How to pay in China

Don't panic — this is the #1 complaint from travelers. Most failures come down to three things: (1) the card type — virtual or prepaid cards are rejected, you need a physical Visa or Mastercard; (2) the billing address must match your card's registered address exactly; (3) your bank may block overseas transactions by default. Call your bank to enable international payments, then retry in Alipay → Me → Bank Cards → Add Card. If Alipay still fails, set up WeChat Pay as backup — some vendors only accept one or the other.

Where it usually goes wrong: Some banks send the SMS verification to a phone number that doesn't work in China. Make sure your bank can reach you via email or the number you're using.

Revolut works for some ATMs and POS terminals, but binding it to Alipay or WeChat is hit-or-miss. The safest setup: bring one physical Visa/Mastercard for Alipay/WeChat binding, plus ¥500–1000 cash for backup. Some smaller vendors and temples are cash-only. For large purchases, international credit cards still work at major malls and hotels.

Where it usually goes wrong: Dynamic currency conversion (DCC) on Revolut can add 1–3%. Always choose to pay in CNY (人民币) when the terminal offers a choice.

Transactions under ¥200 are free. If over ¥200, a 3% fee applies to the full amount. For large purchases, use cash or a physical credit card at big malls. The current limits (subject to change) are US$5,000 per single transaction and US$50,000 per year for foreign cards bound to WeChat Pay / Alipay.

Where it usually goes wrong: The 3% fee applies to the FULL amount, not just the portion over ¥200. A ¥201 purchase charges 3% of ¥201, not 3% of ¥1.

Yes. DO NOT set up just one. Some small vendors (temples, bike rentals, street food) only accept WeChat, while others only accept Alipay. You MUST set up BOTH before you arrive. It takes 10–15 minutes each and avoids being stuck with no way to pay.

Where it usually goes wrong: Airport SIM stalls and hotel desks may charge you to 'help' set up payments. You can do it yourself for free with the steps on this site.

Most shops no longer take foreign cards directly — they expect Alipay or WeChat Pay. The reliable path is to link your card inside Alipay: register with your passport, verify your identity, add the card, then test a small purchase before you rely on it. Keep 300–500 RMB in cash as a fallback for small vendors and taxis.

Where it usually goes wrong: Card linking can fail on the first try. Do it at home, on wifi, days before you fly — not at a checkout counter in Beijing.

That prompt is real-name verification, not a card problem — and it can reappear the first time you pay over a few hundred yuan or add a transit code. Go to Me → settings → Account and Security → Identity Verification, choose Passport, and upload the photo page. Approval is usually minutes but can take a day. Never tap the option that asks for a Chinese bank card; the passport route is the visitor one. Until it clears, pay with WeChat Pay or cash.

Where it usually goes wrong: It often fires mid-transaction with a queue behind you — finish verification at home on wifi days before you fly, then test with a ¥1 purchase.

Yes. Once your account is passport-verified, main-balance funds pay at any merchant QR just like a bound card — the Travel Wallet distinction is mostly about how the money got in. What you cannot count on is getting it back out: moving a balance to a foreign card or bank is restricted. So only send what you expect to spend, and keep one physical Visa or Mastercard bound as well in case a payment bounces.

Where it usually goes wrong: Remittance top-ups can take a day to settle and may trigger a fresh verification check — send the test transfer a week early, not at the airport.

Person-to-person transfers are the one feature foreign-passport accounts hit walls on, while merchant payments work fine. Don't rely on it for splitting a bill, paying a guide's deposit or sending money to a friend. Instead scan the other person's collection QR if they have one, pay the bill directly at the counter, or hand over cash — cash still solves everything. If money must reach someone, arrange it before you arrive.

Where it usually goes wrong: The block is often triggered by the recipient's new or unverified account, not yours — telling them to fix their app won't help.

These are almost always automatic deductions you switched on without noticing — transit passes and 12306（铁路官方售票） tickets keep a mandate on your card long after you fly home. Open Alipay（支付宝） → Me → settings → Payment settings → Auto-pay / No-password payment（免密支付、自动扣款） and close every service you do not recognise, then remove the card itself from Bank Cards（银行卡）. Do it at the departure airport while you still have data. If charges keep landing, freeze the card and have your issuer reissue it.

Where it usually goes wrong: The mandate is often listed under 'Railways' or a city transit name you never signed up for, so deleting the app is not enough — you have to revoke the mandate inside Alipay（支付宝） before you unbind the card.