Paying in China

The 3-minute version

• China is close to cashless: scan-to-pay (QR codes) covers shops, restaurants, taxis, metros and street vendors.
• Alipay and WeChat Pay both accept foreign passports for registration and let you link Visa, Mastercard, JCB or Discover cards.
• Since the 2025 relaxation, per-transaction limit is USD 5,000 and yearly cap USD 50,000 for overseas cards.
• Keep a small amount of cash (CNY 300–500) as backup — some small stalls only accept domestic QR codes your foreign card cannot pay.

Set up Alipay (recommended first)

1. Install Alipay (or Alipay Global) and sign up with your phone number.
2. Choose Passport as your ID type and complete real-name verification.
3. Go to Me → Bank Cards → add your Visa/Mastercard. A small verification may apply.
4. You can now scan any QR code and pay in CNY; your card is charged in your home currency.

WeChat Pay works the same way: Me → Services → Wallet → add card, passport verification.

Where cards and cash still matter

• Street food stalls and rural markets may show a personal QR code that only works with domestic Chinese cards — pay cash there.
• Some vending machines, deposit-required services (bike rentals) and small-town taxis are domestic-only.
• Large hotels, department stores and airports accept international credit cards directly.
• Exchange counters at airports and major banks change major currencies; keep the receipt if you plan to convert back.

Good to know

• Foreign-card transactions inside Alipay/WeChat sometimes carry a small fee shown before you confirm.
• Tipping is not expected anywhere in China — see our Customs page.
• If a payment fails, try switching between Alipay and WeChat; coverage differs occasionally.