The short answer
Download Alipay before you fly, verify it with your passport and link the Visa, Mastercard or American Express card you already use. That one app pays for nearly everything in mainland China, from street snacks to subway rides. Add WeChat Pay as a backup, carry a little cash in small notes, and keep a card for hotels and train tickets. If you have a US PayPal account, the PayPal app can now pay at shops that take Weixin Pay too.
Checked on 10 October 2026. We checked the limits, fees and the PayPal service against announcements from the People’s Bank of China, Tencent, PayPal and Bank of China. Payment rules change often, so the checkout screen in the app always has the final word. Our sources are listed at the end.
Your options at a glance
| Method | Where it works | What you need | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alipay with your own card | Almost everywhere: shops, restaurants, street stalls, taxis, metro, Didi | The app, your passport, your card | 3% fee on payments over ¥200 |
| WeChat Pay (Weixin Pay) | Almost everywhere; some small sellers only show a WeChat code | The app, your passport, your card | Same fee; new accounts are sometimes asked for a friend’s confirmation |
| PayPal app | Any shop that accepts Weixin Pay | A US PayPal account | US accounts only for now; PayPal’s own exchange rate |
| Your Visa, Mastercard or Amex | Large hotels, airports, international chains, big-name sights | Nothing extra | Small shops rarely take foreign cards directly |
| Cash (yuan) | Accepted in principle everywhere | An ATM or exchange desk | Small sellers struggle to change ¥100 notes |
How to set up Alipay (do it at home)
Set Alipay up a few days before you travel. The passport check can take time, and it is much easier to fix a declined card from your sofa than at a noodle stall.
- Download Alipay from the App Store or Google Play and sign up with your own mobile number. You will get a text message code, so your home SIM needs to receive texts.
- Verify your identity with your passport. The app asks for a photo of your passport’s photo page and sometimes a selfie. Approval is often quick but can take up to a day.
- Add your card. Alipay accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Diners Club and Discover. You may see a small temporary charge while the card is checked.
- Warn your bank. Fraud checks often block the first payment from China. Turn on notifications in your banking app so you can approve it, or tell your bank about the trip.
- Set a payment PIN, and switch the app to English in settings if it did not do so automatically.
How to set up WeChat Pay
WeChat is China’s main messaging app, and its wallet (called Weixin Pay in China) works much like Alipay. Having both means you are still covered when one app or one card has a bad day, and it lets you message hotels and guides who use WeChat.
- Download WeChat and sign up with your mobile number. WeChat sometimes asks an existing user to confirm a new account. If that happens and you do not know anyone on WeChat, start with Alipay and try again later.
- Open the wallet (Me, then Services or Pay and Services, then Wallet), add your card and verify your passport. The same card brands work as on Alipay.
- Pay by tapping + and Scan to scan a shop’s code, or open your payment code from the wallet for the cashier to scan.
A foreign card in WeChat Pay is for paying shops and services. Sending money to people and red packets do not work with it.
Paying with PayPal (US travelers)
Since 11 August 2026, people with a US PayPal account can pay at shops that accept Weixin Pay straight from the PayPal app. You either scan the shop’s QR code or show a QR code from the PayPal app for the cashier to scan. You do not need a Chinese app or bank account.
Treat it as a handy backup rather than your main way to pay. It only works where Weixin Pay is accepted, and only for US accounts so far. PayPal advises updating the app, keeping enough balance or a linked card, and turning on location services before you travel. PayPal uses its own exchange rate, so compare it with what your card charges.
How paying with your phone works
There are two ways to pay, and you will use both.
- You scan their code. Street stalls, small shops and taxis show a printed QR code. Scan it in Alipay or WeChat, type the amount in yuan, check the shop name and confirm. Show the “payment successful” screen to the seller.
- They scan your code. Supermarkets, chains and convenience stores scan a code you open in the app. It refreshes every minute or so, so open it just before you pay.
