You pull out a 100-yuan note at a Shanghai noodle stall and the vendor shakes their head, pointing at the QR code on the counter. China is nearly cashless — but your existing Visa or Mastercard gets you in.
Walk into almost any shop, restaurant, taxi or market stall in Beijing, Shanghai or Chengdu and you will find a QR code sticker at the register. Cash is still technically legal tender, but in practice millions of Chinese people go weeks without touching a banknote. The two apps that run this ecosystem — Alipay and WeChat Pay — together handle the vast majority of everyday consumer payments in the country.
The good news: since 2023, both apps fully support foreign visitors with international cards. Link a Visa, Mastercard, JCB or Diners Club card, verify your passport, and you can scan QR codes at street food stalls, convenience stores, ride-hailing apps and high-end restaurants alike. No Chinese bank account. No Chinese phone number. This guide walks you through setup, daily use, and what to do when things go sideways.
Start with Alipay. The English interface is clearer for international users, it covers the widest range of merchants, and it has TourCard built in as a fallback.
If you already use WeChat to message Chinese friends or colleagues, adding WeChat Pay takes only a few minutes and doubles your payment options.
Inside WeChat, go to Me > Pay > Wallet > Cards > Add Card. Enter your Visa or Mastercard details and complete the passport verification. One caveat: WeChat Pay requires a well-established WeChat account. Brand-new accounts may need a Chinese contact to verify them first — another reason to set up Alipay first and use WeChat Pay as a secondary option.
Open WeChat, tap the Pay icon (or use the QR scanner in the top right). Either scan the merchant's QR code, or tap Collect to display your own payment barcode for the cashier to scan. The transaction confirms instantly with a green tick. Straightforward once set up, though the initial configuration for foreigners is marginally more finicky than Alipay's.
Open Alipay, tap Pay on the home screen, and point your camera at the QR code sticker on the counter. Enter the amount if the merchant hasn't pre-set it, then tap Confirm. Money moves instantly. No change, no PIN, no signature.
Open Alipay, tap Pay → Show Payment Code. A barcode and QR appear on screen — hold your phone up to the cashier's scanner. You'll hear a chime and see a confirmation. Common in supermarkets and convenience stores with checkout scanners.
Alipay has a built-in DiDi mini-program (China's dominant ride-hailing service). Search "DiDi" in Alipay's Discover tab, book a car, and payment is charged automatically to your Alipay balance. No haggling, no cash, no language barrier at the end of the ride.
Even in the most digitised country on earth, things occasionally fail. Two backups beats one.
Pre-load 200–500 RMB before you arrive — this becomes a spendable balance inside Alipay that works wherever Alipay does, with no foreign-card friction at the merchant end. A small top-up fee applies; check the current rate inside the mini-program before loading. Ideal for travellers whose cards won't link directly, or for small cash-only-equivalent transactions.
Hotels rated 3-star and above, department stores, airports, international chain restaurants and large convenience stores (7-Eleven, Family Mart, Lawson) all accept Visa and Mastercard terminals. UnionPay is even more widely accepted in China — if your bank offers a co-branded card with UnionPay, it is worth using. Keep your physical card accessible for hotel check-ins regardless.
Tiny local shops, rural areas and genuine emergencies (dead phone battery, no signal) still warrant a small cash reserve. Exchange at a Thai bank before flying, or withdraw from a Bank of China or ICBC ATM in China with your Visa/Mastercard. Note that smaller ATMs in tourist areas sometimes have noticeably poor exchange rates — a bank branch ATM is preferable to a hotel lobby machine.
Money, internet and entry documents: get all three right and China becomes remarkably easy to navigate.
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