Before you go
Alipay & WeChat Pay for foreign visitors
China runs on two payment apps. Cards are accepted almost nowhere small and cash is increasingly awkward — but since 2023 both apps take a foreign card directly, so setup is easy if you do it at home.
Checked September 2026
Short answer
Install Alipay and WeChat before you fly and link a foreign Visa, Mastercard, Amex, JCB or Discover to at least one of them — you no longer need a Chinese bank account or the old prepaid Tour Pass. As a rule of thumb in 2026, payments up to ¥200 carry no fee; above ¥200 a cross-border fee of about 3% is added. Per-transaction limits run into the thousands of yuan, which is plenty for normal travel spending. Carry a little cash for the rare stall or ticket window that won't take a foreign-linked QR.
Rules change. The current, authoritative version is on Alipay's international site (global.alipay.com) — WeChat Pay publishes its own help pages; the fee and limit figures on both change, so treat the numbers here as a guide. This page was last checked September 2026.
Which app to set up
Set up both if you can. Alipay tends to be the smoother one for foreigners and has a solid English interface. WeChat you’ll want anyway for messaging and for things that live inside it, and WeChat Pay works the same way.
Linking a foreign card
Do this at home. Rough flow:
- Install the app and register with your home phone number.
- Open the wallet / “Bank Cards” section and add a card — Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB and Discover are accepted.
- Complete identity verification: passport details and a face scan.
- Make a small test payment once you land.
Fees and limits
As a 2026 rule of thumb, on both apps:
- Up to ¥200 per payment: no fee.
- Above ¥200: about a 3% cross-border service fee is added to the amount.
- Per-transaction limits are in the low thousands of yuan, with higher monthly totals — fine for hotels, meals, tickets and shopping. A single large purchase (a pricey tour, a flight) can hit a cap or the fee; split it or use a card directly if the merchant takes one.
These numbers have moved more than once — the official pages have the current version.
The prepaid fallback (Tour Pass)
Alipay’s bank-partnered Tour Pass still exists: top it up with a foreign card (each top-up valid about 90 days), spend it down, and any leftover balance is refunded to your card automatically. Treat it as a backup if a direct card link is refused.
If a payment fails
- Try the other app.
- Try a smaller amount (you may be over a per-payment cap).
- Ask to scan the vendor’s QR and enter the amount yourself.
- Cash machines: Bank of China and ICBC ATMs generally accept foreign cards.
Carry some cash anyway
A few hundred yuan covers the gaps — a rural bus, a temple ticket window, a stall with no signal. Ask for ¥20 notes; ¥100s are hard to break for small buys.
Scope
What this guide does not cover
- Opening a real Chinese bank account — that needs residency and a branch visit.
- Receiving money, or running a merchant / business account.
- Booking domestic train tickets as a foreigner — that's covered in the apps guide.
FAQ
Common questions
Do I still need the Alipay Tour Pass?
Usually not — linking a card directly covers most situations. The prepaid Tour Pass still exists as a fallback: you top it up (each top-up valid ~90 days) and any unused balance is refunded to your card automatically.
Is there a fee?
Small payments are free; above about ¥200 a roughly 3% cross-border fee is added, on both apps. WeChat has at times run a promo waiving fees for new international users for their first 90 days up to a daily cap — check when you set up.
Can I set it up without a Chinese phone number?
Yes. You register with your home mobile number and verify with your passport and a face scan. The whole setup can be done before you arrive.
The vendor's scanner won't read my payment code — now what?
Switch to the other app, or ask to scan the vendor's QR and type the amount yourself. Keep some cash for the occasional cash-only stall or state-run counter.
Method & honesty
How this page is kept honest
Written from first-hand travel and checked against official sources on the date above. Rules — visa policy especially — change; where a detail really matters, confirm it against the official source before you rely on it.