In short, October 2026: almost everything in China is paid by QR code with Alipay or WeChat Pay (Weixin Pay), and both apps take foreign cards: Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners Club, Discover and American Express. Set both up at home before you fly, with your own phone number. Payments up to 200 yuan carry no fee from the app, above 200 yuan both add 3 percent, and the limits are 5,000 US dollars per payment and 50,000 a year. A foreign card cannot send money to people or red packets. Carry a little cash as a backup.
There are three options: Cash, Credit card or Digital payment apps.
Update, September 2026: everything below still holds, with one improvement since I wrote it. In March 2024 the limits for foreign cards linked to Alipay and WeChat Pay were raised to about 5,000 US dollars per payment and 50,000 a year, once you have verified your passport in the app. The 3 percent fee above 200 yuan is still there. Set both apps up at home before you fly. Two things have moved on since: the Beijing metro, and the networks in other cities, now take contactless Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, JCB and American Express at the gate, so the line below about not being able to pay by card in the metro no longer holds; and a card newly linked to Weixin Pay has the 3 per cent waived for 60 days on payments under 1,000 yuan, capped at 30 yuan saved per payment, which covers most of a two-week trip.
Cash
I was told that cash would be almost dead and that most shops don’t really use it anymore. I wanted to put this to the test! Here’s what I found out: After 2 months I have realized that in every shop, every restaurant, every convenience store, fast food stand, hotel, rural villages in Yunnan (more on it on future posts), and so on, no one ever pays with cash. This doesn’t mean you can’t. In the hospital, to buy tickets at a metro station or other facilities: it is possible, and I have seen it. But, in general, even in the most rural villages in the mountains (Dong Autonomous Prefecture), you were able to pay with Alipay and WeChat Pay.
Credit card
Credit cards (Visa or Mastercard) are generally accepted in big stores, hotels, and some applications. There is for instance Trip.com, an application, where you can buy train tickets, book hotels and more with your credit card. (see my post about must have apps). In addition, Apple Pay is also used in big cities. However, if you go to a restaurant, want to take a taxi, go to the metro, smaller shops, hairdresser and so on, you can’t pay with credit card.
Apple Pay is available in China, so that works sometimes.
Digital payment apps
I am being honest here, you need Alipay, if you stay longer in China. Maybe you can get along in Beijing with Cash and Credit Card, but other than that, never ever!
Applications are the most popular way to pay because it’s easy and quick. The two applications are either WeChat (Tencent) or Alipay (Alibaba). After my quick summary, I will explain in detail the two apps in relation to paying for something.
My quick summary:
WeChat, a versatile app widely used in China, offers a seamless sign-up process via phone number and SMS. Much like WhatsApp, it supports chatting and facilitates text translation within conversations. Additionally, it features a social media-like platform for sharing posts and incorporates WeChat Pay, allowing users to link their credit cards for transactions, but with occasional difficulties in registration.
While WeChat serves well for tourists with its messaging features, Alipay stands out as a payment-focused platform. Alipay streamlines payments via QR codes, making transactions effortless. However, both WeChat and Alipay charge a 3% processing fee for transactions above 200 yuan, which might be considerable, especially when combined with credit card fees. What I do at a merchant: I split up my bill to 199 yuan multiple times and it works.
In summary, WeChat resembles WhatsApp, catering to tourists with its chat functionalities, whereas Alipay excels in simplifying payments through QR codes. Nonetheless, the 3% processing fee for transactions over 200 yuan remains a notable downside in both apps, impacting larger transactions with additional charges. But you can’t change that.
(I told ChatGPT by voice my opinion, and it summarized my thought. What do you think?)
Set up Alipay and WeChat Pay with a foreign card, step by step
Do this at home, a few days before you fly: your bank has to authorise the link, and some banks refuse it at first. You need your phone number, which must be able to receive SMS codes, your card and your passport. Checked in October 2026 against the apps’ own help pages.
Alipay
- Download Alipay from the App Store or Google Play.
- Enter your mobile number and tap Next to register.
- Tap Add Now, enter your card and follow the prompts.
- Above a certain amount you are asked to verify your identity, so keep your passport at hand.
- To pay, scan the shop’s QR code or show your own payment code.
Sources: Alipay+, Pay in the Chinese mainland; on identity checks, the payment guide of the People’s Bank of China.
WeChat Pay (Weixin Pay)
- Install or update WeChat and sign up with your mobile number. A foreign number works if it can receive SMS codes.
- Go to Me, then Pay and Services (Services in older versions), then Wallet.
- Open Bank Cards, add your card, accept the user agreement and the privacy policy, and enter your identity details.
- Verify with your passport: the app asks you to upload a copy.
- To pay, scan the shop’s QR code or show your payment code.
Source: WeChat Help Center, How to set up international cards for Weixin Pay.
Fees and limits for foreign cards
| October 2026 | Alipay | WeChat Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Cards | Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners Club, Discover, American Express (cards issued by American Express) | Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Diners Club, Discover |
| Fee up to 200 yuan | None | None |
| Fee above 200 yuan | 3% of the whole payment | 3% of the whole payment |
| Limit per payment | 5,000 US dollars | 5,000 US dollars |
| Limit per year | 50,000 US dollars | 50,000 US dollars |
| Not possible with a foreign card | Transfers to people, red packets | Transfers to people, red packets |
The exchange rate comes from your card network and your bank, so check your statement. Sources: the fees from the WeChat Help Center and, for Alipay, the state-run China Services Info (February 2025); the limits from the Chinese government (March 2024, for Alipay and Tenpay, which runs WeChat Pay); the cards from Beijing’s government (March 2026) and Alipay (American Express since February 2025).
My story:
Well, there was one little problem: I couldn’t pay for my SIM card with WeChat or Alipay. I could, however, send money to my girlfriend in China. It worked fine with 1 yuan and 100 yuan (about $12), but when I tried to send her 200 yuan (to buy a Chinese sim card), the bank blocked her credit card and she had to go to a bank branch in person with her ID and documents. So yes, they were quite strict, and we decided not to send any more money. (Which is a bit strange, but maybe the automated system suspected money laundering?)
In the end, her card was cancelled, and she also had to buy a new phone number, since everything is linked to a number in China, even her Bank, and that was it. A bit extreme, right?
But, sending money with the Qr-code to firms or businesses worked well, and that is important.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Chinese bank account or a Chinese phone number? No. A foreign card and your own number, as long as it receives SMS codes, are enough for both apps.
Can I send money to a friend or a red packet? Not with a foreign card. Both apps only let you pay shops, restaurants and other businesses with it.
How do I keep the 3 percent fee down? Payments up to 200 yuan carry no fee. WeChat Pay also waives the 3 percent for 60 days after you first link a card, on payments under 1,000 yuan, saving at most 30 yuan per payment (Beijing government, March 2026).
My card is refused. What now? Call your bank: it has to authorise the link to Alipay or WeChat Pay, and some banks block it at first. Then try again, or add another card.
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