How to Pay in China

Mobile payments and digital wallets, curated for travelers visiting China.

Last updated: August 20264 sources

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What to know about Payments in China

Alipay is the most practical first wallet for a short-term visitor, with Weixin Pay inside WeChat as the strongest backup.

Best Payments apps in China (2026)

AlipayEssential

Visitor-friendly QR payments plus transport, DiDi and government mini programs using supported foreign cards.

Pro tip: Verify your passport and link two cards before departure. Foreign cards fund merchant purchases, not ordinary wallet transfers or personal payment QR codes, so keep cash as a fallback.

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Both accept registration with an overseas phone number and allow supported international cards after passport verification. Official guidance current in July 2026 lists Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Diners Club, Discover and UnionPay, although the exact networks differ by wallet and issuing bank. The published limits for a wallet linked to an international card are US$5,000 per transaction and US$50,000 per year as of July 2026. A 3 percent service fee generally applies above RMB 200, while smaller transactions are fee-free.

Limits, issuer checks and promotions can change. Foreign cards normally work for merchant QR payments, not wallet top-ups, transfers or a seller's personal QR code. Link two cards from different networks, enable overseas online purchases with each issuer, and keep renminbi cash because merchants must accept it even when change is inconvenient. Physical foreign cards are accepted mainly at larger hotels, malls and transport points.

Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal are not substitutes for the dominant local QR wallets. Alipay also hosts DiDi, transport and immigration mini programs, which makes it useful even when direct card payment is available.