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China Travel Guide

How to Pay in China as a Foreigner: Complete Guide for Tourists

China has gone almost completely cashless. Walking into any restaurant, convenience store, or street vendor in Beijing or Shanghai, you’ll see the same thing: a small QR code printed on paper or stuck to the counter, with customers scanning it to pay. If you’re arriving as an international tourist, you need to be ready to pay the same way locals do.

The Short Answer

Foreign tourists in China should set up Alipay and WeChat Pay before arrival. Both apps accept international Visa, Mastercard, or Maestro cards. Here’s the key fee hack: Alipay charges around 3% on single payments over 200 RMB—but you can avoid this by asking vendors to split payments into smaller amounts.

Most hotels, restaurants, and shops in major cities accept these apps. Carry some cash for small vendors and rural areas, but you won’t need much.

Why Mobile Payment Dominates China

Walk into any Beijing metro station and you’ll see turnstiles with QR code scanners but no ticket windows. Hop in a taxi and the driver will pull out a phone for payment before you can reach for your wallet. Even tip jars at coffee shops display QR codes.

This isn’toptional convenience—it’s the standard. Many places don’t accept foreign credit cards at all. The few that do often have minimum purchase requirements or charge higher prices to cover card processing fees.

Setting up both Alipay and WeChat before you arrive means you can pay everywhere from five-star hotels to roadside noodle stands, without searching for an ATM first.

Beijing metro station turnstile with QR code scanner for mobile payment

Step-by-Step: Setting Up Alipay

  1. Download the Alipay app before arriving (available on iOS and Android)
  2. Sign up with your international phone number
  3. When prompted to verify identity, select “passport” as your ID type
  4. Add your international Visa, Mastercard, or Maestro card
  5. Complete any verification steps required

The process takes about 10 minutes if you have your passport and card ready. You’ll know it’s working when you can see your card balance in the app.

Alipay works in two modes: Linked Card (pays directly from your credit card) and Alipay Balance (pre-loaded money). For international tourists, the linked card mode is simpler—you don’t need to load money upfront.

Step-by-Step: Setting Up WeChat Pay

WeChat Pay follows a similar process:

  1. Download WeChat and create an account with your international phone number
  2. Go to Wallet > Cards > Add Card
  3. Enter your international card details
  4. Complete verification

One important note: WeChat Pay may require additional verification steps for international cards. Some users report needing a Chinese phone number for full functionality, though others have gotten it working with just an international number and passport verification. If you run into issues, getting a local SIM card alongside an eSIM usually solves it.

The Fee Hack: Split Payments

This is the most useful trick for tourists using Alipay with international cards:

Pay amounts over 200 RMB in two separate transactions to avoid the ~3% fee.

A traveler at a Beijing restaurant learned this the hard way when they saw an extra charge on a 250 RMB bill. By asking to pay in two installments—125 RMB each—they paid the exact amount with no extra fee. Most restaurants will accommodate this request.

The fee structure works like this:

  • Single payment under 200 RMB: no fee
  • Single payment over 200 RMB: approximately 3% fee
  • Two payments under 200 RMB each: no fee

This trick alone can save you 30-60 RMB per day depending on your spending habits.

When Apps Don’t Work

Despite China’s near-universal mobile payment adoption, you’ll occasionally encounter situations where cash is necessary:

Traditional street vendor in China accepting cash payment

  • Small street vendors in less touristy areas may only accept cash
  • Some rural areas and smaller cities have limited digital payment infrastructure
  • Tipping isn’t expected in China, but some high-end restaurants may prefer cash for service charges
  • Emergency backup: Keep 500-1000 RMB cash on hand for when your phone dies or payment apps glitch

ATMs are widely available in major cities, with UnionPay ATMs the most common. Visa and Mastercard ATMs exist but are less frequent.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  1. Not setting up before arrival: Both apps work best when you have time to troubleshoot without the pressure of needing to pay for dinner
  2. Relying on credit cards: Many restaurants and shops don’t accept foreign cards directly—even ones with Visa logos
  3. Carrying zero cash: You will encounter at least one vendor or situation that requires bills
  4. Assuming Didi works without payment apps: Your ride-hail app is linked to Alipay or WeChat—get payment working first
  5. Ignoring the 200 RMB rule: That 3% fee adds up quickly on larger purchases

Quick Checklist

Before your trip:

  • Download Alipay and WeChat
  • Add an international card to both apps
  • Test that payments go through before departing
  • Carry 500-1000 RMB cash as backup
  • Remember to split payments over 200 RMB

With these apps working, you’re equipped to handle 95% of payment situations in China. The learning curve is small, but the convenience is enormous—you’ll wonder how you ever managed without them.

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