Mobile Payments in China: Alipay & WeChat Pay for Foreigners

China is functionally cashless — street vendors won't take your notes. The good news: your international card now works in Alipay and WeChat Pay in under 10 minutes.

Set up once, tap forever

Download Alipay International or WeChat, register with your passport and overseas phone number, then link Visa/Mastercard/AmEx or even Apple Pay. Alipay supports foreign cards directly for up to ¥50,000 per transaction with a 3% fee waived under ¥200. Verification codes arrive as SMS to your home number — keep roaming on for the first day.

What each app is best at

Alipay: transit QR codes in every metro (best for transport), TourPass-style multi-currency wallet, translate feature.
WeChat Pay: needed for many small restaurants and vendor QR codes that refuse Alipay; also the only way to book some mini-program tickets.
Set up both — it costs nothing and doubles acceptance.

Where cash is still king

Temples' donation boxes, some rural homestays, and the odd honest taxi driver. Carry ¥300 in small notes (10s and 20s) for the edge cases. ATMs remain everywhere (see our cash guide).

Refunds, receipts and scams

Every payment produces an in-app receipt with merchant name — useful for expense tracking. Refunds go back to your card in 3–7 days. Ignore anyone asking you to scan a personal QR code to 「receive a refund」; merchants pay you, never the reverse.