China Transit Guide

How Foreigners Pay in China: Alipay and WeChat Pay With a Foreign Card

Published 2026-10-06 · Updated 2026-10-06

How Foreigners Pay in China: Alipay, WeChat Pay and Foreign Cards

In Chinese cities, most everyday payments (a coffee, a metro ticket, a street snack) are made by scanning a QR code with a phone. For visitors, that used to be a problem. Today you can link a foreign bank card to Alipay or WeChat Pay (Weixin Pay) and pay much like locals do. Here's how it works, based on official guidance from Chinese regulators and the payment companies themselves.

Fees, limits and features change. Check the in-app information before you pay, and see the sources at the end. Checked on 6 October 2026.

The options at a glance

A payment guide for foreigners published by the People's Bank of China, via Xinhua on the Chinese government portal, lists the main options (Gov.cn, Apr 2024):

  • Mobile payment: Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay apps, to which foreign cards such as Visa and Mastercard can be linked.
  • Bank cards: foreign cards are accepted where the card network's logo is displayed. Under the guide, hotels rated three stars and above and attractions rated 4A and 5A are expected to accept foreign cards.
  • Cash: renminbi (RMB) can be obtained by exchanging money at banks or exchange points, or by withdrawing from ATMs.

China's foreign exchange regulator, SAFE, also publishes a Guide to Payment Services in China covering the same options.

Our suggestion: set up at least one mobile wallet before you travel, and carry a card and some cash as backup.

Alipay with a foreign card

Ant Group, which operates Alipay, says international visitors can link Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Discover, Diners Club and UnionPay International cards, and don't need a Chinese bank account or Chinese phone number (Alipay / Ant Group, Sep 2024).

Setting it up

  1. Download Alipay from your app store before you travel.
  2. Register with your own mobile number (you'll need to receive an SMS).
  3. Add your bank card in the app and complete identity verification with your passport if asked.
  4. To pay, either scan the merchant's QR code or show your payment code for the merchant to scan.

Using a wallet from home

Some foreign e-wallets work in China through Alipay+. Ant Group lists, among others, AlipayHK, Kaspi.kz, MPay, Touch 'n Go, Hipay, NayaPay, Changi Pay, OCBC Digital, Kakao Pay, Naver Pay, Toss Pay, TrueMoney and GCash (Alipay / Ant Group). The official payment guide also notes that Alipay supports some home-country e-wallets (Gov.cn).

Fees

We couldn't find a current official Alipay page stating its foreign-card fee, so we won't quote one. The fee, if any, is shown on the payment screen before you confirm. Check it, particularly for larger payments.

WeChat Pay (Weixin Pay) with a foreign card

WeChat's Help Center explains how to add an international card (WeChat Help Center):

  1. Go to Me > Pay and Services > Wallet > Bank Cards > Add.
  2. Enter your card details and verify your identity. A passport is accepted, and you may be asked to upload a photo of it.
  3. You don't need a Chinese (+86) phone number. Any number that can receive SMS works.

What you can and can't do

  • ✅ Pay merchants by scanning QR codes or showing your payment code.
  • ❌ Send red packets or make transfers to individuals with an international card (WeChat Help Center). So you can't easily "pay a friend back" this way.

Fees

According to WeChat's Help Center, single transactions up to RMB 200 are fee-free, and a 3% fee applies above RMB 200. If a payment is refunded, the fee is refunded proportionally (WeChat Help Center).

In May 2026, Tencent announced a 90-day fee waiver for first-time international-card users, covering up to RMB 1,000 per day (Tencent, May 2026). Promotions like this change, so check the app.

Other wallets and PayPal

Tencent says 36 overseas e-wallets can now pay through Weixin Pay, and that PayPal users (starting with US users) can scan Weixin Pay QR codes (Tencent).

Limits

The government payment guide says the single-transaction limit for foreigners using mobile payment was raised from US$1,000 to US$5,000, and the annual limit from US$10,000 to US$50,000 (Gov.cn). Your own card issuer may set lower limits, and some banks block the first foreign transaction as a security check. Tell your bank you're travelling.

Languages

According to the same guide, Alipay offers 16 languages (Gov.cn). Tencent mentions 16-language guidance for foreign visitors in Shenzhen (Tencent). Switch the language in each app's settings.

Bank cards and cash

  • Cards: look for the Visa, Mastercard or other network logo at the till. Larger hotels, malls and major attractions are your best bet (Gov.cn). UnionPay cards are widely accepted.
  • Cash: you can exchange money at banks and exchange points, or withdraw RMB from ATMs that accept foreign cards (Gov.cn). Small notes are handy for markets and small shops.
  • Bringing cash in: you must declare cash above RMB 20,000 or foreign currency worth more than US$5,000 when entering. See our entry checklist.

A practical setup checklist

  • Install Alipay and/or WeChat before you travel, and link a card
  • Make a small test payment soon after you arrive
  • Tell your bank you'll be in China
  • Bring a second card from a different network, if you can
  • Carry some RMB cash for backup
  • Check the fee on screen before confirming large payments

Common problems

Card declined when linking. Try a different card. Some issuers block these transactions until you approve them in your banking app.

Can't receive the SMS code. Make sure roaming is on, or use a local SIM or eSIM for data and SMS.

Merchant only accepts cash or a Chinese wallet. It's rare in cities, but it happens. Your backup cash solves it.

Planning a stopover?

If you're visiting on 240-hour visa-free transit, check that your itinerary qualifies with our transit checker, and remember to check official sources before travel.

Sources

Sources