💳 Payment
How to Pay in China
: Complete Guide for Foreign Visitors
The first thing most travelers ask: how do I actually pay for things in China?
🎯 Quick Answer
Set up Alipay before you fly. Link your Visa or Mastercard to it — that covers 95% of your payments in China. Keep ¥500–1000 in cash as backup. WeChat Pay is a good secondary option. Physical credit cards work in limited places only.
The first thing most travelers ask me about China is, "How the hell do I actually pay for things there?"
It's a fair question. Walk into any shop in China and nobody's pulling out a wallet. They're all scanning QR codes. It can feel intimidating if you're arriving from a country where tap-and-go means Apple Pay and you're still using cards for half your purchases.
But here's the good news: paying in China is genuinely straightforward for foreigners. The system has opened up massively in the last couple of years.
💡 The Short Answer
You have four options:
- Alipay (支付宝) — The most popular mobile payment app in China. Set it up with a foreign passport and international credit card in about 15 minutes. This is what I recommend for most travelers.
- WeChat Pay (微信支付) — Lives inside WeChat (China's everything app). Very similar to Alipay, but you'll need WeChat installed anyway (trust me, you'll want it).
- Cash (现金) — Yes, cash still works. But shops will struggle to give you change, and some smaller vendors might not have any on hand.
- Physical credit cards — Works at international hotels, some high-end malls, and airports. Don't rely on this as your main method.
| Alipay | WeChat Pay | Cash | Credit Card | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accepted everywhere? | Pretty much | Pretty much | Most places | Limited |
| Need Chinese bank account? | No | No | No | No |
| Need Chinese phone number? | No | No | No | No |
| Fees | 0% for small transactions | 0% for small transactions | Currency exchange + bank fees | DCC + bank fees |
👍 What Most Travelers Do
Seriously, just set up Alipay before you fly. Link your Visa or Mastercard to it. That covers 95% of your payments in China — from street food stalls to train tickets.
Keep some cash as backup (¥500–1000 should be plenty), and you're set.
WeChat Pay is worth having too if you plan to use WeChat for messaging (which you probably will), but if you only set up one, make it Alipay.
🔑 One Thing to Know Before We Dive In
The Chinese payment system runs on QR codes. Every merchant — from the guy selling roasted sweet potatoes on the corner to the ticketing counter at Shanghai Disneyland — has a QR code on their counter. You scan it with the app, enter the amount (or the merchant enters it), and tap pay. That's it.
Your foreign credit card sits behind the scenes. You link it once, then you use the app for everything. You almost never pull out the physical card. For a realistic look at where your card will and won't work, see our guide to using foreign credit cards in China.
🤔 Which Payment Method Should You Use?
Quick Answer: Use Alipay
Set it up in 15 minutes with your passport and international card. Works at 95% of places. No Chinese bank account needed.
How to Set Up Alipay as a Foreigner →Recommended Backup: WeChat Pay
Good to have as a backup. Also useful because WeChat is how Chinese people communicate — having both apps means you're covered.
How to Set Up WeChat Pay as a Foreigner →Emergency: Cash
Always carry ¥500–1000 in small bills for tiny vendors, emergencies, or when your app decides to act up.