Test it before you rely on itMake one small purchase, a bottle of water, a metro ticket. Finding out a card does not work at a hotel front desk is much worse than finding out at a convenience store.

Setting up WeChat Pay, step by step

1. Install WeChat and create an accountSign up with your phone number. New accounts created from outside China sometimes require an existing user to confirm you, arrange this with a contact before you travel if you can.
2. Complete identity verificationPassport details plus a selfie, same as Alipay. Verification can take a few minutes to a day, which is another reason to start early.
3. Bind your international cardGo to Me → Services → Wallet → Bank Cards. Add the card and confirm the verification charge.
4. Enable the QR payment screenKeep the Pay/Receive shortcut handy. You will open it dozens of times a day.
5. Confirm your 60-day fee waiver is activeNew international card users get fee-free daily payments under ¥1,000 for the first 60 days.

Alipay or WeChat Pay, which should you install?

Install both. They cost nothing and take about five minutes each, and you will run into merchants that accept only one. But if you want to know which does the heavy lifting:

Spending limits you should know

Verified foreign users are subject to per-transaction and annual caps. Current figures reported under People's Bank of China guidance are roughly ¥35,000 (about $5,000) per transaction and ¥350,000 (about $50,000) per year. For a normal trip these ceilings are irrelevant; they matter if you are buying something large like electronics or paying a hospital bill.

Limits can be raised by completing additional verification inside the app. If you expect a large purchase, sort this out before the day you need it.

What happened to Alipay Tour Pass?

It is gone. Tour Pass was a prepaid mini-program that let visitors load up to ¥2,000 onto a virtual card. Alipay began phasing it out from late 2023, and by 2026 it is no longer available.

You do not need a replacement for it. The main Alipay app now does directly what Tour Pass was invented to work around: bind your own foreign card and pay. Any guide still telling you to "top up your Tour Pass" is out of date.

Cash, cards and ATMs, what still matters

China is close to cashless, but not entirely, and the exceptions are the situations where you least want to be stuck.

• Carry ¥300–500 in small notes. Some older taxi drivers, small rural vendors and market stalls still prefer cash, and occasionally a QR code simply will not scan.
• International cards work directly at hotels and large stores. Chains, department stores and international hotels accept physical Visa/Mastercard. Small restaurants generally do not.
• ATMs are widely available. Bank of China, ICBC and China Construction Bank ATMs generally accept foreign cards. Expect your home bank's withdrawal fee plus a possible local fee.
• Do not rely on cash alone. Plenty of places now genuinely cannot make change.

Common problems and how to fix them

My card will not bind

Almost always one of three things: identity verification is incomplete, the card is not enabled for overseas/internet transactions, or your bank is blocking the verification charge. Call your bank and tell them you are travelling to China; this single step prevents most failures.

I am not receiving the SMS code

Use a number that can receive international SMS, and check that roaming is on before you leave. If your home number fails entirely, a travel eSIM with a real phone number is the usual fix.

A payment was declined at the counter

Try the other app. If both fail, pay cash. Declines are more often the merchant's terminal or a bank-side block than a problem with your account.

I need a refund

Refunds are processed by the merchant back to the original card. The 3% fee on a transaction over ¥200 is generally refunded along with it, but the timing follows the merchant, and your home bank's FX rate on the way back will differ slightly from the way out.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

Fee and limit figures cross-checked against platform help documentation and Chinese government guidance as of September 2026. Card-network acceptance and app policies change, verify current terms in the app before relying on a specific limit.