Either way you need mobile data, because shop Wi-Fi is rare. Sort out an eSIM or a roaming plan before you land; you can see typical eSIM prices on our China trip cost page.
Fees and limits
The 3% fee on payments over ¥200
Alipay and Weixin Pay charge no service fee on foreign-card payments of ¥200 or less. Above ¥200 they add a 3% fee, which is shown at checkout before you confirm. Your own bank may add a foreign transaction fee on top, so a card without foreign transaction fees is worth taking.
Most meals, coffees, metro rides and short train trips come in under ¥200. Hotel nights and long-distance train tickets usually go over it, which is why it often makes sense to pay for those with your card when you book.
Fee waiver for new Weixin Pay users
Tencent announced in May 2026 that people who link a foreign card to Weixin Pay for the first time get the 3% fee waived on up to ¥1,000 of spending a day for 90 days, with the offer running until the end of 2026. If the waiver applies to you, you will see it on the checkout screen.
Spending limits
Once your passport is verified, Alipay and Weixin Pay let foreign cards pay up to US$5,000 in a single payment and US$50,000 a year. Unverified accounts have much lower limits, so do the passport step even if the app lets you skip it.
What things cost in practice
Here are prices we have checked in Shanghai, so you can see which everyday costs stay under the fee threshold:
| Style | Food & drink | Local transport |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | $15 | $2 |
| Mid-range | $26 | $6 |
| Luxury | $47 | $15 |
Checked Oct 2026
| Route | Class | Time | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai – Beijing | Business | 4h 30 | CN¥1,748 ≈ $260 |
| Shanghai – Beijing | 1st class | 4h 30 | CN¥933 ≈ $140 |
| Shanghai – Beijing | 2nd class | 4h 30 | CN¥553 ≈ $85 |
| Shanghai – Hangzhou | 1st class | 0h 50 | CN¥117 ≈ $15 |
| Shanghai – Hangzhou | 2nd class | 0h 50 | CN¥73 ≈ $10 |
Checked Oct 2026
For a whole trip in your own currency, try our trip cost calculator.
How much cash to bring
You can get through most days without touching cash. Still, carry some for when a phone or card lets you down: a flat battery, a card blocked by your bank, a stall that only takes cash. Enough for a day or two of food and local transport is a sensible backup. The table below shows typical daily spending by city.
| City | Hotel per night | Food per day | Transport per day | Daily total | City guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai | $90 | $25 | $5 | $75 | Shanghai costs |
| Beijing | $80 | $25 | $5 | $70 | |
| Xi'an | $50 | $15 | $5 | $45 | |
| Chengdu | $50 | $20 | $5 | $50 | |
| Chongqing | $45 | $20 | $5 | $45 | |
| Guilin | $55 | $40 | $15 | $60 | |
| Hangzhou | $50 | $25 | $5 | $55 | |
| Guangzhou | $60 | $25 | $5 | $60 |
Mid-range, per person. Daily total is half a double room plus food and local transport. A dash means we have not checked that price yet.
Ask for small notes (¥10, ¥20 and ¥50), because small sellers often cannot change a ¥100 note. Cash is legal tender in China, and the central bank tells businesses not to refuse it without good reason. In practice, a few places, such as some cafés and car parks, are set up for phone payments only.
Getting cash
Airport exchange desks and ATMs are the easiest places to get yuan. Use ATMs of the big banks, such as Bank of China, ICBC and China Construction Bank, which accept Visa and Mastercard. Bank of China lets foreign cards take out up to ¥3,000 per withdrawal; your own bank decides the daily limit and its fees. If the ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, say no and choose yuan, because the machine’s exchange rate is usually worse.
