Transit Apps in China

Urban fares are city-specific, so there is no single national transit app or pass.

Alipay's Transport section can create local metro or bus QR codes in many cities after you select and activate that city. The setup may require passport details, and current traveler reports show that a code can still fail to activate with a foreign account. Keep a physical alternative. Metro ticket machines and staffed counters sell single journeys, often with cash and increasingly with international cards.

Contactless foreign bank-card entry is expanding but is not nationwide: Beijing lists direct metro acceptance for major international card networks in its March 2026 visitor measures, while Shanghai has introduced foreign-card tap on selected systems. Do not assume the same card works in every city or on every bus. AMap Global provides useful urban route planning and live local stop information, but ticketing remains separate. Screenshots of the Chinese station name and exit number help because large interchanges have many exits.

If a QR ticket is loaded, keep it open until you have scanned out, especially where mobile reception drops underground. During busy periods, a physical city transport card can be simpler for repeated trips. Trip.com is not an urban transit app and is therefore moved to intercity transport and travel booking.