What to use where
| Situation | Best option | Backup |
|---|---|---|
| Street food, markets, small shops | Alipay or WeChat Pay (scan their code) | Cash |
| Restaurants and cafés | Alipay or WeChat Pay; many restaurants let you order and pay by scanning a code on the table | Cash |
| Metro and buses | The transit QR code inside Alipay (search “transport” in the app) | A single ticket from the station machine |
| Taxis and ride-hailing | Didi inside Alipay, charged to your card; street taxis show a QR code | Cash |
| High-speed trains | Book with your card on Trip.com, or on the official 12306 app | Station ticket office, with your passport |
| Hotels | Your card, usually when you book; expect a deposit at check-in | Alipay |
| Major sights | Book ahead online, often with your passport number; big sights take foreign cards | Alipay or WeChat Pay at the gate |
Before you fly: a checklist
- Alipay installed, passport verified and a card added
- WeChat installed as a backup, with a card added
- Your bank warned, or banking app notifications on so you can approve payments
- Your home SIM able to receive texts, because the apps may send a code when you log in again
- An eSIM or roaming plan ready for when you land
- A power bank: your wallet stops when your battery does
- Some yuan in small notes
- A card without foreign transaction fees for hotels and trains
- US PayPal users: the app updated and the balance topped up
- Your visa sorted: check the China entry rules for your passport
When something goes wrong
My card will not link
Check your banking app for a blocked attempt and approve it, then try again. If it still fails, try a different card. Some debit and prepaid cards are refused, and a credit card is usually the safest choice.
A payment failed at the till
Check that you have mobile data, then try the other app or another card. If your bank blocked the payment, approve it in your banking app and pay again.
I cannot log in because no text message arrives
Alipay and WeChat send a code to your home number when you log in on a new phone or after logging out. Keep your home SIM active while you travel (a phone with an eSIM and a physical SIM makes this easy), and avoid logging out of the apps during your trip.
I lost my phone
Freeze the card in your banking app or call your bank first; that is the quickest way to stop payments. Then contact Alipay or WeChat support to lock the account.
Hong Kong and Macau are different
This guide covers mainland China. Hong Kong and Macau have their own currencies and payment habits: Visa, Mastercard and contactless phone payments are widely accepted, and Hong Kong’s Octopus card covers transport and convenience stores. Bring a card rather than counting on your Alipay or WeChat Pay setup there.
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Train tickets between cities
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Set it up before you fly so maps and payments work on arrival.
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Get a quote (opens in a new tab)Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Chinese bank account to use Alipay or WeChat Pay?
No. You link your own Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Diners Club or Discover card and verify your identity with your passport.
Which is better for tourists, Alipay or WeChat Pay?
Alipay is usually easier for visitors to set up and has better English. WeChat Pay is useful if you message hotels or guides on WeChat. Install both, and use whichever a shop’s code belongs to.
Can I use Apple Pay or Google Pay in China?
Only where a card terminal takes international contactless cards, which mostly means large hotels and international chains. Do not count on it at small shops, restaurants or taxis.
Do I need to top up Alipay?
No. With a foreign card, Alipay charges your linked card each time you pay, so there is no balance to top up.
Can I split a bill with friends or send money through the apps?
Not with a foreign card: payments to people and red packets are not supported. Each person pays the shop directly instead. Tipping is not expected in mainland China.
Is it safe to link my card?
Alipay and Weixin Pay are licensed payment providers regulated by the People’s Bank of China. For extra protection, link a credit card rather than a debit card, and only scan codes at the till, never codes sent to you by strangers.
Sources
- People’s Bank of China payment guide for foreign visitors (March 2024): US$5,000 per payment and US$50,000 per year
- Tencent, 2026 Inbound Payment Service Upgrade Initiative (May 2026): fee waiver for new users and PayPal partnership
- PayPal newsroom (11 August 2026): PayPal payments at Weixin Pay merchants
- Bank of China, foreign card ATM withdrawals (January 2026): ¥3,000 per withdrawal
- Shanghai government (February 2025): American Express cards on Alipay
- State Council information office (April 2024): payment services for foreign visitors, including cash acceptance